Amy Kazim explore how chaotic urban growth and a political preference for rural government is beginning to hinder the development of India's largest cities.
In the last two decades, rural migrants lured by factory jobs have poured into urban centers, but they cities they now call home are fast turning into dystopias undone by population pressure and neglected infrastructure. These conditions are already a serious drag on economic growth and could threaten India's prospects in competition with neighbor and rival, China.
"According to the 2011 census, the number of Indians living in urban areas has surged to 400m – about 31 per cent of the population. That is up from just about 285m, or 28 per cent, in 2001. That urban population is expected to surge to well over 600m in the next two decades, as increasingly mobile youth pour out of the countryside."
"These cities are going to start collapsing under their own weight," Jahangir Aziz of JPMorgan, says of India's 10 biggest conurbations. "Local governments are in a state of denial – they don't accept that these cities are in such a state that within a short period of time it will become almost impossible for them to do any business. Business is there now only because there is a very huge cost of moving out."
FULL STORY: A Case Of Rise And Sprawl
As Temperatures Increase, Maps Show Sea-Level Rise Will Devastate Cities
Data visualizations illustrate the catastrophic consequences of single-digit global temperature increases.
Can Transit Oriented Development be Effective in India?
TOD as a planning tool is new to Indian cities, where the idea is being championed as a solution to congestion, environment quality and housing equity. Can this concept, developed for the North American city, be successful in Indian cities?
Ambitious Effort to Urbanize India
The Indian government is betting big with simultaneously building a massive high speed freight corridor between Delhi & Mumbai as well the physical infrastructure for 24 new cities that will become an industrial corridor.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
Renters Now Outnumber Homeowners in Over 200 US Suburbs
High housing costs in city centers and the new-found flexibility offered by remote work are pushing more renters to suburban areas.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Supreme Court Ruling in Pipeline Case Guts Federal Environmental Law
The decision limits the scope of a federal law that mandates extensive environmental impact reviews of energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)