311

CHAPTER - VIII

NEW TOWN PLANNING AND FACTORS OF DEVELOPMENT

Impact of planning and development of

urban growth

Urban primacy

The urban poor and the informal sector

Urban planning policy in India

Spatial policy

Economics of urban size

Snail and medium size towns

Need for new towns

Developing new towns

Emerging urbanization policy

The problem of identifying potential

new towns

Methodology adopted

Regional analysis
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The State of Maharashtra is one of the leading states

of India having significant development trends since last thirty

five years. These development trends have influenced the urbani­

zation and urban growth trends.

Maharashtra with 9.16 percent population of the country

(62,784,171 according to 1981 census) is the third largest state

in India and it has the highest proportion of urban population.

In terms of urban population, it ranks first since 1971 and

according to 1981 census it has a urban population of 21,993,594.

The number of towns and urban population has been changing very

steadly since the independence but the change has a spatial

variation, some of the districts like Thane, Pune, Nanded, Bhandara

and Chandrapur show significant change in number of towns.

According to 1931 census Maharashtra as a whole, had 307

inhabited villages per town. This is disproportionatly a large

figure. A town with a proper relationship with it's surrounding

region can be a good promoter of development. In Maharashtra

following districts have too many villages and too few towns;

Chandrapur (372), Bhandara (232), Yeotmal (219), Dhulia (216),

Aurangabad (196), Jalgaon (188), Bir (179), Akola (172), Wardha

(169) and Ratnagiri (156).

IMPACT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ON URBAN GROWTH

Maharashtra is a highly urbanised state in India. In the

state, the sprade of urbanization is uneven. The locations of

 315

large towns assuming a corridor pattern, leaving large interior

pockets without proper locations of urban centres. The large

towns in Maharashtra are growing at a higher rate. Since

independence the number of new towns is increasing considerably.

In the year 1961 there were 266 urban centres in Maharashtra, the

number is increased to 289 in 1971 and in 1981 it has reached

to 307 urban centres.

The developing societies of the world are living in the

urbanizing world. Urbanization is inevitable when pressure on

land is high, agricultural incomes are low and population increases

are excessive. Urbanisation is not only inevitable but also desi­

rable for human development. Even where rural jobs are available,

aimless drift to cities occurs, as it offers a promise of economic

opportunity and social mobility. Urbanization is not a calamity

but it is a positive force and urban growth is essential for

development. Both accelerate industrialization to some extent,

they permit change in the social structure and make possible

improvement in economic opportunities and living conditions.

Urbanization can not be stopped, it can be regulated what is needed

in developing countries is planned urbanization and regulated urban

growth (Vagale, 1985). The continuing pace of urbanization serves

as a reminder to us that urbanization should not be conceived

completely as a set of diseconomies, high costs and complex problems.

Urban growth in low income countries like India, would

not continue, inspite of all the negative impacts, unless there

 316

were some real benifits to be obtained from migration of people

to large cities. Poverty and prosparity co-exist in-juxtra

position in cities. This is more dominantly found in Indian

cities. The poor in the city, create a parallel and separate

society with a hybrid culture. The poor and the disadvantage as

a group are indispensable part of the city. Our town planning

philosophy needs new orientation. The contemporary should be

restructured, to bridge the ever widening gap between the

"urbanized villages" and "ruralized cities". The weaker sections

of the community account for nearly 50% of the total population.

Their demands for water, sewerage, electricity, roads, public

transport services, education, health and recreation are many.

However, they pay little or no taxes. It makes the cities more

bankrupt and reduces the tax-base.

It is essential to re-examine closely the terms 'Urbaniza­

tion" and "Urban growth? Urbanization means becoming urban, in a

sense, it does not mean becoming a city. It is indigenous, vernacular

evolution giving shape ~o new society, it demands fresh analysis

and rational look at the current social and economic development

programmes.

URBAN PRIMACY

One of the significant features of the process of urbani­

zation in the developing countries is "Urban primary" or excessive

concentration of the urban population in important cities. These

 317

primate cities dominate other urban centres and become windows

to the out side world. These cities swallow up investment,

absorbs man-power, dominates the cultural pattern and restricts

the growth of medium and small towns.

The example of city of Bombay is sufficient to prove the

above facts. Bombay, with a population of about 9 million and

an urbanized area of 4,000 sq.kms. accounted for a major share of

industries, foreign trade, financial transactions and means of

transportation. Nearly 600 people migrate to Gr. Bombay everyday.

It accounts for 20% carts and taxies in India. It pays l/3rd of

the countries income tax. It accounts for 10% industrial employ­

ment. It is virtually the financial core of not only Maharashtra

but also the entire country.

THE URBAN POOR AND THE INFORMAL SECTOR

In the large cities of India at least 30 to 40 percent

of the labour force may be listed as jobless or unemployed. In

reality, they are likely to be self-employed as vendors, artisians,

casual workers, domestic servants and marginal workers. The concept

of informal sector explains the gainful activities of the self

employed urban poor, it is useful in identifying the economic

problems of the poor sections of the urban community. In planning

for urban growth it is necessary to provide facilities to this

weaker section of society.

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URBAH PLANNING POLICTY IN INDIA

In our first five year plan, the problem of urbanizarion

was identified with the problem of increasing shortage of living

space in urban areas, as a consequence of heavy shift of population

from rural to urban area. The second plan marked the expansion

of the housing programme of the first plan and given due attention

to slum clearance, slum improvement and land acquisition and

development was given due importance. In the third plan, it was

decided to prepare masterplans and regional development plans for

metropolitan and industrial cities. In this plan urbanization

was recognised as an important aspect of the process of economic

and social development. In the fourth plan the expansion of urban

community and spatial implications of the problems of urbanization

was given due importance. In the fifth and sixth plan period

attention has been given to spatial and functional linkage of

towns, development and growth of small towns and prospects of

developing new towns as the centres of agro-industries and rural

services. The overall view of developing urbanization as a part

of integrated rural development was given due consideration

(V.L.S. Prakash Rao, 1971).

SPATIAL POLICY

The urban spatial policy considerations are becoming

increasingly important in development planning. Alternative

settlement patterns are being evaluated from the point of view

of cost and efficiency. It has been demonstrated that, inspite

 319

of continuous failure to arrest the urban growth at a pre-planned

time and place, reasonable programmes to influence the direction

of migration and the pattern of urbanization are feasible. One of

the difficulties in facing the formation of spatial policies and

urban growth strategies is that, there are very few successful

models of urban planning and there are no readymade policies,

programmes and strategies to suit all conditions, places and times

(Keswani, 1985).

ECONOMICS OF URBAN SIZE

One of the policy issue which has not been resolved is the

desirable size of the city. It is not easy to answer this question.

There is no desirable size which is universally applicable. There

is no single, well defined size of a city. The issue, here, is

not one of “optimum size" but rather the "minimum size" required

to provide the range of services needed by people and the size of

«

urban growth potentials.

Sir Ebenezer Howard (1920) in his garden city principle

advocated a population of 32,000 as the desirable size of the

garden city. Wilbur Thompson (1965) was of the view that, when

the population of the city reached critical size of 2.5 lakh

population with industrial diversification, huge financial invest-

*

ments and political power is the ideal growing city. According

to B.J.L. Berry (1967) the population size of 2.5 lakh is necessary

condition for self-sustaining growth of a city. Colin Clark (1964)

concluded.that, a city with about 2 lakh people is a ideal city

and it can grow upto 5 lakh population.

SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE TOWNS

Many planners now recommending that, an urban order based

on several small and medium size towns, is more desirable than the

metropolitan disorder. The five year plans of India have .emphasised

this approach. It seems logical to give attention to small and

medium size towns in the population range of 50,000 to 2.5 lakh.

They offer a congenial physical setting and environmental quality

of the small town and the economic advantages of large cities.

This startegy will strengthen the economic base of small and

intermediate size communities. The cost of expanding them many

prove to be less than improving the quality and problems of large

metropolitan complexes. The small and medium size towns will

provide economic base to backward rural areas and slow down the

drift of the rural unemployed population to major cities. It

would bring much desired decentralization of industries and

dispersal of industrial population. Many small and intermediate

size towns have proved it.

NEED FOR NEW TOWNS

Another startegy is that of developing new towns for

various purposes, such as, to exploite natural resources, to

provide raw material to industries, to serve nuclei and act as

catalystic agents for stimulating economic growth in backward

areas, for administration and for special purposes. Although

in most cases new towns are expensive to build and they take

several years to develop fully, still they offer several

benefits. A Building of new towns does not mean that, we should

stop the growth of major cities. Major cities develop, but new

towns reduce the rate of growth of metropolitan cities.

In this regard it is necessary to prepare national and

state physical plans. The national physical plan should be the

physical and ecological guide of the policies, programmes and

starategies relating to population changes and distribution.

DEVELOPING NEW TOWNS

Speaking about developing new towns it would not be out

of place to discuss the proceedings of the Seminar on 'Small

towns and National development', organised by the United Nations

Centre for regional development in 1983 in New Delhi. In this

seminar several papers were presented. Gautam Vohra (1983) has

discussed the issues of seminar in his article on developing new

towns, published in 'The Times of India' February 1, 1983. He has

discussed the role of growth centre strategy, the financial aid

to states for developing small towns and landuse planning of small

towns.

For developing new small towns, it is important to know

the possible line of selection of the various socio-economic

components. Following important components should be give due

consideration.
 322

i) Demographic factors

Growth rate and the size of settlement must be taken as

an important factor, because over a period of time the population

would increase and would promise the effective developmental

possibilities of a small settlement into a future new town.

ii) Occupational structural pattern

This needs a check-up of census figures for knowing the

occupational pattern of the already existing villages for various

economic activities. The check-up would tell the occupational

engagement of manpower in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

The ideal occupational pattern would be about 60 percent in the

primary and 40 percent in the combined secondary and tertiary

sectors.

iii) Locational proximity

The developing new towns should have two functional spatial

dimensions; first of all, it should have resource base, and second,

it should be in proximity to the urbanized industrial centres. This

later approximation in spatial location would accelerate a rapid

rate of socio-economic development.

iv) Nodal location

The nodal points with better transport linkage offer.

good opportunity for the development of a node as an important

nuclei. Its transport links with adjoining areas offer several

opportunities of growth. Thus, it can be rightly pointed out

that, transport development is an imperative necessity because,

the links of small towns with rural settlements and cities would

create more employment possibilities.

v) Power supply and provision of water

In the sixth plan, there is a programme of industralisation

for decentralised electric power generation. This will open immense

possibilities which would develop industrialisation in the rural

areas. The provision of water supply for industries, is another

factor for the development of settlements. There must be protected

water supply for the growth of a settlement.

vi) Agro-industrial development and employment prospects

The economic control of the small towns with agro-industrial

base has to be identified in the p^sperous agricultural areas, it

will generate employment prospects and thus, rural migration to

urban areas can be minimised.

EMERGING URBANIZATION POLICY

In order to avoid urban agglomeration in certain areas,

and spread of urbanization rationally in most of the desirable

parts of Maharashtra, the following strategies should be considered.

I

(1) Agricultural development with capital incentive

(2) Integrated area development

(3) Development of market and trade centres with

a base of rural services and functions

 324

Several planners have suggested that an urban system

based on several small and medium size towns is more desirable

than the metropolitan disorder. In order to avoid polarisation

of economics new urban centres should be developed as "extension

poles". In Maharashtra, Kolhapur, Amravati, Solapur, Nagpur and

Aurangabad, these five cities should be developed as 'Extension

poles', in order to make the diffusion of agglomeration economics.

It has been observed that the town/village ratio’ in the state is

much less in certain parts, hence in some areas few settlements

need elevation.

In short, a broad urban perspective should be prepared

for the state as a policy guide for development in which the

aspect of urban location, urban growth and urban form, should be

given top priority, so that we can use the most productive and

diversified resources satisfactorily.

It has been observed that, the existing distribution of

small scale industrial units is more concentrated near the large

industrial cities of Maharashtra. These units need a pattern

dispersal. The efforts in this direction will certainly reduce

the regional economic disparities and give desirable effect of

rational urban growth and urbanisation in Maharashtra.

THE PROBLEM OF IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL NEW TOWNS

In order to identify the rural settlements which have a

potentials of 'developing as urban settlements, the information of

 325

each village should be collected in which the following survey

schedule is suggested ;

i) Population assesment

ii) The pattern .of landuse structure

iii) The type of village connections

iv) Levels of utilities

v) Medical facilities

vi) Education and recreational facilities

vii) Commercial facilities

viii) Existing industries.

Considering these factors one can collect ehe data of

villages and find out the possibility of developing new towns

in the area.

METHODOLOGY ADOPTED FOR IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL

NEW TOWNS IN STUDY AREA

In order to judge the prospects of villages being elevated

to a status of town we have collected the data of villages in the

study area. To consider a place as a potential new town it has to

be tested through following criteria

i) It should have more than 10,000 population,

ii) It must possess more than 40 percent workforce in

secondary and tertiary activity,

iii) It should have better transport facilities,

iv) It must possess better socio-economic facilities (market.

 326

bank, commercial, medical and educational facilities) and

industrial infrastructure,

v) It's distance from the important city should not be more

than fifteen kilometers.

When a place fulfills any three of the above mentioned

conditions it has a great prospect of developing as an urban

centre in future.

Considering this, we have identified fourty six places

from different districts of Maharashtra.

Since the data of 1981 census regarding rural settlements

was not available, we have considered the data of 1971 census and

the village population of 1971 has been projected for 1981 by

considering the growth rate of these settlements in the last decade

(1961-1971). After identifying these places, we have posted a

questionnaire asking the details of these villages (Appendix - IT ).

Out of 46 villages the 38 village authorities have promptly

supplied the information, for remaining 8 villages, the data was

collected through taluka offices.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The regional analysis of potential new towns identified

in the study area has wo considerations. The first is the

identification of functional gaps and need of developing new

towns and the second, the locational advantage of a settlement

 327

Fig. No.8-1
 328

in respect of large cities and communication system. The identified

potential new towns have been depicted in Pig.8.1 and Appendix - IV

gives the details. It is observed that, in future more new towns

will develop in the districts of Western Maharashtra. There are

27 potential new towns identified in Western Maharashtra of which,

three places of Sangli district, Jath, Palus and Kavathmahankal

have better chances of developing as towns in near future. In the

same way Satara, Kolhapur and Nasik districts, each have three

places which can be developed as new urban centres, they are,

Lonand, Vaduj and Umbraj from Satara district, Hupari, Shirol and

Ajra from Kolhapur district and Kalwan Bk., Niphad and Ghoti Bk.

from Nasik district. Twelve places, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon

and Murum; Shevgaon, Patharli, Jamkhed and Akola, Virag, Mohol

i

Natepute and Akluj from Pune. Ahmadnagar and Solapur districts

respectively will also develop as urban centres in near future.

There are only three places, two from Dhulia (Pimpalner and Sakari)

and one from Jalgaon (Jamner) may elevate their status as urban

centres.

The spatial view of future urban development in Konkan

area indicates that, there is possibility of developing five

urban centres in Konkan, of these, Kudal and Deorukh are from

Ratnagiri district, Agashi and Chinchani from Thane district

and Chanage from Raigarh district (Fig.8.1).

In Vidarbha, prospering district of Chandrapur has a larger

share of potential new towns. There are five places; Mul, Chimur,
 329

Bhadravati, Nagbhid and Gadchiroli will develop as urban centres

by the end of this century. Nagpur, Yeotmal, Buldhana and Bhandara

districts of Vidarbha may develop one place each as an urban centre

in future. Nearly nine places of Vidarbha region have the potential

of developing as urban centre.

The Marathwada region dominated by agrarian economy has

several small towns in existance. Many of these towns have a

dominance of rural character. Only by virtue of their administra­

tive importance they have been elevated to urban status. In the

near future some of the rural settlements of Marathwada will gain

urban status only because of their administrative importance. We

have identified five settlements, Ajantha and Sillod from Aurangabad

district, Murud from Osmanabad district, Kaij from Bir district

and Bhokar from Nanded district having potentials of developing as

new towns. The place Ajantha is a small village but considering

its tourist importance we suggest that, by adding few functions

it should be elevated to a status of town.

It is concluded that, small new town development is an

imperative need for vitalising the National Economy. By providing

the adequate infrastructural and socio-economic facilities in

important, centrally located villages, it can promote an effective

industrial development programmes. This way production, income

and employment prospects can be injected within the rural economy.

Thus, the adjoining rural areas can also get benefit in terms of

economic upliftment. This will boost the agro-industrial possibi­

lities for promoting the marketable and exportable surplus.

 33o

*L!L?L5JL!L*L£_!L5

1. Berry,B.J.L. (1967) s "Geography of Market Centres and Retail

Distribution". Prentice Hall.

2. Clark,Colin (1968) s "Population Growth and Landuse, MacMillan,

London, pp.82-98.
t

3. Howard,E. (1902) : "Garden Cities ©f Tomorrow", Reprinted by

by Faber and Feber, London (1946). pp.52-56.

4. Keswani, (1985) "Urbanization and Urban Growth Trends in

Maharashtra and Policies for Future", Paper presented

at the Seminar organized at Bombay by the Urban Develop­

ment Dept. Govt, of Maharashtra.

5. Northam, Ray, M. (1975) : "Urban Geography". John Wiley and Sons,

Inc;' New York. pp. 389-403.

6. Pandey,H.B. (1983) : "Snail Town Planning - Factors Accelerating

Development". The Times of India, Jan.29, 1983.

7. Prakasha Rao, V.L.S. (1971) : "Some Aspects of Urbanisation".

Mysore, pp.12-13.

8. Thomas,R. (1969) s "Londons New Towns, Political and Economic

Planning, Planning Vol.35. pp.373-473.

9. Thompson,W.R. (1965) : "Urban Economics". Baltimore, The John

Hopking Press, pp.122 to 153.

10. Vagale (1985) s "Urbanization and Urban Growth Trends in

Maharashtra and Policies For Future", Paper presented

at the Seminar Organized at Bombay by the Urban Develop­

ment Dept. Govt, of Maharashtra.

11. Vohra,Gautam,S.G. (1983) : "Developing New Towns". The Times of

India, Feb.l, 1983.

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