A Comparative study of housing as a social entity: the case of Nagpur, India

Abstract

India is undergoing massive urban development. Currently an irrational focus towards provision of voluminous infrastructure is perceptible. This presents a threatening situation where development is devoid of an essential underlying value system that imparts context responsiveness and hence, sustainability to cities. Smaller cities, relatively insulated from such drastic urban transformation, have been able to retain their people- centric environments through sustenance of a strong socio- cultural continuity, which is manifest in their built environments. In stark contrast to burgeoning metropolises, these foster higher quality of life and saner lifestyles. This study analyses three housing neighborhoods in Nagpur, a grade II Indian city, set in three distinct temporal frames: historic, pre- globalization and post- globalization. The study areas are analyzed through the lens of seminal environment- behavior parameters. Qualitative methodology employs for analysis morphological maps, non- participatory observation and photographic documentation. The work constructs an argument for comprehensive urban development embodying socio- cultural and behavioural values of a place as being legitimate parameters and integral to process of development of small cities. This enquiry resolves that to make a city smart and sustainable, efforts at people centricity are imperative along with ICT and other smart technologies of the future.