A geospatial enquiry into the nature of contemporary urbanisation in a medium-sized city of Mangaluru, India

Abstract

The future of urban growth in India and the developing world is predicted to occur in small and medium-sized cities. Subtleties of such urbanisation need to be studied considering its implications for the future of urbanisation. The contemporary urbanisation is characterised by rural-urban transition and emerging small cities. An unprecedented increase in Census Towns (CTs) in India during the last decade has substantiated this fact. The growths of CTs and the medium-sized cities of India must be seen together. There is a dearth of studies that associates these two phenomena. Since the basic understanding of CTs and their dynamics is only based on studies of large cities, the current study attempts to bridge the gap in the literature through a case study of Mangaluru city. The study is conducted through a diversified method of remote sensing, GIS, statistical and spatial analysis. The results show up evidence of spatial expansion and rural-urban transition as emergent urbanisation at force in the region. The spatial proximity of CTs also adds to the spatiality of urban agglomeration in the region. This different form of locally driven urbanism of the contemporary period requires a different framework of participatory and technology-enabled smart planning for a sustainable future.