Urbanization Dilemma

A lot of people like to believe that we should start decongesting our large metro cities. With the latest trouble of pollution in Delhi, and other north-Indian cities, the evidence is even more acute. That's a wonderful idea. Only, it is almost impossible to implement.

No city can be decongested by asking people to slow down on migration, or by creating entry-barriers. There is a reason why people take all the trouble to move into entirely unknown urban centres. And that reason is economic activity. No one can - well, barely anyone can - survive without carrying out some meaningful activity to earn a living.

Hence, in order for people to move somewhere better, there have to better options. Better than where they currently are, and better than what the metros offer. The only way is by creating more urban options.

Where will these options lie? The uncanny answer seems to be 'in the neighbourhood of existing large cities'. And that is not really the answer. The answer is 'wherever economic activities can take place. They can take place in neighbourhoods of large cities, or alternatively, in entirely new centres. For the new centres to offer economic activity, they must first have or import an engine of work. This is where establishing new 'secondary industry' is so critical. Unless we focus on brining in more 'secondary industries', mere malls, cinemas, wonder-parks, etc., cannot drive anything. Not all centres are geared for tertiary industry. While people hop from 'primary sectors', the next logical upgrade is the 'secondary'. It requires massive effort: Setting up manufacturing (whether small or big), getting the requisite resources, training the workforce, and so on.

So, the only long-term way to solve these problems of traffic, pollution, lack of amenities, crowding, etc., is to start work on new urban centres in right earnest.

Time will not wait!

#Congestionincities #Metrocities #Overcrowdingincities #Urbandensities