7. India’s Urban Landscape

The village has large open green and brown areas (fields), so its population density is low. The city is covered with buildings, so its population density is high.

The difference exists because cities offer jobs in industries, offices and services, so many people come and live close together. Villages depend on farming, which needs large open land.

In 2025, there are many more buildings, roads and built-up areas, and much less open land and greenery than in 2012.

Causes: Growth of IT companies and offices, more people coming for jobs, need for more housing, roads and shops — that is, rapid urbanisation.

Sample questions:

1. How long have you lived here?
2. How did this place look when you were young?
3. What are the biggest changes you have seen?
4. Why do you think the place has grown or changed?
5. What do you miss about the old days?
6. What do you like about life here now?

• Surat is located on the Tapi river near the sea and has long been an important port for trade.
• It had a long tradition of trading communities and merchants.
• Skilled weavers and diamond cutters settled here, and skills passed from generation to generation.
• Clusters of many small units together made raw materials, labour and buyers easily available.

Example (Maharashtra):

• Pune — Ganeshotsav and the Palkhi of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram; misal pav.
• Kolhapur — Kolhapuri chappals, spicy tambda-pandhra rassa and the Mahalakshmi temple.
• Nashik — Kumbh Mela and grapes and wine-making.
• Nagpur — oranges and Saoji cuisine.

Yes. Besides tall buildings and malls, cities also have pollution, traffic jams, garbage, flooding and slums.

• Overcrowded, small and unsafe houses.
• Lack of clean drinking water and toilets.
• Poor drainage and waste disposal, leading to diseases.
• Flooding during the monsoon.
• Lack of schools and health facilities nearby.
• Insecure jobs and low incomes; fear of eviction.

• Large population and high population density.
• Many types of businesses, industries and occupations.
• Government institutions and offices.
• Elaborate transport and communication systems.
• Elected local bodies like municipal corporations.
• Cultural centres, markets, hospitals and educational institutions.

Example — Pune has grown rapidly in population.

Reasons: Jobs in IT, automobile and other industries; good colleges and universities; better healthcare and facilities; and a pleasant climate.

• Government and urban planners — plan land use, roads, water and services.
• Businesses and industries — create jobs and goods.
• Workers (construction workers, drivers, vendors, domestic helpers) — build and run the city every day.
• Citizens and RWAs — keep neighbourhoods clean, pay taxes and take part in decisions, as in the revival of Bengaluru’s lakes.
• Artists, teachers and doctors — give culture, education and health.

Effects on rural areas: Young people migrate to cities, so villages lose workers; but money sent home improves living standards. Cities may expand into villages and farmland.

Cities depend on rural areas for food, milk, vegetables, raw materials like cotton and sugarcane, and workers.

Helping each other: Villages supply food and raw materials; cities provide markets, jobs, technology, hospitals and higher education. Better roads and connectivity help both develop.

Urban planning means planning and designing how land in a city is used — for homes, businesses, roads, parks, schools, hospitals and services — to give residents a good quality of life.

Risks of ignoring it: Loss of farmland, forests and lakes; flooding and water shortage; pollution; traffic jams; growth of slums; heat islands; and loss of biodiversity.

Good planning: Footpaths, parks, nearby schools and hospitals, regular garbage collection, good drainage and bus stops. These make life safe and convenient.

Poor planning: Narrow roads, no footpaths, waterlogging in rains, garbage heaps and lack of playgrounds. These cause traffic, accidents, diseases and inconvenience.

I would consider the population, jobs, housing, transport, water supply, waste management, green spaces, schools, hospitals and safety.

Often these groups do not get easy access. Changes I would introduce:

• Ramps, lifts and low-floor buses for wheelchair users.
• Accessible and clean public toilets.
• Safe footpaths and pedestrian crossings.
• Parks with benches and play areas near homes.
• Braille and audio signs at bus stops and stations.

Sample: Residential areas — 60 people; market and offices — 15; school — 15; factory — 8; park — 2. Residential areas are most populated because people live there. Markets, offices and schools have many people during the day. Parks have few people.

Mumbai has a very high population density — more than 20,000 people per sq km. Gangtok has a much lower density — roughly 5,000 people per sq km in its city area.

Reasons: Mumbai is a large port city and the financial capital of India with many jobs, so millions of people live in a limited area. Gangtok is a smaller hill city with steep slopes, so less land is available for building and fewer people migrate there.

Beijing’s measures: Replacing coal with gas and electricity for heating; closing or shifting polluting factories; limiting the number of cars on roads; expanding the metro and electric buses; strict emission standards; and continuous air-quality monitoring. Air quality improved a lot over the years.

Measures for Indian cities:

• Better public transport and more metro and electric buses.
• Stop burning crop stubble and garbage.
• Control dust from construction sites.
• Strict checks on vehicle and factory emissions.
• Plant more trees and create green belts.
• Use clean fuels and renewable energy.

Sample findings: My uncle moved from a village to Pune for a job. He earns more and his children study in better schools. But he finds housing costly, traffic heavy and life busy. He misses the fresh air, open spaces and close community of the village.

• Singapore — mixed-use spaces, vertical gardens and good public transport. A nearby city can plant rooftop gardens and connect metro, buses and cycle paths.
• Jaipur (planned city) — grid pattern, wide streets and uniform building style. New areas can be planned with wide roads and open squares.
• Copenhagen — dedicated cycle lanes. Our city can build safe cycle tracks.

• Waste management: ‘Segregate at Source’ drives with demos on dry/wet waste and composting. (given)
• Traffic congestion: Carpooling, high taxes on vehicle purchase, etc. (given)
• Inadequate safety of residents: Street lights, CCTV cameras, more police patrolling, helplines and community watch groups.
• Poor mobility within the city: More metro, buses and feeder services; footpaths and cycle tracks; connected public transport.
• Expansion of slums: Affordable housing schemes like PM Awas Yojana, in-situ slum upgradation, and water and sanitation facilities.
• Heat waves during summers: More trees and parks, cool roofs, protecting lakes, shaded bus stops and drinking water points.

Example: Under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes in Mumbai and Pune, slum dwellers are given flats in new buildings built on the same land.

Benefits: Safe and permanent houses, clean water, toilets and electricity, fewer diseases, better dignity and security, and a better environment for children to study.