Issues of Urban Designing in Tier 2 Cities

India’s Urban Challenges

Urbanization is an integral part of the process of economic growth. As in most countries, India’s towns and
cities make a major contribution to the country’s economy. With less than 1/3 of India’s people, its urban areas
generate over 2/3 of the country’s GDP and account for 90% of government revenues.

Urbanization in India has expanded rapidly as increasing numbers of people migrate to towns and cities in
search of economic opportunity. Slums now account for 1/4 of all urban housing. In Mumbai, for instance, more
than half the population lives in slums, many of which are situated near employment centres in the heart of
town, unlike in most other developing countries.

Challenges

Planning:

 Many urban governments lack a modern planning framework

 The multiplicity of local bodies obstructs efficient planning and land use
 Rigid master plans and restrictive zoning regulations limit the land available for building, constricting
cities’ abilities to grow in accordance with changing needs.[ CITATION The11 \l 16393 ]

Over the decades, as metropolitan cities in India were flooded with migrants, the influx led
to growing shortfalls in civic facilities. As the number of residents rose every year, living conditions gradually
went from bad to worse. Conversely, property rates kept rising with each passing year, making most people’s
chances of owning their home a distant dream. Metros such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore,
etc. all became progressively difficult to live in because of overcrowding, chaotic traffic, soaring pollution,
crumbling civic facilities, etc.

Nonetheless, every dark cloud harbours a silver lining. With the tier 1 cities unable to cope with the relentless
rise in numbers, the nearby cities and towns began attracting attention. For instance, Delhi’s burgeoning
populace began settling in nearby places such as Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Sonipat
and Meerut. In Mumbai, people began shifting to Vashi, Virar, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and other outlying
regions. The biggest advantage of these places was that property rates were affordable

The first contours of urban planning emerged via the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM) – a programme launched in 2005 for massive modernisation of cities. As many as 65 mission cities
were shortlisted (Bhopal, Jabalpur, Dehradun, Imphal, Nanded and Pondicherry, to name a few) based on the
Census 2001 urban population.[ CITATION Fin20 \l 16393 ]

According to the census reports and seeking the current scenario, after the metropolitan
cities; tier 2 cities growing much faster in terms of settlement and livelihood. A large amount of population
shifting every year to these cities leading not only affecting the lifestyle of existing settled and newly settled
population but also the life of the city.

Issues which are generating in tier 2 cities are:

 Overcrowding
 Pollution
 Traffic issues
 Densely populated patches near workplace
 Exploitation
 Lack of Public transportation