Urbanization and design

Urbanization and Design

Mihir Bholey, PhD
Assoc. Senior Faculty
Interdisciplinary Design Studies

Outline of Discussion

• Concept of Urban
• Demographic aspects of urban dwellings
• Concept of Urbanization: process, evolution and social design
• Understanding the design of urban ecosystem
• Urbanization: the socio-economic-cultural, spatial and design dimensions
• Urbanization in India: the factual position
• Urbanization and the challenges of design

Mihir Bholey - Urbanization & Design 2

Objective
This presentation makes an attempt to acquaint one with the concept and process of urbanization in the
socio-economic-cultural, spatial, design and environmental context. Urbanization, though a global process,
is happening at a much faster pace in the developing and densely populated nations of Asia and Africa
than elsewhere. India and China, the two large emergent economies of the world are getting urbanized at
a pace much faster than envisaged. Urbanization of the present scale requires massive investment in
infrastructure, products, systems, communication which more often than not is found to be economically,
environmentally, socially and culturally unsustainable. The divergent demands of ‘quality of life’ and
‘lifestyle’ go hand in hand with the process of urbanization. They are variously dealt with at the political,
planning, economic, demographic, social and cultural levels. The objective of this presentation at the
second level is also to analyze whether they require some intervention in terms of design. In other words,
can designers deal with the issues of “quality of life’ and ‘lifestyle aspirations’ at the system design,
product design and communication design levels? If so, how?


Teaching/Learning Method

• Presentation and Discussion: the key concepts associated with urbanization viz. urban,
suburban, urbanization, urbanism, rural-urban interface or rurbanism among others

• Case Study: of the established and emerging urban centres and analysis of the process of
urbanization in their socio-economic, cultural and environmental context

• Assignment: Identifying areas of design intervention at the system design, product design
and communication design level in the process of urbanization in order to make it sustainable
in all respect

• Outcome: The course will help the students understand the process of urbanization in a
much wider perspective and analyze it in terms of its socio-economic, spatial and
environmental context among others. Looking at the complexity of the process of
urbanization they will learn to meet the design challenges of urbanization at the system,
product and communication levels. In other words, it will provide them the rationale of their
design decisions.


What is Urban?

• Urban: Better understood by its characteristics

• An area having higher density of population in comparison to its
surrounding

• Relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of
heterogeneous individuals

• Large numbers of individual variability

• A virtual absence of intimate personal relation

• Human relations largely anonymous, superficial, and transitory

• Density involves diversification and specialization

• A complex pattern of segregation, the predominance of
formal social control and accentuated friction

• The economic nexus tries to displace personal relations,
institutions cater to mass rather than individual requirements

• Individuals become effective only as they organize, not
individually as much


Urbanism
• Urbanism characterizes the phenomenon of urbanization

• It means the pattern of behavior, relationships and modes of thought

• Urbanism is an ascribed ‘lifestyle’ matching the distinctive socio-cultural
space of the cities

• Besides lifestyle, it’s also about the systems governing urban life, a distinct
cultural identity

• In Louis Wirth’s (1938) classic definition it’s a ‘way of life’

• From the design (architectural and spatial) perspective - the pursuit of
creating, designing and reshaping the built habitat , neighborhoods, towns
and cities


Urban: Administrative Definitions
• India: Towns (places with municipal corporation, municipal area
committee, town committee, notified area committee or cantonment
board); also, all places having 5000 or more inhabitants, a density of not
less than 1000 persons per square mile or 400 per sq km, pronounced
urban characteristics and at least three fourths of the adult male
population employed in pursuits other than agriculture

• France: Communes containing an agglomeration of more than 2000
inhabitants living in contiguous houses or with not more than 200 metres
between houses, also communes of which the major portion of the
population is part of a multicommunal agglomeration of this nature

• Japan: City (shi) having 50000 or more inhabitants with 60 per cent or more of
the houses located in the main built-up areas and 60 per cent or more of the
population (including their dependants) engaged in manufacturing, trade or
other urban type of business. Alternatively, a shi having urban facilities and
conditions as defined by the prefectural order is considered as urban

• South Africa: Places with some form of local authority

• United States: Agglomerations of 2500 or more inhabitants, generally having
population densities of 1000 persons per square mile or more. Two types of
urban areas: urbanized areas of 50000 or more inhabitants and urban clusters
of at least 2500 and less than 50000 inhabitants


Urbanization: the Process
• Broad View: the migration of population from the rural to the
urban areas – underscores process

• Demographic view of urbanization:

• A dynamic process contributed by interaction of two factors-

1. The rural-urban differential in Natural Increase*
2. Population movement from rural to urban areas through
internal migration

*Natural Increase: the difference between fertility and mortality, both generally lower in urban as against the rural area


• Thus, urbanization is a process of human settlement

• Arising out of polarization of economic development in urban
areas

• Characterized by the rise in the proportion of the total population
of an urban-rural system that is urban

• Also a socio-economic process leading to spatial growth for
accommodating large population influx

• Urbanization promoted by: scale of production in manufacturing,
technological developments in building and transport sectors and
land becoming major urban capital


The Urban Ecosystem
• Social Elements: Heterogeneous, Urbane, Identifiable Social Groups,
Distinct lifestyle, Extreme Poverty and Affluence

• Economic Elements: Predominantly industrial, Production- Consumption-
Distribution orientation, Higher employment opportunity, Higher wages

• Political Elements: Centre of power, Right consciousness, Class Conflict,
Colonization, Organized Social Groups, Unions, Guilds

• Cultural & Design Elements: Distinct culture, Cultural Evolution, Material
and Immaterial Culture, Products, Systems, Aesthetics, Function, Lifestyle

• Spatial Elements: Building, Architecture, Town planning, Monuments
• Demographic Elements: Population, Sex Ratio, Natural Increase


Social
Elements

Demographic
Economic
Elements
Elements

The Urban
Ecosystem

Spatial Political
Elements Elements

Cultural &
Design
Elements
Conceptual Model: Dr. Mihir Bholey


Social Economic Political
Elements Elements Elements
• Heterogeneous • Predominantly • Centre of power
• Urbane industrial • Right consciousness
• Identifiable Social Groups • Production- • Class Conflict
• Distinct lifestyle Consumption-
• Colonization
Distribution orientation
• Extreme Poverty & • Organized Social Groups
Affluence • Higher employment
Unions, Guilds
opportunity
• Urbanism
• Higher wages


Demographic Cultural &
Spatial Elements
Elements Design Elements
• Population • Building • Material and

• Sex Ratio • Architecture Immaterial Culture

• Natural Increase • Town Planning • Products

• Rural Influx • Monuments • Systems

• Floating and Migrating • Landscaping • Aesthetics

Population • Function

• Quality of Life

• Lifestyle


Urbanization: the Global and Indian Scenario
• Urbanization –a global reality, world population turning urban
• Rapid urbanization - a developing nation syndrome
• As against gradual urbanization of developed nations,
developing nations urbanized much faster
• 1970s - urbanization in the Republic of Korea: 40%
1990s -78% (World Bank Research Observer Report 2002)

• What US took 90 years to achieve, Korea achieved in 20 years
and Brazil 30 years


• Year 2007- 3.3 billion (330 crore) people or over 48% of
humankind lived in urban settlements (World Urbanization Prospects, UN,
2007 Revision)

• Year 2050 - 6.4 billion (640 crore) people would live in urban
areas (World Urbanization Prospects, UN, 2007 Revision)

• Globally, the level of urbanization is expected to rise from 50%
in 2008 to 70% in 2050 (World Urbanization Prospects, UN, 2007 Revision)

• By 2025 close to 2.5 billion Asians will turn city dwellers -
nearly 54% of world urban population


World Population Rural-Urban Ratio-2007

Total World Population 2007 – 6.6
billion or 660 crore appx.

48%
52%

URBAN
Data Source: World Urbanization Prospects, UN, 2007 Revision


Global Rise in Urbanization

80%
70%
60%
70%
50%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2008 2050


Concentration of World Urban Population

China,
India and
US - 35%
Rest of India, China, US
the 35%
World
65%



• Year 2007 - China, India and the United States of America
accounted for 35% of the world urban population

• Year 2025-2050 – China and India will account for 32% of global
urban population

• Year 2050 - China will have 1 billion or 100 crore and India 0.9
billion or 90 crore urban population

• China: Rate of Urbanization– 41% present, 52% by 2015, 65% by
2030 (Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

• India: Rate of Urbanization – 29% till 2005
• Year 2025 - India will add 215 million or 21.5 crore to its cities, will
be 38% of the total population in 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute, April 2010)


Rising Rate of Urbanization in China

Rate of Urbanization-China

70
60
65%
50
40 52%
30 41%
20
10
0
2010 2015 2030
Data Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2009


Rural-Urban Population in India - 2001

Total Population: 1027 million, Rural: 742
million, Urban: 285 million, 2001

28%

72%

Urban
Data Source: Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India


Rising Rate of Urbanization in India

Rate of Urbanization-India

40%
35%
30%
38%
25% 29%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2005 2025
Data Source: McKinsey Global Institute, April 2010


Cities and Megacities
• Size of population the basis of defining cities, varies country
to country

• Megacity: Urban agglomerations with at least 10 million
(1 crore) inhabitants

• 19 megacities in the world (till 2007), likely to increase to 27
by 2025

• Tokyo the biggest megacity of the world, population: 3.57
million (3.57 crore) expected to remain number one even in
2025

• Out of the present 19 megacities 3 are Indian: Mumbai – 19
million (1.9 crore), Delhi – 15.9 million (1.59 crore) and
Kolkata – 14.8 million (1.48 crore) (upto 2010)

• By 2025 Mumbai and Delhi will rank number two and three in
position with expected population of 26.4 and 22.5 million
respectively

• By 2025 out of 27 megacities, 16 will be Asian

• USA will have only 2, New York and Los Angeles


Good Urban Design should harmonize with
nature. The question is – can we design
nature?


The Divergent Indian Urban Landscape

Rural-urban coexistence – a discernible characteristic of urbanization in India


Urbanization of poverty - an inevitable socio-economic process following the growth of cities


The distinction between socializing, recreation and business becoming fuzzy. Urbanization commodifies everything
also creates new visual-material culture

Designed Urbanization

Designed urbanization is utopian and predefines social needs and aspirations


Organic Urbanization

Gradual rise in economic necessities and lack of planning enforcement lead to organic urbanization

Floating/Migrating Urban Population

Floating urban population often comprises of rural influx, though adds to urban economy, but also puts pressure on
urban infrastructure

The Challenge of Urban Regeneration

Unchecked urbanization causing both social and ecological decay, call for immediate intervention for urban
regeneration

Threatening Environmental Degradation

Resource, planning and technology deficit making urbanization environmentally unsustainable.


Urban Transportation

Means of transportation also indicates the gap between urban poor and affluent . But such means of transportation
coexist with the high-tech regardless.


Rapid Transportation

Cities articulate their infrastructural needs with the demographic, social and economic changes, replace the old systems
and reinvent the new.


The megacity infrastructure is often a mix of need and urban aspiration. Also essential for the sustenance and growth of new
economic model.

Urbanization in India: An Overview

• The Geographical Area of India: 3,287,590 sq. km.
• 7th largest in terms of area, represents 2.2% of the total land area of
the planet (9,31,810,17 sq. km.)
• 2nd largest in terms of population, total population: 1162.3 million
or 116 crore appx. In 2010 (Source: National Commission on Population, GOI)
• Density of population: 360.34 persons per sq. km.
(source: http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctypopls.htm)

• 285 million (28,5 crore) urban population lives in 4378 cities
• Cities classified from Class 1 – 6 in terms of population

No. of Class 1,2,3 Cities in India vis a vis Total No.
of Cities

393
Class-1 city 1,00,000 and
above

Total No. of Class 2 city 50, 000 - 99, 999
Cities: 4378

1,151 401 Class 3 city 20, 000 - 49, 999

Data Source: Ministry of Urban Development, GOI, 2001


Emerging Infrastructural Requirements of Indian Cities
• 2/3 of India’s GDP and 90% of government revenue are generated
by even less than 1/3 of India’s urban population living in big and
megacities

• In 2006 urban India required investment of Rs. 28,035/ crore on
sanitation, water supply and roads (The India Infrastructure Report of 1996)

• Cities having 100,000 or more population would require investment
of Rs. 207,000/ crore on urban transportation alone by 2030


• India’s urban spending markedly low in comparison to China and UK

• India’s per capita spending including capital and operational
expenditure - $50, China - $362 and UK - $1772

• India requires investment of 1.2 trillion by 2030 in urban
infrastructure (McKinsey Global 2010)

• Equivalent to per capita average annual spending of appx. $250

• 37.2% Indian population is BPL (Tendulkar Committee Report 2009)

• 41.6% Indians earn below $1.25/day and 75.6% below $2/ day (World
Bank 2008 Report based on 2005 data) Is spending of $250 on urban infra viable?


Design Interventions in Urbanization

Communication
Level

Scope of
Design
Intervention
in
Urbanization
Product
System Level
Level

A Model for Design Intervention - Urbanization & DesignBholey, Jan. 2011
Mihir Bholey in Urbanization: Dr. Mihir 43

System Level Communication Product Level
Approach Level Approach Approach

• Identifying • Content design • Mass product
the urban for
environment in heterogeneous • Customized
which system populace products
has to work
• Integration of • Aspirational
• Developing message, manner, products
interface medium
between • Sustainable
product, user • Information products
and solution signage, essential
& emergency • Product for
• Connecting services people with
systems and communication special needs
subsystems of
urbanization • Community
connect & social
awareness

Summing Up
• Urbanization is a social evolution – changes human beings from being part
of small community to large associations

• Characterized by the growth in demography, economy, density, settlement
and above all- ‘Urbanism’

• Spearheaded largely by the economic factors followed by social imperative
of cohabitation for security and growth

• A social evolution from simplicity to complexity in terms of demography,
socio-cultural heterogeneity, lifestyle, economy and infrastructure

• The challenges of the emerging urbanization are infrastructural,
environmental (social and natural), sustainability, system and design

• Design solution needed at the system, product and communication levels

Bibliography
• Das, Bisawroop. “Urban Planning in India” Social Scientist. 9.12, Dec. 1981, ON Jan. 22, 2011
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/3517133?origin=JSTOR-pdf>

• Haub, Carl and Sharma O.P. “India’s Population Reality: Reconciling Change and Tradition” Population Bulletin. 61.3, Sept.
2006

• India’s urban awakening: Building inclusive cities, sustaining economic growth. McKinsey Global Institute, 2010

• Kundu, Amitabh. Urbanization and Migration: An analysis of Trend, Pattern and Policies in Asia. UNDP, 2009

• Ledent, Jacques. “Rural-Urban Migration, Urbanization, and Economic Development” Economic Development and Cultural
Change. 30.3, Chicago University Press, April 1982, ON Jan. 4, 2011 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3203205?origin=JSTOR-
pdf>

• Misra, R. P. Urbanization in India Challenges and Opportunities. Shillong: Indian Council for Social Science Research, 1998

• National Commission on Population, Govt. of India. ON Jan. 31, 2011 <http://populationcommission.nic.in/npp_intro.htm>

• Rapport, Nigel & Overing, Jonna. Social and Cultural Anthropology. London, New York: Routledge, 2010

• Spence, Annez, & Buckley (Ed.) Urbanization and Growth. Washington DC, Commission on Growth and Development, 2009

• World Urbanization Prospects: The 2007 Revision Population Database. ON Jan. 10. 2011 <http://esa.un.org/undp>

• Wirth, Louis. “Urbanism a Way of Life” The American Journal of Sociology. University of Chicago Press, 44.1, July 1938 ON
Feb. 10, 2011< http://www.jstor.org/stable/2768119?origin=JSTOR-pdf>

• Yuanyuan, Hu. “Urbanization expected to fuel economy” China Daily. Feb. 10, 2011 ON Feb. 10, 2011
<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-07/30/content_11070469.htm>


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