A brief discussion on Calcutta and its city growth. The city extended manifold after the Colonial rule, which defines the urban character and built fabric of the city. At the same point of time we need proper planning insights to this city for its future growth and development.

1. THE CITY AND ITS GROWTH – “ CASE
STUDY KOLKATA “
- PRESENTED BY RAJORSHI CHATTERJEE
- 1ST YEAR 1ST SEM , URBAN PLANNING

2. CONTENTS :
INTRODUCTION
CHRONOLOGY OF CALCUTTA
THE RIVER AND THE CITY CALCUTTA
COLONIAL KOLKATA (CALCUTTA)
URBAN SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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3. • The capital city of West Bengal, in India.
• Was the former capital (1772 -1912) of British India.
• The city is the nation's largest metropolitan in area.
• It is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly river,
an arm of the Ganges, about 96 miles (154km)
upstream from its mouth at the head of the bay of
Bengal.
• This river port is the most important urban center of
eastern India
INTRODUCTION
:
The city has continuously expanded, and today the urban
agglomeration (Kolkata Metropolitan District or KMD)
comprises 157 postal areas and is formally administered by
several local governments, including 38 local
municipalities, 72 cities and 527 towns and villages
(Kolkata Postal Codes, 2007). The suburban areas of
(KMD) incorporate parts of the districts of North 24
Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia.
Calcutta, ( Bengali Kalikata and colloquially
Kolkata ) – Kali (Goddess Kali of Kalighat) ,
and kota – (her abode)
FACTS :
CURRENT BOUNDARIES :
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4. It seems the pattern of Calcutta's development was chaotic from the
inception of the city. Planned settlement was not a priority for either the
foreign traders or their native associates and beneficiaries: they viewed
the city solely as a place for commercial gain by the quickest means.
CHRONOLOGY OF CALCUTTA :
Before Calcutta, there were at least five other capitals or urban centers in
Bengal at different times : Gour, Rajmahal, Dhaka, Nadia and of course,
Murshidabad, the seat of the last Nawabs of Bengal. Calcutta can thus be
considered as the sixth capital of the province of Bengal.
BEFORE CALCUTTA:
Three villages existed before the existence of the city, they
are: Sutanuti Hat (cotton or yarn market) , Govindapur
(named after the Seth’s deity Gobindaji or Lord Krishna) and
Kalikata
The foundation of Calcutta may therefore be traced back to Job
Charnock’s landing on 24th August 1690
Figure shows the Lower Bengal with the principal rivers and early
and recent settlements
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5. CHRONOLOGY OF CALCUTTA :
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OLD
CALCUTTA :
1690- In Kalikata the British found a convenient site for
settlement. Sutanuti, to its north, was bounded by the river on
the west, the Chitpur Creek to the north, and the rough line of
the present Central Avenue and Lalbazar to the east and south
respectively. Gobindapur, further south, is now occupied by
Fort William and the Maidan.
1696 – The original Fort William was built, the present day
Fort-William was built futher south in 1757.
1757- Major Step: To Shift The Bengalis From The Area
Around The Present Dalhousie Square To Further North
Because Of The Strategic Location To Build The Fort For
Their Security.
Development of churches and Ghats started , Maratha
Ditch was dug.
The English portion of Calcutta was only confined to the
old Fort William area (present day B.B.D Bag)
1757- 85 - Development of areas – Chowrangi, Baliganj,
Tollyganj, Garden Reach and Chipur
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6. CHRONOLOGY OF CALCUTTA :
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OLD
CALCUTTA :
1785-99 : The Ditch was never completed which
was excavated to meet the river, and was partly
filled up in 1799 to create the Circular Road. The
area contained within the arch (see fig 1785) was the
original town of Calcutta.
Figure shows the densification of the city
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7. CHRONOLOGY OF CALCUTTA :
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OLD CALCUTTA
:1800-1921: The area, which is south of the Maratha ditch,
was full of ponds and ditches and spreads of jungles.
In the southern part it was mostly the Englishmen and the rich
businessmen who started building up houses.
The only directions for Calcutta's growth were east and south.
North was already congested and west was the river.
Figure shows the densification of the city
The capital got shifted in 1912 A.D, and soon the British
government set up the Improvement trust for the settlement
of living condition in the city.
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8. THE RIVER AND THE CITY CALCUTTA
:Infographics showing the delineation of the city economics through the River-
Edge Development:
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9. COLONIAL KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) :
Towards the development of City Centre :
A Major change was marked by abandoning the old
front on the river and taking up a new front facing
the land: the south of the Esplanade. (The most
important public buildings and private house were
located on the northern side of the Esplanade facing
the Maiden on the south "all looking remarkable
Neo-classical.” The eastward thrusts along
Dharamtala and Bou Bazaar streets were
overshadowed by two parallel south ward axes - one
along present day Chauranghi and Jawahar Lal
Nehru road; the other across the Maiden and Alipur.
The eastward spread was inevitable, as the need to
drain, the swamps was solved by making east-bound
canals and a road along the canal. Later, these
canals:-covered up to make wide roads, as they
became very unsanitary. Tanks were also made to
solve the drainage problem. All squares in Calcutta
had a tank, for example college square, wellington
square etc. Some tanks were later filled up to create
more usable space. The urban space was created by
other elements also, namely, street type, the avenue
type, the circus type, the esplanade type, the garden
type and the square type.
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10. COLONIAL KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) :
Towards the development of City Centre :
A study of the chronological development of road network shows that
the early major arterial streets developed during the 18th century form
the basic structure on which subsequent planned interventions
happened to give the city of Kolkata its present connectivity pattern.
In 1742, the Mahratta ditch was dug along the eastern fringe of
town, to combat the aggression of the Maratha forces, which was
subsequently filled to create the Circular road.
Western side of the ditch was also inhabited by the
Europeans. The area between the present day Park Street and the
Lower Circular Road was known as Chowringhee.
The locations in the North, primarily for the native population had
irregular road or lane pattern. Several roads had dead ends. Along the
bank of the river Hooghly, several ghats had developed
‘Black town’ patch between the present day Lenin Sarani and Park
Street (the taltala area); this area in between the two east west
corridors must have had a mixed character being predominantly
European closer to the North South spine.
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11. COLONIAL KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) :
Towards the development of City Centre :
In the 1690’s the Fortified area was the first Fort area which turned into The Great Tank “Lal Diggi” after 1757 , the
principal CBD area lies in this portion of the city marked Red which includes B.B.D Bag Area , Esplanade, Chowringhee,
Park Street and Maidan area.
LAL DIGGI
FORT
WILLIAM
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12. URBAN SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA :
The urban settlement of Kolkata can be defined in to three definite regions, distinguished
according to history, socio-economic culture, and architectural character.
NORTH KOLKATA :
NEIGHBOURHOODS OF ELITE
BENGALIS, CRAFTS MEN,
ARTISIANS AND TRADERS.
CENTRAL KOLKATA :
THE BUSINESS DISTRICT DEVELOPED
BY THE BRITISH WITH PALATIAL
STRUCTURES USED AS RESIDENCES FOR
BRITISH OFFICERS..
SOUTH KOLKATA :
NEIGHBOURHOODS OF UPPER
MIDDLE CLASS BENGALIS
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13. The urban settlement of Kolkata can be defined in to three definite regions, distinguished
according to history, socio-economic culture, and architectural character.
NORTH KOLKATA : CENTRAL KOLKATA : SOUTH KOLKATA :
URBAN SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA :
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14. The urban settlement of Kolkata can be defined in to three definite regions, distinguished
according to history, socio-economic culture, and architectural character.
NORTH KOLKATA : CENTRAL KOLKATA : SOUTH KOLKATA :
LOCATION:
• LIES TO THE NORTH OF
ESPLANADE ON THE EASTERN
BANKS THE RIVER.
• BUILT IN THE AREA WHERE
THERE EXISTED THE VILLAGE
OF SUTANUTI.
LOCATION :
• IT IS ESTABLISHED ON THE SITE OF THE
GOBINDAPUR VILLAGE. • MOSTLY
COVERED BETWEEN ESPLANADE AND
THE PARK STREET AND IS STRETCHED
TILL THE LOWER CIRCULAR ROAD AS ITS
LIMITS.
LOCATION :
•EXTENDS TO THE EASTERN
WETLANDS AND TO THE RIVER IN
THE WEST.
•DEFINED BY THE REGION, WHICH
LIES TO THE SOUTH OF THELOWER
CIRCULARROAD.
URBAN STRUCTURE :
• Low height buildings with
maximum of ground coverage.
• The buildings are all attached to
each other and have practically no
side setbacks.
• Typical roadside buildings have
car porticos (‘Garibaranda")
highlighting the building entrance.
• Open space is less in this part.
URBAN SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA :
URBAN STRUCTURE :
•Administrative and the commercial
district of the city.
• Monumental scale of proportion.
• The administrative district along the four
ides of the great tank, has a resemblance of
London.
• The British have not done any
compromise in their city road layouts.
• Visiting planner. Drew on what they
knew of the west and their work inevitably
reflected the planning theories and design
guidelines that had arisen in the western
context.
URBAN STRUCTURE :
• Preplanned and have a definite
control over the urban form.
• The buildings have proper set
backs on all the four sides.
• Mix of old Kolkata and some new
type of architectural style.
• Mostly residential except some
large markets , which has been
planned to cater the needs of the
people living here.
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15. NORTH KOLKATA : CENTRAL KOLKATA : SOUTH KOLKATA :
URBAN SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA :
Street pattern
•streets can be categorized into three
types: roads, lanes and by-lanes.
•Division on the basis of the road
width and also on the kind of
activities happening.
Public space
• least number of public open
'spaces’.
•Parks are used for recreational
purposes by the locals. • Street
corners and roadside tea stalls are
mostly used as public spaces.
Street pattern
•Main roads are wide carriage ways and
are laid straight, which act as vistas.
•Even the lanes in these areas where
mostly the Europeans have settled are wide
enough for vehicular movements.
Public space
• Designed public open spaces.
• The open space of the great tank creates
an ambience of the area.
• Biggest open space of the city, the
Maidan.
Street pattern
• Streets are planned, are wide
enough for vehicular movements.
Public space
•Few number of open spaces.
• A huge open space in Rabindra
Sarobar.
• Roadside tea stalls and street
comers are actively oriented.
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16. INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KOLKATA
:
THE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS LIKE BUSTEE, REFUGEE COLONIES, SETTLEMENTS OF HOMELESS,
SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS ARE BEING SHOWN HERE :
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17. • Calcutta – The Living City, Vol:1 , The Past
• PuronoKolkata.com
• Kalikata Darpan article
• Monideep Chatterjee- CIT scheme planning for Kolkata
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata
• www.studio-basel.com/assets/files/files/16_atlas_web.pdf
• http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/2079/settlement-and-
transportation-of-calcutta
• http://www.bangalinet.com/calcutta1.htm
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
THANK YOU
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