The document outlines the challenges and strategies for urbanization in India, highlighting the rapid population growth and the issues faced by cities such as poor urban management, slum development, and inadequate infrastructure. It emphasizes the need for smart planning, sustainable development, and integrated approaches to urban governance to create compact, well-managed cities. Recommendations for future cities include defining urban visions, utilizing smart technologies, and fostering quality leadership to drive positive urban transformations.

1. Ar. J.K.GUPTA, former Advisor TownAr. J.K.GUPTA, former Advisor Town
Email---- jit.kumar1944@gmail.comEmail---- jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
Strategies for Preventing
Melting Cities in India

2. State of World’s CitiesState of World’s Cities
• UN Habitat Report, State of World’s Cities 2008/2009- Harmonius Cities,
defines cities as--
• Cities contain both order and chaos.
• In them reside beauty and ugliness--virtue and vice.
• They can bring out best or worst in human kind.
• They are physical manifestation of history and culture
• They are incubators of innovations, industry, technology,
entrepreneurship and creativity.
• Cities are materialization of humanity’s noblest ideas, ambitions and
aspirations,
• but when not planned or governed properly, can be repository of
society’s ills.
• Cities drive national economies by creating wealth, enhancing social
development and providing employment but
• they can also be breeding grounds for poverty, exclusion and
environmental degradation.

3. Population Scenario- India-2011Population Scenario- India-2011
Population of India reached
• 250 million in 1919
• 500 million in 1966 (47 yrs. Later)
• 1000 million in 2000 ( 34 yrs. Later)
• 1027 million in 2001 (1yr Later)
• 1210 million in 2011 (10 yrs. Later)
• Last century recoded 5 fold increase in
population
• 2050- Indian population --1800 million with 50%
living in Urban India.
• Urban India- 285.39 million in 2001 (5161 towns)
• 377 million in 2011- (7935 towns)
• Metropolitan Centres -5 (1951)- -53 (2011)-
68(2031)
• 10 m plus- nil (1951)- 3 (2011) -7 (2031)-9 (2051)
• Greater Mumbai with 18.37 million - most
populous city (2011).
• massive shift of population -not simply a shift of
demographics
• Shift places cities and towns at centre of India’s
development trajectory.

4. Indian Urbanization-IIndian Urbanization-I
• Urban areas are important because they are :
 Areas of future concentration of population,
 Providers of large employment.
 Areas of major investment.
 Promoters of higher order of productivity
 Housing quality infrastructure & services.
 Hub around which entire economy gravitates.
• Major contributors to the national wealth/GDP
 1950-51 - 29% (level of urbanization - 17.29%)
 1970-71- 37% (level of urbanization - 19.91%)
 1990-91- 50% (level of urbanization - 25.72%)
 2001-02- 60% (level of urbanization - 27.78%)
 2011- 12- 65% (level of urbanization - 31.1%)
 10 Largest cities house 8%pop and produce 15%GDP
 53 Metro cities house 13 %pop and produce 33%GDP
 100 Largest cities house 16%pop and produce 43%GDP

5. Urbanization-issuesUrbanization-issues
• Despite distinct advantages , Urban
centers:
 Poorly managed and governed.
 Consume large energy
 Unable to meet challenges of urban dynamism
 Showcase haphazard /Unplanned pattern of
development.
 Promoters of enormous growth of slums
 Promoters of Poor quality of life
 Failure to meet basic needs of
1. Shelter
2. Services
3. Land ,Water, Sanitation

6. Urbanization-issuesUrbanization-issues
City Growth marked by contradictions and dualities
 Where rich and poor are rubbing shoulders
 Where best and worst things co-exist
 Uncontrolled and unregulated development are putting
cities in a different context
 Cities of today are fast melting
--They do not have precisely defined boundaries
--Do not have well defined shapes/size/limits
---Do not have defined bulk
-- Number of human contents remain unknown
• Making the entire context of city planning and
development subjective lacking objectivity
• Population , Poverty , Pollution and traffic greatest
threat and challenge to Indian Cities.
• Indian Urbanization is rightly called :
 Urbanization of Population
 Urbanization of Poverty

7. Options-Defining future CitiesOptions-Defining future Cities
• Future cities have to be :
• Envisioned Rationally
• Governed objectively
• Planned Realistically
• Developed Smartly
• Operated Smartly with
• Dedicated Leadership
• Optimum Mobility
• Best of infrastructure/Services&
• Waste Management

8. Urban VisionUrban Vision
• Urban Vision to be defined :
• After detailed study
• Carrying out SWOT analysis
• Looking at future potential
• Adopting participatory approach
• Using a consultative process
• Involving all stakeholders
• Creating a think tank
• Involving intelligentia of city
• Building on existing strength
• Creating vision achievable and realistic
• Making efforts to achieve defined Vision

9. SMART PLANNINGSMART PLANNING
New Order of Planning will focus on:
– Regional Planning- integrated growth of both urban/
rural settlements
Evolving Master Plans with energy conservation as
focus.
Master Plans not to freeze city for next 20 years- permit
dynamic growth based on project to project approach
City planning supported by group of experts involving
people/stakeholders
Adopting shape / size promoting minimum travel and
mass transportation.
Using decentralizing and Mixed Land use
Transit Oriented Development
 high rise high density pattern.
 self- contained communities.
Focusing on small and medium cities

10. Compact citiesCompact cities
• Making cities compact would call for-
• Going vertical
• Promoting flatted development
• Promoting pedestrianization
• Making cities walkable
• Creating well defined urban boundaries
• Rationalising peri-urban development
• Rationalising legal frameworkReviewing norms for land use
planning
• Promoting multiple use of land 24x7
• Promoting city on co-operative ownership involving residents
and stakeholders
• Promoting inbuilt sustainability in city planning and
development
• Rationalizing the planning tools/principles

11. Smart Transportation would call for--Smart Transportation would call for--RedefiningRedefining
Urban Planning.Urban Planning.
--Changing approach to Planning for people and not for--Changing approach to Planning for people and not for
vehiclesvehicles
-Redefining shape and size of cities-Redefining shape and size of cities
-Making cities compact to reduce travel demand and trip-Making cities compact to reduce travel demand and trip
lengthlength
--Reordering prioritization for travelReordering prioritization for travel
--pedestrians, cycles, public transport, private--pedestrians, cycles, public transport, private
carscars
Making public transport equitable/reliable,Making public transport equitable/reliable,
affordable/safe/comfortable/efficient/user friendlyaffordable/safe/comfortable/efficient/user friendly
• Creating public awarenessCreating public awareness
•Involving communities/ stakeholdersInvolving communities/ stakeholders
•Promoting innovations through R&DPromoting innovations through R&D
•Deregistration of Old VehiclesDeregistration of Old Vehicles
•Establishing effective regulatory / enforcementEstablishing effective regulatory / enforcement
mechanismsmechanisms
SMART TRANSPORTATIONSMART TRANSPORTATION

12. Smart TechnologiesSmart Technologies
• State of art technologies to form integral part of :
• --planning, development/ management / operations of
smart cities.
• -- operational efficiency/ economy in service delivery
• -- - good governance,
• - transparency in decision making
• -- involving communities in planning / decision making.
• -- bridging gap between people’s aspiration
/administrative decision making.
• --rationalizing traffic and transportation
• --reducing congestion,
• --reducing pollution and green house gas emissions.

13. Smart TechnologiesSmart Technologies
• --Monitoring service delivery / plugging leakage in services
• ---- generating data regarding city growth/ development/ operations
• -- Integrating various departments within organization.
• --creating interactive portals --to provide information/ promote
connectivity -- for redressing their grievances.
• -- Dimming/ switching street lights to save 30% on energy cost
• -- using cameras at cross-sections --to optimise traffic lights, cut travel
times reducing air pollution and cost of tackling it ;
• -- sharing data suggesting best bus route for journey in the city
• --using One Map, an online portal, enabling government, business,
organisations and residents to access geo-spatial data;
• -- using digital applications to register concern about streets
requiring cleaning and potholes needing repair ;
• -- engaging citizens as active partners in planning/ development
process;

14. Quality leadershipQuality leadership
• Smart cities would require :Smart cities would require :
•city ownership-ULBscity ownership-ULBs
• Leadership- MayorLeadership- Mayor
• High performance teamHigh performance team
• professional Managementprofessional Management
•Promoting Training and DevelopmentPromoting Training and Development
•Investing in LearningInvesting in Learning
•Creating Culture of AccountabilityCreating Culture of Accountability
•Securing Stakeholders ConsensusSecuring Stakeholders Consensus
•Launching Pilot ProgramsLaunching Pilot Programs
•Prioritizing/defining Agenda for City GrowthPrioritizing/defining Agenda for City Growth
•Each City to have a starting PointEach City to have a starting Point
•Mayors of New York, Washington, Rio-deMayors of New York, Washington, Rio-de
Jeanario Bogota, Toledo ,London----,Jeanario Bogota, Toledo ,London----,
created highest degree of urbancreated highest degree of urban
Leadership/Governance to make cities SmartLeadership/Governance to make cities Smart

15. Future Cities-Conceptual
Ultima Tower- 2Mile High Sky City
•Location: Any densely populated urban
environment
•Date: 1991
•Cost: $150,000,000,000
•Population: 1,000,000 people
•Exterior surface area of building: 150,000,000
sft.
•Enclosed volume: 53,000,000,000 cubic feet
•Total enclosed acreage: 39,000 acres
•Elevator speed: 20 feet per second (13 miles
per hour) 9 minutes and 40 seconds to reach
the top floor from the ground floor.
• Height--10,560 feet;
•Diameter at the base--6000 feet;
•Number of stories--500;

16. COBS
WORKINGLIVING
CIRCULATION
• The Radiant City
•An organism capable of housing the
works of man of machine-age society.
• placed under the masterful
government of natural conditions:
•Sun
•Space
•Greenery
•And its mission is the service of
mankind:
•To live
•To work
•To cultivate body and spirit
•To travel about
(in this order and obeying this
hierarchy)