India is one of the emerging economic superpowers in the world, with a population of 1.3 billion, and a large pool of young people with a median age of 27.6 years, and a rapidly growing economy. At present, there is a need for India to build 100 new cities by year the 2050 to accommodate the rapid urbanisation and economic growth. This provides an opportunity to develop a new city with a highly liveable environment, which could potentially become “A Role Model City” for India.

To address the above issues and gaps, Project Alpha Centauri has set out to develop “A Vibrant New Generation City”, where city planning is consistently implemented and enforced, infrastructure is adequately provided and city maintenance/management is well executed. Project Alpha Centauri is expected to set a new benchmark for the urban environment in India.

Project Alpha Centauri is located in the southern part of Chennai, India. The selected project site has tremendous advantages with access to 10-12 million local inhabitants within a 100km radius and a domestic visitor population of 334 million annually. In addition, a large and picturesque water body (lake), and a number of forested pockets of land on site, provide for an excellent example of a truly liveable urban lifestyle.

The New City is structured into residential townships and other key developments such as CBD and Commercial Centre, Healthcare district, Sports and Education Hub, Green and Recreational Area and Support Services and Utility Sites. The master plan also capitalises on the existing lake, ponds and forested areas to form a strong green and blue network that links residential townships, CBD and other key destinations and allowing for off-road (green) connectivity within the city.

The sites fronting the water bodies and green network are valuable lands, which will be allocated for high-end residences and other higher-value land use. The CBD and commercial centre is to be located away from the waterfront and closer to the existing expressway to create its own attractive and vibrant business environment that will increase the land value in and around the surrounding area.

The organisation of the city creates two types of valuable land areas, one in and around the CBD and commercial centre, and the other around the water frontage and along the green belts.