Urban Design in architecture

City Study: Kanpur

Introduction:
Kanpur is a metropolitan city, sprawling over an area of 260 sq km. Kanpur is the biggest city
in the State of Uttar Pradesh and is the main center of commercial and industrial and
educational activities. According to the census 2001, Kanpur has a population of 25.51
lakhs. It is administratively divided into 6 zones and 110 wards with an average ward
population range of 19000 to 26000. Kanpur is the biggest city in the State of Uttar Pradesh
and is the main center of commercial and industrial activities. It is known for its cotton and
woolen textile and leather industries. Kanpur comprises of 3 tehsils, 2 Municipal Board, 2
Nagar Panchayats, and 10 statutory Towns. It was formerly known as Manchester of the
country and is now also called the commercial capital of the state.

History of Growth and Urbanization

The population of the city is almost 2.5 million, with an estimated annual growth rate of 2.6
percent. Some scholars claim that the name of Kanpur was taken from Kanhiyapur. In the
course of years, Kanhiyapur was presumably abbreviated as Kanhapur, and later as Kanpur.
The Kanhapur owes its origin to the Hindu Singh, the Raja of Saehendi, who came here in
1750 to bathe in the holy river Ganga and founded a village he called Kanhapur, the name
that became Kanpur in the course of time. It was pronounced Cownpore under British rule.

Historical evolution:

Kanpur started as an insignificant village till

the 18th century. Kanpur has traditionally
been an industrial city. Prior to Independence,
it was the second most industrialized city in
India after Calcutta. It was called the
‘Manchester of India’ due to the existence of
a large number of cotton textile units. The city
passed into British hands in 1801, marking a
turning point in the history of Kanpur. 1803,
Kanpur passed into British hands under the
treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of
Awadh, a turning point in the history of
Kanpur. Soon Kanpur became ‘Cawnpore’ and one of the most important military stations of
British India. It was declared a district on 24th March 1803. The Ganga canal was
constructed from 1842 to 1854. The canal is primarily an irrigation canal, although parts of it
were also used for navigation, primarily for its construction materials. It starts at the
Bhimgoda Barrage near Har ki Pauri at Haridwar, traverses Meerut and Bulandshahr and
continues to Nanau in Aligarh district, where it bifurcates into the Kanpur and Etawah
branches.During the British era, Kanpur was of strategic importance due to the important
role which it has played during the great revolt of 1857. This led to the development of a
large cantonment base at Kanpur. The development of the textile and leather industries
started after the 1857 rebellion. Several industries emerged in the 20th century, giving a new
identity to the city-Manchester of India. Numerous textile mills were established in the city
during the British Rule. The Leather Industry also flourished at this time. Elgin Mill was the
first cotton textile mill to be established in the city. Many employees of this company later
opened their factories following the model set by Elgin. Muir Mills was the second oldest mill
in the city. After this, the Kanpur Woollen Mills was established, which later became popular
by the name of “Lal Imli”. Trams were introduced in Kanpur in June 1907. There were 4
miles of track and 20 single-deck open trams. The single-line connected the railway station
with sirsaya ghat on the banks of the Ganges. Trams service closed at Kanpur on 16 May
1933. At that time British infantry lines and the parade grounds were established in the south
of Permit. Indian infantry too occupied the space in Kanpur. The Company Bagh was laid in
1847 and the construction of the Ganga canal was commenced in 1854. After
independence, Kanpur continued to be an important city and large public sector companies
made their existence in the city.
Permat area - industries development
These were a few of the first cotton textile mills to be set up in Kanpur during the 19th
Century. The reasons for these to be set up in this location was the closeness to the river,
the closeness of main roads, and close to British infantry areas.
1. This was the point where today’s
Kanpur actually started. The
settlement started mostly around
these areas due to employment
opportunities and infrastructure
facilities first developed here.
2. Development of markets and main
commercial areas started here. This
area was close to the main
industries as well as the
cantonment, so this was the ideal
location for the establishment of
bazaars and etc.
3. GT Road (Grand Trunk road) is the main road across Kanpur, now a national
highway. This road was developed by Sher Shah Suri in 16th century AD and has
been a passage of importance since.

Timeline of industrial Development in Kanpur

Kanpur started expanding towards the south as the

industries were being set up along the edge and near
Ganga. Then, it started expanding linearly between
the two rivers, Ganga on the North and the river
Pandu on the south. The most rapid development
and growth of population came in the early 20th century.
Kanpur Today:

INDUSTRIAL SECTOR:- I1, I2

COMMERCIAL AREA:- CM1, CM2

RESIDENTIAL :- (r1,r2,r3,r4)

EDUCATIONAL AREA:- E1, E2

CANTONMENT AND DEFENSE

AREA:- C1, C2

Jajmau- Ramadevi Development

Based on personal experiences and interviews

It is also known as ‘Jajesmow’ and is an industrial suburb with a

population of 652.8 million according to the census of 2011. This
is the most famous excavation site in our country. The
Archaeological Survey of India’s research has revealed that this
place belongs to a period between 1300-1200 BC. Jajmau is the
oldest city and has the biggest leather tanneries which generate
a revenue of 1500 crores per annum. On the top of the mound, a
very old mosque called Jinnaton ki Masjid is seen. the temples
of Siddhnath and Siddha Devi. It is being mentioned several
times in ‘Puranas’ and ‘Kands’. This place is believed to be the fort of king ‘Yayati’ who was
a famous Hindu king. It also has a well-known tomb of a renowned Sufi saint called
Makhdoom Shah Ala-ul-Haq. He was a
strong believer in secularism and preached about it throughout his life. As a mark of respect,
in the year 1358, Feroze Shah Tughlaq built his tomb. This area is known as Makhdoom
Nagar. Later a mosque was also built here by Kulich Khan in 1679 AD.

Jajmau has got a very big market called Lal Bangla.

Water from the ‘Defense Colony’s water tank’ is pumped to the city of Jajmau through
various pump stations.
The tourist attractions located around this place are Jajmau tila, Habiba Masjid, Siddhnath
Ghat, 1000 Tanneries in Industrial Estate Jajmau, and Mosques.

Movement- street pattern

The major development of Kanpur in terms

of its shape and geography was majorly
dependant on the presence of the rivers
Ganga and Pandu on north and south
respectively, and the Grand Trunk road
across it. The GT road was then made into
a national highway (NH2) along with other
highways connecting to other major cities.
There is more congestion around these
major routes in the city and more
development along with these areas. Also,
these affect the future growth pattern as
well. Chakeri airport is also situated very
close to this place. Chakeri (8 km from center) Railway Station and Kanpur Central (10 km
from center) railway station serves the town. Kanpur Metro project (planned) is planned to be
made by 2020 will serve the town with Ramadevi station connecting it to Kanpur Airport.

Typical Road sections

Landscape features
There is a lack of public open spaces and parks. There are
only a handful of parks present in the entire zone. Not very
maintained. Most of the grounds like air force ground and jk
center park serve as a ground for the Dussehra
celebration. Major misuse of open spaces can be seen as
dump yards since no proper care is taken for the same.

Narendra ground which is restricted to the airforce

It’s used as Dussehra ground during ramleela

Major tanneries and factories

The first leather factory came

up in 1902 in Jajmau. From a
humble beginning nearly 240
years ago, the leather tanning
industry in Kanpur city of UP

grew in leaps and bounds. But it has seen a

downfall during the past five years. For the first
time, nearly 140 leather tanneries have shut their
business raising a question on their survival. The
leather industry in Kanpur dates back to 1778
when the East India Company made its foray into
the region. All of them, in the beginning, were
owned by Muslims. Non-Muslims preferred other
trades as textiles, jute, flour mill, etc. The rapid
industrialization of the city earned Kanpur the title
of Manchester of East. nearly 250 leather tanneries in Kanpur have been closed. As per an
estimate due to the closure, the industry has suffered a loss of nearly 3000 crores. Kanpur
accounts for leather export of nearly 6000 crores. A trader informed that tanneries in Jajmau
alone accounted for employment to half a million people. Most of the traders involved in the
leather business are Muslims while the workers are Dalits.