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


The Urban Ecosystem

Social Elements

Economic Elements

Political Elements

Cultural & Design

Elements

Spatial Elements

Demographic

Elements

Conceptual Model: Dr. Mihir Bholey


Social Elements

• Heterogeneous

• Urbane

• Identifiable Social Groups

• Distinct lifestyle

• Extreme Poverty &

Affluence

• Urbanism

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


Demographic Elements

• Population

• Sex Ratio

• Natural Increase

• Rural Influx

• Floating and Migrating

Population

Spatial Elements

• Building

• Architecture

• Town Planning

• Monuments

• Landscaping

Cultural & Design Elements

• Material and

Immaterial Culture

• Products

• Systems

• Aesthetics

• 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

48% 52%

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

URBAN

Data Source: World Urbanization Prospects, UN, 2007 Revision


Global Rise in Urbanization

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2008 2050

50%

70%



Concentration of World Urban Population

China, India and US - 35%

Rest of the

World 65%


India, China, US 35%


• 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

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2010 2015 2030

41%

52%

65%

Rate of Urbanization-China

Data Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2009


Rural-Urban Population in India - 2001

28%

72%

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

Urban

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


Rising Rate of Urbanization in India

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

2005 2025

29%

38%

Rate of Urbanization-India

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


http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctypopls.htm

393

401 1,151

Class-1 city 1,00,000 andabove

Class 2 city 50, 000 - 99, 999

Class 3 city 20, 000 - 49, 999

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

Data Source: Ministry of Urban Development, GOI, 2001

Total No. of Cities: 4378


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

System Level

Scope of Design

Intervention in

Urbanization

Product Level

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

System Level Approach

Communication Level Approach

Product Level Approach

• Identifying the urban environment in which system has to work

• Developing interface between product, user and solution

• Connecting systems and subsystems of urbanization

• Content design for heterogeneous populace

• Integration of

message, manner, medium

• Information

signage, essential & emergency services communication

• Community connect & social awareness

• Mass product

• Customized products

• Aspirational products

• Sustainable products

• Product for people with special needs


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


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Urbanization and design