New Indian Urbanism: Emerging Issues on Sustainability and Urban Ecology
India is on the verge of being emerged as the most populated country of the world. To manage the massive urban population, smarter, sustainable and greener cities are envisioned in India’s newly adopted urbanization policy. While smart city program with techno-infrastructure interventions for a few selected cities leave the Indian urban ecological spaces uneven, various issues on social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability put forward challenges which are yet to be addressed. In this paper the author presented a critical analysis of current urban growth trend in the Indian urban scenario and delved into the issues on peoples’ participation, inclusive planning and environmental considerations. Citing various case studies from Indian urban trends, the author argues that a comprehensive sustainable inclusive urbanization policy is attainable with convergence of the mission in practice and a vision for the future with alternative path of self reliance for the urban poor in India.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Inclusive Planning, Smart City, Peoples’ Participation