The latest buzz with urban planners is the concept of smart cities. However, no concrete definition of what constitutes a smart city is available. According to the government official document, ‘the conceptualisation of smart city varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, […]
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As per the Census of India 2011, the growth rate of urbanisation during 2001-11 was 31.8 per cent which was higher than the total population growth rate of 17.6 per cent during the same period. By the year 2021, more than 432 million people will live in urban areas and this is likely to increase […]
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Urbanisation can prove to be a gift to human civilisation if it is harmonised and maintained in accordance with the carrying capacity of nature. According to the United Nations Population Fund, the world’s urban population is expected to reach 81 per cent by 2030 (Imhoff et al., 2010). The conversion of rural areas into urban […]
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Human evolution is followed by developmental activities that assimilate heterogeneous living conditions. During all stages of development and economic activity, the nature of human habitation (settlement) keeps pace with changes in human needs, technology and available resources. In the past as human populations evolved from a nomadic life to cultivation of farmlands and permanent settlements, […]
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The Smart Cities Mission launched in June 2015 by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government envisages to redeem 20 cities with central assistance, to develop physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure which is aimed at improving the quality of life as well as economic viability of these urban centres. This was long overdue as most […]
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Across the globe, countries are trying to make their cities smart by using a mix of existing and new technologies to achieve diverse objectives more efficiently. Some cities are being designed to be smart right at the outset, so that they can provide citizens cost effective services and be environment friendly, economically vibrant and attractive. […]
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Land is a vital component in the economic process and an important asset. Everyone needs some land to live and work on. Its ownership pattern and its use largely determine the structure of the economy and shape economic processes. In the process of urbanisation, the land hitherto used for agricultural and allied purposes, is put […]
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The private city is slowly emerging across the global landscape as a new form of urban development. Advertisements for these cities appeal not only to the aesthetic value and functionality of the houses, but to the very idea of the city where urban spaces can be constructed and administered by private companies. The promotions display […]
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Though the expression ‘periurban’ is used commonly, a clear and unambiguous definition is not yet available. However, a general consensus in literature leads to surmise these as fringe areas between rural and larger urban centres. Periurban areas have unique characteristics where general urban morphology is altered and traditional physical differences between urban and rural areas […]
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The development of a country is often correlated with the process of rapid urbanisation, which entails an occupational shift from rural agricultural livelihoods to one that involves more industrial and tertiary activities. Besides changes in core economic life, urban livelihood is closely linked to modernity that implies cultural and civic values vastly different from feudal […]
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