Genesis of

Urbanization

JANUARY 2925

DY Patil College of Architecture

Varun Phadke
18114
3rd Year MU

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The genesis of Urbanization
A. Urbanization at a global level
Defining Urbanization

In technical terms when more than 75% of a population in not partaking in agriculture,
the place is defined as Urban.

Urbanization is the process of becoming urban day by day. Urbanization can stem from
various things like industrialization, migration, tourism, religion, education, etc.

““A city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in

time” ...
- Patrick Geddes

From caves to villages

Throughout history humans needed

collaboration to achieve something greater
than themselves.
This started when humans transitioned from
hunting/gathering to farming and cattle
rearing. As the complexity of agriculture increased it brought more and more people
together in a single space. More people meant creation of new professions like traders,
carpenters, accountants, builders; this in turn created civilization as we know it and all
civilizations started with a village, that with time became a town and later became a
city. With agriculture still being the main source of food and livelihood for many, rivers
and water basins became a hotspot for civilizations and town to emerge from and this
can be seen throughout the world with examples like the Indus Valley civilization (city
of Harappa) to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
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Urbanization in different civilizations

In the course of human evolution, the practice of living in a group with mutual
understanding and dependency has become a very useful and practical lifestyle, and
from small isolated groups, larger communities have formed. Then came societies
which in time became civilizations. Although there were a few cities as early as 4000
B.C., the cities of the ancient world were generally small and had to be supported by
much larger rural populations. "Urbanized societies," in which a high proportion of the
population lives in cities, developed only in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The process of urbanization has moved rapidly in the entire world since 1800, and the
peack is not yet in sight. A diminution of the rate of urbanization in the older industrial
countries is being compensated for by an increase in the rate in the underdeveloped
areas.

- The Incan Civilization

Civilization Name: Incan civilization

Period: 1438 AD–1532 AD
Original Location: Present-day Peru
Current Location: Ecuador, Peru, and Chile
Major Highlights: Largest empire in South America in the pre-Columbian era

The Incan Empire was the largest empire in South

America in the pre-Columbian era. This civilization
flourished in the areas of present-day Ecuador, Peru,
and Chile and had its administrative, military, and
political center at Cusco which lies in modern-day
Peru.

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 - The Roman Civilization

Civilization Name: Roman civilization

Period: 550 BC–465 AD
Original Location: Village of the Latini
Current Location: Rome
Major Highlights: Most powerful ancient
civilization

Roman civilization emerged around the sixth century BC. Even the story behind the
foundation of ancient Rome is the stuff of legend and myth. At the height of its power,
the Roman Empire ruled over a huge chunk of land, and all the present-day
Mediterranean countries were part of ancient Rome.

- The Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Civilization Name: Egyptian civilization

Period: 3150 BC–30 BC
Original Location: Banks of the Nile
Current Location: Egypt
Major Highlights: Construction of
pyramids

Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations on this list. The ancient
Egyptian civilization, a majestic civilization from the banks of the Nile, is known for its
prodigious culture, its pharaohs, the enduring pyramids, and the Sphinx.

The civilization coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian

chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first
pharaoh. But this would not have been possible had there not already been settlers
around the Nile valley in early 3500 BC.

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 - The Indus Valley Civilization

Civilization Name: Indus Valley civilization

Period: 3300 BC–1900 BC
Original Location: Around the basin of the Indus river
Current Location: Northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India
Major Highlights: One of the most widespread civilizations, covering 1.25 million km
One of the oldest civilizations on this list, the Indus Valley civilization lies at the very
heart of subsequent civilizations that arose in the region of the Indus Valley. This
civilization flourished in areas
extending from what is today
northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan
and northwest India. Along with
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it
was one of three early civilizations
of the ancient world, and of the
three, it was the most widespread,
covering an area of 1.25 million
kilometers.

Urbanization during and after the industrial revolution

The Industrial Revolution changed material production, wealth, labor patterns and
population distribution. Although many rural areas remained farming communities
during this time, the lives of people in cities changed drastically. The new industrial
labor opportunities caused a population shift from the countryside to the cities. The
new factory work led to a need for a strict system of factory discipline.
During this time, child labor and the
unsafe working conditions rampant in
many factories led to reform movements.
Population movement was caused by
people living in small farming
communities who moved to cities. These
prospective workers were looking for
wage labor in newly developed factories.

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People migrated to British cities and towns during the Industrial Revolution for many
reasons. One of those reasons is that people went to these cities and towns to make
higher salaries compared to the farming industry. Another reason is that they're able
to go into factories and have more varieties to choose from unlike the farming
industry, they only have one option. Also, with more money, more people are able to
afford in their homes with coals from Wales and dine on Scottish beef. They also can
get better clothing, in which are woven by power looms, which is a machinery
powered to make clothing. The growth of cities led to horrible living conditions. The
wealthy fared far better than the industrial workers because they could afford to live in
the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. However, for most of the factory workers,
cities were dirty, crowded places where epidemics frequently broke out.
Overcrowded row homes created to house the workers and their families contributed
to these conditions. Government reports of the time indicated people sleeping as
many as six to one bed.
The sanitary conditions in early industrial cities were filthy as well. Since the municipal
governments did not concern themselves with cleanliness at the time, the cities did
not have proper waste disposal systems, and people threw trash and sewage directly
into the streets. The burning coal of the industrial factories coated cities in a layer of
grime and polluted the air, and water supplies were polluted by waste.

New modern cities

Cities in the modern world have become a well-oiled machine with people moving in
and out with ease, living conditions are better than ever and any city is hub for trade,
commerce and the service sector. The modern world is impossible to imagine without
picturing a modern city. As we moved away from industries as a driving factor for city
growth towards the service sector, cities became livable, safer and cleaner. Any
modern city like New York and Singapore attracts millions of tourists each year and the
citizens of these cities enjoy the highest standard of living seen anywhere around the
world. Truly modern cities are a beacon of progress and we should strive towards
building well planned and successful cities for a brighter future.

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Types of cities based on the resources

Cities and town come up around various kinds of hotspots. All thought history
agriculture was the only driving factor with all cities based around rivers and other
water bodies but in the modern world, cities come up around other epicenters like-
1. Industries: Industrial town were prevalent during the industrial revolution.
Setting up of an industry required labor from the construction of the factory
building to staffing the said factory attracting various people looking for a job
from the towns close to it. Example: 18th century London.
2. Religious site: A temple or other religious establishment attracts tourists and
pilgrims and often a town is setup around the religious site catering to the
emerging need of accommodation, food, transport, etc. Example: Kedarnath
3. Education: Setting up of sought-after educational institutions like colleges and
universities often leads to town coming up around them catering to students
and is seen thought the world. Example : Kota, Manipal.
4. Tourism: Many cities are built to cater to the tourism industry. These cities are
seen close to picturesque natural wonders like beaches, hills, etc.
5. Cantonment towns: Towns set up for military purposes

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 B. Urbanization in India

Urbanization in India is mainly due to liberalization of its economy after the 1990s,
which gave rise to the development of the private sector. Presently, although
urbanization is taking place at a fast rate in India, only one-third of its population lives
in urban areas.
According to the 2011 census, there are 53 cities in India with a population of a million
or more; by 2031, that number will rise to 87. But this urbanization can only be
harnessed and sustained by inclusive planning that provides affordable transportation,
continuous water supply, modern sewage treatment and a good solid waste
management system. The government of India has been channelling funds to renew its
urban spaces through various schemes like Smart City, Clean city, etc.

Urbanization in India before independence

Urbanization has always been a vital issue for India’s evolution. Through the ages the
cities have developed and laid a crucial impact on the country’s growth and
development. The growth and development of the cities started in ancient and
medieval age but it got momentum during the colonial period in India.In the late 19th
century Britian became the most urbanized nation. When they started to rule India;
Calcutta, Bombay and Madras became leading administrative, commercial and
industrial cities. In 1911, the capital of British India was shifted to Delhi and it became
a modern commercial and administrative area.
At the heart of each of the first British cities
in India – Madras (1644), Bombay (1661)
and Calcutta (1690), cities which the British
largely created themselves from the ground
up – was a fort area dominated, designed,
and occupied by the British. They lived
mostly inside the fort area, and in the
strongly fortified and controlled area

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around it, sometimes called the “civil lines”. Here they built their homes, shops, and
churches as well as their commercial and administrative headquarters.

Urbanization in India after independence

In 1947, we wrested our independence out of a highly complex global power game in
time of the Second World War. We were now in control, we could kick-start the
modernisation process and we did. We chose the path of industrialisation to build up
the paralysed economy we had inherited. It was a lack of foresight and planning that
urbanisation in our cities remained substandard.

Story of Chandigarh
Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was
planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the
foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and
modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
On March, 1948, the Government of
Punjab, in consultation with the
Government of India, approved the
area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as
the site for the new capital. The
location of the city site was a part of
the erstwhile Ambala district as per
the 1892-93 gazetteer of District
Ambala. The foundation stone of the
city was laid in 1952. Subsequently, at
the time of reorganization of the state
on 01.11.1966 into Punjab, Haryana
and Himachal Pardesh, the city
assumed the unique distinction of being the capital city of both, Punjab and Haryana
while it itself was declared as a Union Territory and under the direct control of the
Central Government.

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Other Cities
Setting up of industries attracted labour from rural areas, and slowly urban centres
emerged around them. Had there been simultaneous infrastructure planning in these
centres with regard to housing, drainage, electricity, transport, etc., we would be
seeing a different face of India today. Also, we needed politically agile municipal
corporations to look after the increasing number of migrants into the towns and cities.
As it turned out, we had none of those things. In fact, municipal corporations (Urban
Local Bodies, ULBs) did not even have constitutional status till the 74th amendment in
1992.
India gave birth to towns and cities which have an urban veneer but are seriously
mismanaged underneath. For urbanising an area, a sustainable order of things would
be — first ensuring water supply, electricity, roads, policing and other state services,
and then housing. We didn’t have resources to do things in that order. Migrants were
pouring into the cities and they erected houses first. Availability of other services was
compromised on. Add to it the population boom of the later decades of 20th century
and host of social problems, e.g., illiteracy, gender inequality, conflict among ethnic
groups, and climate change, and you get an idea of just how messy it has been. These
are just the problems that went in the making of this stew, those that came out of it
are even uglier: congestion, slums, traffic, environmental degradation, disease,
aesthetic deterioration, psychological disorders, social inequality, and crime to name
the principal ones. Centralisation of economic activity is a cardinal feature of
urbanisation. Many an Indian city can boast of globally competitive education,
entertainment, business and networking opportunity, premium health care, etc.
Nevertheless, city life is becoming
increasingly unappealing to most.
We live in them because there is
no alternative in sight. And it is
not just the people in the city,
but those in the peri-urban areas,
i.e. in rural areas at the fringes of
big urban agglomerates that pay
heavily. It is from these areas that
cities get their food, and to these
areas the cities dispose of their
waste. Gurugram comes to mind
as a befitting example.

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Urban development in Mumbai

Mumbai has urbanized over the

past 60 years and urbanized rapidly
from its origins as a fishing
village. The site of the fishing
village soon became a port region
as the site favored
development. Protected from the
Arabian Sea by a peninsular art the
southern end of Salsette Island, it
had access to sea on two sides and
the British colonial administration
in India developed the sheltered inlet into a major port. The British viewed the port
and surroundings as the “Gateway to India”. This made it the closest port of entry to
subcontinent for travellers from Europe, through the Suez Canal. The city grew during
British rule as variety of services grew up around the port and continued to grow after
British left in 1947. Since 1971, the graph shows the inexorable rise in the population
of Mumbai, from 8 million in 1971 to 21 million now. The other significant factor to
note is that slum dwellers make up an ever-increasing proportion of the population,
creating numerous problems for people and planners. It should be noted that the
original urbanisation phase of Mumbai focussed upon the southern tip of Salsette
Island, and outside of this the city suburbanised in a Northern direction.
The causes of urbanisation are multiple, but involve a high level of natural increase
within Mumbai itself and in-migration principally from the surrounding district of
Maharashtra but also from neighboring states. Mumbai booming economy means that
migrants come for job opportunities in the expanding industries, financial institutions
and administration.
The city of Mumbai, financial capital of India, is recognized in the World as commercial
and industrial hub. The city also enjoys a numero uno status as far as India and State's
economy is concerned. However, the lack of world class infrastructure facilities,
growing vehicular population and the never-ending traffic congestion is hampering
city's progress and affecting local life. With a view to improve transportation and
communication, the Government of Maharashtra and Railway Ministry – with the
financial assistance from World Bank – undertook the Mumbai Urban Transport
Project. The thrust of this project was to improve suburban railway system. However,
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considering the present-day infrastructure facilities and the future needs it was also
necessary to introduce a project that would complement road network.

Conclusion
Urbanization has come a long way from farm towns and fishing villages to global
infrastructure and cultural hubs in the 21st century. But with the projected number of
cities and people in cities steadily rising, planners and architects have an important job
of making livable cities and sustainable cities. Progress comes with a catch and it
should not take its toll on human life. Cities are the way towards the future and they
should be built responsibly with a focus on quality of life for everyone and not just the
rich who can afford a place in the city center. In conclusion, cities are a road towards a
better life for many and dreams do come true in cities. We should work towards a
sustainable future where cities are the cradle for development and innovation along
with being cultural hubs where everyone is equal.

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