Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.
📚 What's in This Chapter?
Cities vs Villages
⬆️ Dholavira — ancient Harappan city; 48 hectares; complex water structures — India's urban legacy is 5,000+ years old!
| 🏙️ Urban Areas (Cities) | 🌾 Rural Areas (Villages) |
|---|---|
| High population density | Lower population density |
| Diverse businesses & occupations | Agriculture-based occupations |
| Complex transport & communication | Less elaborate transport |
| Municipal corporations (elected) | Gram Panchayat |
| India: 5,000+ population = urban | Japan: 50,000+ = urban; Denmark: 220+! |
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Population Density
📌 Population Density =
Total population ÷ Area (sq km). Expressed as number of people per square kilometre. High density = crowded city; low density = sparsely populated area.
⬆️ Village Asadpur Khera, Jhajjhar (left) vs Gurugram city (right) — same state, wildly different density!
🌐 Most Populous Cities (2025)
- Tokyo (Japan) — ~4.19 crore people
- Jakarta (Indonesia), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Guangzhou (China) — top 5
- New Delhi and Kolkata — both in world's most populous cities list!
- By 2050, 68% of world's population will live in cities!
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How Cities Grow — Urbanisation
📈 Process of Urbanisation
- Rural Origins → farm-based work, small settlement
- Early Urbanisation → shift to small industries, transport, services; trading centres emerge
- Growth → attracts people from other areas; factories, hotels, banks, entertainment develop
- Metropolitan Area → large population, high-rise buildings, shopping malls, metro transport
📍 Case Study: Jamshedpur
Sakchi was a small village in Chota Nagpur Plateau. Tata family chose it for Asia's first steel plant (near rich iron ore deposits). Built wide tree-lined streets, gardens, hospital even before production began. Village → City → renamed Jamshedpur (1919). Today: largest industrial city in Jharkhand! Shows how natural resources + vision + planning = city growth.
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Urbanisation in India
📊 India's Urban Growth Story
- 1951: Only 17% of India lived in cities
- 2025: ~40% of India is urban
- 2050: Expected 55%+ will live in cities
- India has a rich urban history — Varanasi, Ujjain, Vijayanagara, Dholavira — still flourishing!
- Push factors: poverty, lack of jobs in villages
- Pull factors: better wages, education, healthcare, opportunities in cities
⬆️ Electronic City, Bengaluru in 2012 (left) vs 2025 (right) — dramatic urban expansion in just 13 years!
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Economic Activities in Cities
🏭 Secondary Sector
- Manufacturing industries
- Processing raw materials
- Construction sector
- Factory jobs — largest employer
🌐 Tertiary Sector
- IT & software services
- Banking, finance, insurance
- Healthcare & education
- Retail, hospitality, transport
🎨 Informal Economy
- Street vendors, hawkers
- Domestic workers
- Auto-rickshaw drivers
- 40-50% of urban workers!
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Urban Challenges
🏙️ The Challenges of Rapid Urbanisation
- Housing: slums, overcrowding
- Traffic: congestion, pollution
- Water: unequal access, scarcity
- Waste: poor solid waste management
- Air pollution: vehicles + industries
- Inequality: rich-poor divide widens
- Infrastructure: schools, hospitals lag
- Urban heat islands: cities hotter than surroundings
Slums — India's Urban Challenge
About 17% of India's urban population lives in slums — areas with inadequate housing, water, sanitation & infrastructure. Dharavi (Mumbai) was once Asia's largest slum. Urban planning must address this inequality urgently.
About 17% of India's urban population lives in slums — areas with inadequate housing, water, sanitation & infrastructure. Dharavi (Mumbai) was once Asia's largest slum. Urban planning must address this inequality urgently.
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Urban Planning & Smart Cities
🌟 Smart Cities Mission
- India launched Smart Cities Mission (2015) — 100 cities selected for development
- Focus: smart infrastructure, digital governance, sustainable development
- E-governance: online services, digital payments, smart meters
- Integrated Command & Control Centres (ICCC) — monitoring city services in real-time
- Green buildings, solar power, rainwater harvesting
🏙️ Principles of Good Urban Planning
- Mixed land use — homes, work, recreation in same area
- Public transport first — reduce private vehicles
- Green spaces — parks, urban forests, wetlands
- Affordable housing for all income groups
- Inclusive design — accessible for elderly & differently-abled
- Disaster resilience — flood management, earthquake preparedness
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Quick Summary
⭐ Key Points to Remember
- Urbanisation = shift of population from rural to urban areas
- India: 17% urban (1951) → 40% (2025) → 55%+ expected by 2050
- Population density = total population ÷ area (sq km)
- Jamshedpur case: natural resources + Tata vision → village to industrial city
- Challenges: housing, traffic, water, air pollution, slums, inequality
- Smart Cities Mission (2015): 100 Indian cities for sustainable development
- Good cities need: public transport, green spaces, affordable housing, inclusive design