Peri Urban Transformation in India: Urban Expansion, Livelihood Vulnerability and Inclusive Development for Achieving Viksit Bharat 2047

Abstract

Over the last few decades, there has been a significant transformation in the way Indian cities have grown. Currently, municipal boundaries do not reflect the true reality of urbanization in such cities. Fringes have undergone changes in terms of looks, feeling, and even connectivity. Residents in fringe areas exist in limbo, existing in the world that is gradually being transformed and the one that is yet to come into existence. Such areas embody both these worlds but still remain unrepresentative of either. They suffer silently from the growing pains of urbanisation. Arable land gets converted to non-arable. Rural farming economies become jobless as farmland dries up. Migrants and displaced individuals occupy such fringe areas in droves in search of employment opportunities. However, the basic facilities, including roads, school education, clean water, etc., are woefully inadequate compared to the growing number of residents because of urbanisation. Even if some families succeed in improving their economic condition through the increase in property prices and informal occupations, it does not hold true for others. These disadvantaged groups include women, farmers with small land holdings, and workers in the unorganised sector. However, their sufferings fail to make an impact in the development discourse. Viksit Bharat @2047 aims to establish a prosperous nation where everyone enjoys economic benefits equally. Nevertheless, peri-urban regions receive less attention compared to other parts. There is a constant mismatch between urbanization and institutional processes in peri-urban settings. They require proper institutional structures and community-based planning. This paper presents an analysis of peri-urban transformation in Indian cities, specifically Kanpur. This study uses an inclusive growth approach incorporating spatial planning, social equity, and environmental development. Economic growth cannot be limited to city centres. It is essential to understand what happens on the fringe of our cities. It will determine whether development policies work effectively for the marginalised sections that have been neglected for long.

Keywords: Peri Urban Transformation, Urban Expansion, Livelihood Vulnerabilities, Inclusive Growth, Social Equity, Environmental Development, Viksit Bharat @2047.