Distribution and Growth of Population in Million Cities This chapter attempts to examine the distribution and growth of population in million plus cities of India. It describes the current status, urban primacy, FDI inflows and their trends and growth pattern. The period of focus is 1901 to 2011. Urbanisation is an increase in population and economic activities in the urban areas which leads to further development of towns and agglomerates to contain this rising population. It is a cause and effect of heightened economic progress in a region (Census of India, 2011). It plays an enormous role in social transformation and economic mobility all over the world. Infact, the process of urbanisation has been transforming the developing countries from ‘countries of villages’ to ‘countries of cities and town’. The urban population today is growing between two to three times faster than the rural population and the greater part of it happens to be in the developing world (United Nations, 2011). Urban population of Africa and Asia is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. It will also continue to expand, but more slowly in Latin America and the Caribbean. This vast urban expansion in developing countries has global implications. Cities are already the locus of nearly all major economic, social, demographic and environmental transformations (UNFPA, 2007). Asian cities are transforming over the past four decades, economically, physically, socially and from the viewpoint of information generation and transfer. They have succeeded in improving themselves by a large margin over this period and, by now some of them have catapulted themselves to the league of the most culturally dynamic, economically thriving and socially diverse cities in the world. China and India, along with other Asian countries and cities, have the potential and their strong and deep-rooted civilizations to lead the world to new vistas and horizons of development and prosperity (Yeung, 2011). The two most populated countries of Asia, China and India, are experiencing an urbanisation process of remarkable scale. However, the rapid growth of population in these countries is occurring mainly in cities at the cost of unplanned urbanisation. Southern Asia has the highest prevalence of overcrowding in the developing world that includes stress on land, habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, water and air pollution etc. (Sarita and Sisodia, 2011). The recent trends of urbanisation in developing countries point towards alarming growth of megacities and other metropolitan areas. This is true in the Indian context as well (Kumari, 1990). The first half of the 21st century is likely to be characterized by large scale
Transcript
Distribution and Growth of Population in Million Cities
This chapter attempts to examine the distribution and growth of population in million plus
cities of India. It describes the current status, urban primacy, FDI inflows and their trends and
growth pattern. The period of focus is 1901 to 2011.
Urbanisation is an increase in population and economic activities in the urban areas
which leads to further development of towns and agglomerates to contain this rising
population. It is a cause and effect of heightened economic progress in a region (Census of
India, 2011). It plays an enormous role in social transformation and economic mobility all
over the world. Infact, the process of urbanisation has been transforming the developing
countries from ‘countries of villages’ to ‘countries of cities and town’. The urban population
today is growing between two to three times faster than the rural population and the greater
part of it happens to be in the developing world (United Nations, 2011). Urban population of
Africa and Asia is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. It will also continue to
expand, but more slowly in Latin America and the Caribbean. This vast urban expansion in
developing countries has global implications. Cities are already the locus of nearly all major
economic, social, demographic and environmental transformations (UNFPA, 2007).
Asian cities are transforming over the past four decades, economically, physically,
socially and from the viewpoint of information generation and transfer. They have succeeded
in improving themselves by a large margin over this period and, by now some of them have
catapulted themselves to the league of the most culturally dynamic, economically thriving
and socially diverse cities in the world. China and India, along with other Asian countries and
cities, have the potential and their strong and deep-rooted civilizations to lead the world to
new vistas and horizons of development and prosperity (Yeung, 2011). The two most
populated countries of Asia, China and India, are experiencing an urbanisation process of
remarkable scale. However, the rapid growth of population in these countries is occurring
mainly in cities at the cost of unplanned urbanisation. Southern Asia has the highest
prevalence of overcrowding in the developing world that includes stress on land, habitat
destruction, loss of biodiversity, water and air pollution etc. (Sarita and Sisodia, 2011).
The recent trends of urbanisation in developing countries point towards alarming
growth of megacities and other metropolitan areas. This is true in the Indian context as well
(Kumari, 1990). The first half of the 21st century is likely to be characterized by large scale
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urban development. This is quite evident from the current trend and therefore Indian urban
geographers should continue endeavouring to appreciate the causes and consequences of
processes and patterns of urbanization in different geographical regions (Misra, 2008).
The urbanization process in India has continued to be top-heavy, oriented towards
large cities. This is because of higher demographic growth in larger cities, attributable to both
natural increase in the resident population and higher net in-migration. In turn, this is
consistent with the fact that larger cities are generally more efficient in generating growth and
attracting investments, thus attracting more population (Kundu, 2011). In India, the
urbanisation has increased faster than expected. This has reversed the declining trend in the
growth rate of the urban population observed during the 1980s and 1990s. For the first time
since independence, the absolute increase in the urban population is higher than that in the
rural population. This has huge implications for providing infrastructure and other civic
amenities in urban areas (Bhagat, 2011).
The growth of metropolitan cities in India has been haphazard and largely unplanned.
Population explosion is one of the most threatening issues facing contemporary India,
particularly the Indian cities. One of the most important reasons for population explosion in
the cities of India is the large scale rural to urban migration and rapid urbanization. Due to
uncontrolled urbanization, environmental degradation has been occurring very rapidly and
causing shortages of housing, worsening water quality, excessive air pollution, noise, dust
and heat, expansion of slums, and the problems of disposal of solid wastes and hazardous
wastes. The large metropolitan cities present a depressing picture today. The situation in
metropolises like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kanpur, Hyderabad etc., is
becoming worse year by year. The problems of finding space and housing for all have been
intensified (Krishna, 1990; Maiti and Agrawal, 2005; Kumar et. al., 2009). The concept of
high rise vertical expansion of cities rather than horizontal expansion is a better solution
because of land becoming a costly unaffordable and scare resource. It helps to accommodate
more population in less area (Macwan and Patel, 2004). Regional planning for large
metropolitan cities is very necessary because of rapid urban development (Nath, 1988). The
mega cities normally attract people from both rural and urban areas not only from within the
country but also from abroad by providing employment opportunities in both formal and
informal sectors. These are the major cities that to a great, extent decide the pattern of the
Indian economy and policies on various issues (Premi, 2006). The newly emerged million
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cities with a sound industrial base have grown at a much faster rate than the older mega cities.
The result has been the lessening of the importance of the four traditional mega cities and
their regional economy-driven urbanization (Lahiri Dutt, 2001; Sudhira and Gururaja, 2011).
A number of edited books have been published on million plus cities. The Million
Cities of India edited by Misra (1998) has 40 chapters organized in two volumes. The book
informs that India needs strategies for rural-urban integration; de-centralization of physical
and social development planning; and environmental protection. It is one of the most
comprehensive books on urbanization in Indian million cities. It has two volumes. Volume
one consists of 19 chapters whereas volume second contains 21 chapters. The contributions
analyse the cause and consequences of growth and global distribution of large cities and
introduce the issues and problems that need urgent attention at national, regional and
metropolitan levels; look at the urbanisation process in India since pre-historic times and
bring to focus the contemporary problems requiring the attention of urban planners and
policy makers; discuss the financial resources of metropolitan cities of India with focus on
four mega cities i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai; account for the evolution, growth,
problem and development of Hyderabad, Kanpur and Ahmadabad; and describe the
characteristics of cities like Pune, Bangalore, Nagpur, Vadodara, Madurai, Vishakhapatnam,
Varanasi, Vadodara, Patna and Ludhiana. In the end, it describes the logic, design and policy
outline for sustainable urbanisation in India wherein the metropolitan cities would have space
for a constructive and creative role in future. Management of metropolitan development in
India is the main concern.
Another book on Urbanization, Urban Development and Metropolitan Cities in India,
is edited by Nath in 2007. The book is an endeavour to study the process of urban growth,
urban development constraints, urban policies and strategies to produce an integrated rural-
urban model of urban development in India. It is divided into two sections. The first section
deals with the urbanisation and urban development. The second section focuses on
metropolitan cities. This section takes up specific problem-oriented issues like poverty,
housing shortages and infrastructure inadequacies experienced by our few major metropolitan
cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
The latest book entitled ‘Indian Cities: Managing Urban Growth’ edited by Johnson
(2011) is an endeavour to study the process of urban growth and managing it. This
publication aims to highlight and explains 11 excellent current examples of managing India’s
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rapid urban growth. In this context, the case studies of nine cities could help inform
governments and communities in other cities. Clearly, there is no simple solution to
managing an extra 10 million people a year moving to India’s cities. Because India is a
diverse and varied country with a rich and diverse culture, the approach to managing city
growth must also be diverse. The case studies therefore range from new satellite cities, to
new urban hubs in existing cities, to renewing slum areas, to environmental and transport
solutions for cities. To complement the case studies, two essays present the context of Indian
urbanism. The first, at the beginning of the book, is by Professor Chetan Vaidya, Director of
the NIUA, who explainss current urban circumstances. He identifies eleven mega cities
which will have population of over four million by 2026. Three of these will be the super
mega cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, each with projected population of over 20
million. Examples from each of the super mega cities are in the book as are case studies from
seven of the eleven mega cities. This is followed by an essay by Sneha Palnikar from the
AIILSG on the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and how
Indian cities are responding to those goals. Her major focus is on Goal 7: Environmental
Sustainability. All the nine chapters focus on individuals who are driving change in urban
India by undertaking specific projects on the ground.
A series of ‘The State of the World’s Cities Report’ published by UN Habitat from
2001, focuses on different issues. The aim of The State of the World’s Cities report series is
to provide information on urban conditions and trends around the world and, in doing so, on
progress in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and towards the realizations of the
Millennium Development Goals and Targets on slums, water and sanitation. The first issue of
the report, released in 2001, comprehensively reviewed urban conditions, emerging policies
and best practices covering five main topics: urban shelter; urban society; urban environment;
urban economy; and urban governance. The second report of ‘The State of the World’s Cities
2004/2005: Globalization and Urban Culture’ in this series adopts a thematic approach and
focuses on globalization and urban culture. It discusses the socio-economic impacts of
globalization on cities that are relevant to urban development, including cultural impacts, as
well as metropolitanization, international migration, urban poverty, urban governance and
urban planning. In particular, the report highlights the challenges of multicultural existence
within cities, in the context of globalization, and the need for an urban culture of inclusion.
The edition of the State of the World’s Cities Report 2006/07 provides an overview of a
range of issues (employment, urban poverty, lack of education, environmental degradation,
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basic services and housing provision) those link cities, slums and the Millennium
Development Goals. The report highlights three inter-related issues: framework for linking
the opportunities provided by cities with improved quality of life, governments' capacity to
speed up progress in reducing urban poverty and inequality and in reversing current trends in
slum formation and improving the living conditions of slum dwellers (housing, tenure,
infrastructure and access to basic services). This report unfolds a new urban reality that
shows how poor living conditions impact the world’s slum dwellers: slum dwellers die
earlier, experience more hunger, have less education, have fewer chances of employment in
the formal sector and suffer more from ill-health than the rest of the inhabitants of cities.
The third edition of the State of the World’s Cities Report 2008/2009 Harmonious
Cities was published in 2008. The data and analysis contained in this report are intended to
improve our understanding of how cities function and what we, as a global community, can
do to increase their livability and unity. In that spirit, this report is useful for policymakers,
mayors, citizens’ groups and all those concerned with the welfare of our urbanizing world.
The findings presented in this report clearly show that policies that promote energy-efficient
public transport, reduce urban sprawl and encourage the use of environmentally-friendly
sources of energy can reduce a city’s ecological footprint and carbon emissions significantly.
In fact, cities provide a real opportunity to mitigate and reverse the impact of global climate
change. Properly planned cities provide both the economies of scale and the population
densities that have the potential to reduce per capita demand for resources such as energy and
land. Many cities are also coming up with innovative institutional reforms to promote
prosperity while minimizing inequity and unsustainable use of energy. Enlightened and
committed political leadership combined with effective urban planning, governance and
management that promote equity and sustainability are the critical components to the building
of harmonious cities.
The 2010/11 State of the World’s Cities Report, “Bridging the Urban Divide”
examines the social, economic, cultural and political drivers of urban poverty and
deprivation. It argues that much inequality and injustice stems from inadequate policy-
making and planning by local authorities and central governments alike. Typical remedies
include removing barriers that prevent access to land, housing, infrastructure and basic
services, and facilitating rather than inhibiting participation and citizenship. The report also
emphasizes that lasting gains are best achieved through a combination of local action and
national enabling policies. As we grapple with old and new challenges in a rapidly urbanizing
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world, this timely report can help inform research, policy dialogue and development planning
for years to come. In that sense, this report contributes to bridge the gap between scientific
information and societal action, which is a simple, but fundamental requisite, to promote
equity and sustainability for more harmonious cities.
The State of the World’s Cites 2012/13 Prosperity of Cities report presents
compelling evidence and factors which have strongly impacted on cities. The report proposes
a fresh approach to prosperity, one that is holistic and integrated and which is essential for the
promotion of a collective well-being and fulfilment of all. This new approach does not only
respond to the crises by providing safeguards against new risks, but it also helps cities to steer
the world towards economically, socially, politically and environmentally prosperous urban
futures. In order to measure present and future progress of cities towards the prosperity path,
the report introduces a new tool – the City Prosperity Index – together with a conceptual
matrix, the Wheel of Prosperity, both of which are meant to assist decision makers to design
clear policy interventions. To varying degrees of intensity, cities have been hit by different
crises. However, this report tells us that cities can also be a remedy to the regional and global
crises. In this report, UN-Habitat advocates for a new type of city – the city of the 21st
century – that is a ‘good’, people centred city, one that is capable of integrating the tangible
and more intangible aspects of prosperity, and in the process shedding off the inefficient,
unsustainable forms and functionalities of the city of the previous century. This report serves
as a useful tool in the necessary redefinition of the urban policy agenda at local, national and
regional levels. It will provide valuable insights in the search for urban prosperity and related
policy changes in the years ahead. The report is a bridge between research and policy, with
inputs from more than 50 cities, individual scientists and institutions, particularly the
Directorate-General for Regional Policy from the European Commission, and other partner
institutions around the world that participated actively in the preparation of this study.
The concern for the cities at different spatial scales is evident from the surveyed
literature. It is imperative to understand the trend and pattern of urban at the world level
before focusing on the Indian context.
World urbanisation and million cities: 1950-2011
Urbanization is the process of transition from a rural to a more urban society. Statistically,
urbanization reflects an increasing proportion of the population living in settlements defined
as urban, primarily through net rural to urban migration. The share of the world’s population
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living in urban areas increased from just 3 percent in 1800 to 14 percent in 1900. By 1950, it
had reached 30 percent (UNFPA, 2007). In 2011, for the first time, more than half of the
globe’s population (52%) is living in towns and cities. The number and proportion of urban
dwellers will continue to rise quickly. Urban population is growing very fast and most of this
growth is in developing countries. The urban population of Africa, Asia, Latin America and
the Caribbean has rapidly increased at a rate of 3.8 percent, 3.2 percent and 2.6 percent
respectively in the last four decades ending 2011. Historically, the process of rapid
urbanization started first in today’s more developed regions. In 1920, less than 30 per cent of
their population was urban and by 1950 majority of their population was living in urban areas
(Table 2.1). In 2011, high levels of urbanization with 78 percent inhabitants living in urban
areas were noticed in developed regions of the world. These mainly include Australia, New
Zealand, and North America and European countries. In contrast, only 47 percent people live
in urban areas in the less developed regions. Interestingly, among the less developed regions,
Latin America and the Caribbean have an exceptionally high level of urbanization (79
percent) in comparison to Europe. It is observed that urban population will continue to rise
and concentrate in the developing countries in future.
Table 2.1: Trend of urban population in major regions of the World: 1950-2011
