Urban Villages in Contemporary India

Today road trips have become a common phenomenon in India especially with the connectivity and infrastructure. Expressways across the country have made travel extremely smooth and convenient. However, just beyond these highways lay a different story – small, underdeveloped villages lacking basic amenities like electricity. This disparity actually makes us ponder: while the government is investing heavily in road infrastructure, why aren’t we focusing enough on transforming these adjacent areas into urban villages? This concept is not new and can be traced back to the colonial times when Delhi was being designed by Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1912.

There is an old McKinsey report on “India’s Urban Awakening: Building Inclusive Cities, Sustaining Economic Growth”, which highlights the haphazard growth of cities and the urgent need for planning and inclusion of these engulfed villages. There is so much we can do by transforming these areas into model villages – we can create self-sustaining ecosystems that offer residents better living standards, secure their farm lands, create more employment opportunities, and provide enhanced educational and healthcare facilities.

It needs a multifaceted approach that includes:

-        Developing robust infrastructure such as reliable electricity, clean water, and sewage systems to enhance quality of life and attract businesses.

-        Utilizing sustainable construction materials like recycled steel, bamboo, etc to promote eco-friendly development.

-        Creating an ecosystem that supports agriculture, small-scale industries, and services that can generate diverse employment opportunities and foster local entrepreneurship.

-        Providing essential amenities like healthcare centres, schools, and recreational facilities.

The government has already taken several proactive steps and there is definitely a lot of scope to enter into partnerships or PPP models with large corporates and real estate developers to bring in the necessary investment and expertise to create well-planned, thriving urban villages. Village adoption can be integrated in their ESG strategies, contributing to UN’s sustainable development goals while enhancing their social impact.

Urban villages are not just a solution to underdevelopment; it is about creating shared value, fostering community well-being and economic growth. It’s about blending tradition with modernity, sustainability with growth, and inclusivity with progress.

It will be interesting to hear your views on how we can integrate these adjacent areas into the master plans (the zonal and local area plans) to create smaller townships.