Urban and Regional Planning – A Practical Guide

India’s 7,936 cities and towns with an urban population of 377 million provide 60 per cent of India’s GDP and 70 per cent of its jobs. However, poor infrastructure services, housing and transport do not keep pace with the socio-economic progress and aspirations of the people who live there. The cities are threatened by increasing carbon emissions and deterioration of the urban environment. These challenges clearly point out a need to review planning interventions so that the cities are more sustainable and inclusive.

In this book. A K Jain reviews the pathways adopted since the era of industrialization, finding a mismatch between physical planning and urban development, which has not kept pace with socio-economic, environmental and technological changes. The author addresses in particular the issue of climate change and reminds readers of India’s pledge to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, with all new buildings to be net zero. To achieve this commitment, all urban assets must be resilient, and cities shall have to shift to cleaner fuels, renewable energy and green technologies. These demand a new set of urban development strategies to which scale and speed are critical. Digital Master Plans which span five years should be prepared to bridge the gap between planning and implementation.

Explaining the relationship between development, environment and urbanization in simple language, and interdisciplinary in nature, this book provides useful information and abstractions to build a new perspective on urban and regional planning, both for students and practitioners.

Book note prepared by JDS Sodhi.