India has witnessed a surge in urbanization and population growth. As a result of natural population growth and migration, the megacities of India have experienced a continual increase in their residents. Standing as the most populous country in the world, India is at a critical junction, grappling with opportunities and challenges in molding its built environment. Population boom, however, is not a recent predicament but a persistent one that has spanned over a century. How have Indian cities dealt with population growth and the complexities it brings?
City planners have addressed the issue of population growth for years, creating strategies to alleviate its effects on the built environment. The effectiveness of these proposals are yet to determine whether they can serve as models for the growth of Indian cities. The story of Delhi's expansion serves as a compelling case study, offering insights into the transformative power of urbanization and the challenges that accompany it. As Delhi urbanizes at an astonishing pace, the world watches with anticipation, eager to witness how Indian cities will navigate the path toward their future.
Delhi, India's capital for more than a century, offers an understanding of the hurdles faced by its cities in accommodating their growing populations. Located on the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains, Delhi experiences great urbanization as migrants from nearby agricultural regions move in. With per capita incomes three times higher than the national average, the capital allures ambitious individuals from across the country. Delhi is projected to become the world's most populous city by 2028. The city can be viewed as a microcosm of India, a condensed representation of how the nation can expand and evolve.
Delhi has been experiencing one of the fastest urban expansions in the world. The city's metamorphosis is visibly evident as large portions of croplands give way to a network of streets, buildings, and infrastructure. Over the course of two decades, from 1991 to 2011, the geographic expanse of Delhi nearly doubled in size. This growth was accompanied by a shift in demographics, with the number of urban households doubling while the count of rural dwellings dwindled by half.
After being designated as the capital of the British Indian Empire, Delhi witnessed a significant population surge, growing from 238,000 in 1911 to 696,000 in 1947. In that pivotal year, Delhi became the capital of the newly independent Indian Union, experiencing an unprecedented influx of people due to the 1947 Partition of India. The boundaries of Delhi expanded in all directions, extending even to the east of the Yamuna river that courses through the city. The absence of significant physical barriers facilitated Delhi’s multi-directional growth, driving the relentless advance of urbanization.
The city’s journey towards becoming the world's largest megalopolis is intertwined with a series of strategic planning initiatives. Since the 1960s, Delhi's official planning organization has crafted master plans every two decades to shape the city's future development. In 1985, the establishment of the National Capital Region (NCR) and its planning board aimed to orchestrate the growth of Delhi and its neighboring towns. To decongest and decentralize the capital, the board identified cities within a 100-400 km radius, designating them as “counter magnets”. These satellite cities received substantial funding to develop into regional growth centers, with the objective of achieving a balanced pattern of urbanization over time. However, despite the ambitious vision and planning set forth by the 1985 Act, the desired outcomes have not fully materialized. Insufficient employment opportunities in the counter magnet cities resulted in continued migration towards Delhi. The impact of this large-scale creative solution is yet to be fully realized.
Delhi’s recently culminated Master Plan for 2021 - with aspirations of eradicating slums, tackling traffic congestion, and importing a “globalized” skyline - is criticized to have largely remained confined to paper. The city’s new draft Master Plan for 2041 presents a vision of a megacity where unauthorized settlements make way for towering structures of affordable housing units. Emphasizing the city's economic potential as a thriving start-up hub and cultural capital, the plan aims to transform Delhi into a 24x7 city, promoting transit-oriented development, and curbing vehicular pollution. Unlike its precedents, this plan adopts an incremental approach, dividing objectives into manageable milestones rather than being a comprehensive 20-year blueprint.
Delhi’s is a case to be studied in continuum. The city - with its extremities in social, economical, and environmental spheres - can serve as a testing ground to understand how Indian cities can accommodate massive populations sustainably. Architect and urban planner Krishna Menon, who played a role in formulating the 2007 Master Plan, acknowledged that the development of the National Capital Region leaned more towards "regularization" than meticulous planning. Its approach involved addressing issues as they arose rather than proactive foresight. To grasp the present and future of Delhi, as well as other Indian cities, it is crucial to expand plans beyond the city limits and recognize the complex ecosystem that grows around it. The planning of Indian cities necessitates a systems design approach, employing a holistic perspective to address the pressing needs and interdependencies of these urban landscapes.
As Delhi and other Indian megalopolises navigate their future, innovative planning solutions are crucial to meet their evolving needs. Various approaches to managing large populations exist globally, ranging from multiple small jurisdictions like the Paris region to unified municipalities like Beijing. With increasing urban populations, economic interdependence expands across larger regions. This is in Delhi where many individuals commute from neighboring cities such as Gurgaon or Noida for work. China's exploration of city clusters, characterized by expanded areas with interconnected economies, offers a potential model. India could similarly consider establishing a national capital cluster within the National Capital Region, fostering economic interdependence and enhancing municipal services. Such an approach would require additional levels of government at the cluster level and a robust governance system, complemented by well-designed municipal plans to ensure successful implementation and growth.
The recent release of the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Index for 2023 serves as a wake-up call for Indian cities, urging them to prioritize not only growth but also the livability of their built landscapes. According to the report, Delhi and Mumbai both earned a score of 60.2, sharing the 141st rank. This underscores the urgent concerns faced by Indian metropolitans, such as pollution, informal settlements, overcrowding, and inadequate infrastructure. As Indian cities strive to catch up with global standards, a substantial gap needs to be bridged between ambitious plans and their effective implementation. To ensure a more favorable future, Indian cities must strike a balance between planned growth and the well-being of their citizens.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series titled India: Building for Billions, where we discuss the effects of population rise, urbanization, and economic growth on India’s built environment. Through the series, we explore local and international innovations responding to India’s urban growth. We also talk to the architect, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
