Administration to allow high-rise buildings along the Vikas Marg, the man who had built the city was a major proponent of skyscrapers for solving urban housing crisis and built them too. Le Corbusier had presented a revolutionary scheme for 'a contemporary city for three million people' to the French government in 1922 in which he had planned to build 60-storey housing high-rises with large green spaces and roofs acting as runways for planes.

Three years later, Le Corbusier in 1925 proposed to raze most of central Paris and replace it with the 60-storey residential towers, triggering criticism from politicians and industrialists.

He got the opportunity to implement his ideas of high-rise structures after World War II with his residential housing design concept 'Unite d'habitation' in France and other European countries.

He designed these high-rise urban structures with intent of providing spacious, light-filled housing at reasonable rates to people and later replicated his design concepts in many European countries.

According to Rajnish Wattas, former principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture and a heritage expert, Le Corbusier was not against tall structures and had designed a number of high-rise buildings all across the world.

In fact, Le Corbusier wanted the secretariat building in Chandigarh to be taller than its present height.

"Le Corbusier's earlier sketches show that he wanted a taller structure but the idea was dropped later as the technology to raise the building's height beyond certain levels was not available at that time," said Wattas.

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According to Wattas, the city could take the middle path and allow the 'mid-rise' concept but away from the sacred zone.

"Buildings up to 10 floors can be allowed in the city but away from heritage zones, including Capitol Complex and Sector 17. This would ensure that our heritage is not touched and it remains intact and at the same time the need for growth can also be fulfilled," said Wattas.