Urbanisation and sustainable mobility in India

As India's population rapidly increases, the need for sustainable urban development and transport must be addressed. Efficiency, cost and employment will all be key factors in this change.
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Women wait to cross the road in Calcutta, India
The growth in ownership of cars and two-wheelers across urban India means that road density, traffic snarls and commuting time have all increased. Photograph: Piyal Adhikary/EPA

Many new trends are shaping the world – resource scarcity, globalisation, technology, demographics and urbanisation. These emerging trends are very visible in India. In an era where India takes 9% GDP growth for granted, assessing how such thematic shifts will create tomorrow's structures, engagement mechanisms, companies and societies is crucial. Central to India's sustainable development agenda are the issues of urbanisation and urban mobility. These do not immediately feature on 'developmental radars'. Economic, environmental, and social wellbeing, health and productivity, infrastructure, access and scale, and indeed the very quality of life are at risk. There is a dire need for models that address sustainable urbanism and mobility.


India's urban population in 2010 was 356.38 million which is projected to be approximately 590 million by 2030, an increase of nearly 66%. By contrast, India's rural population will increase from 827 million to 859 million over the same period, an increase of merely 32 million or 3.37%. India's total population will stand at 1.44 billion. It is further estimated that 80% of this increase will be through natural increase rather than through physical migration.

The questions that therefore need to be addressed are, where and how India will live? Allied concerns emerge about livelihoods and land-holding and the very identity of the economy - an agrarian nation under threat where agri-GDP is only 16% and a shift to a service economy is being accelerated. How can efficiency and productivity be increased? How will people be moved? In most cities, the public transportation system is overcrowded, running at peak capacity with little room for expansion. In a majority of cases, it's a wonder the system still works.

Urban mobility in India

Transport is an important part of India's growth story. Rapid economic growth brought with it a stress on India's transport infrastructure which has not kept pace with rising demand for services. The transportation sector accounted for a share of 6.4% of GDP in 2010.

Historically, urban transport in India comprised of rail, road and water transport. Options ranged from low-end public transportation modes such as bicycles, rickshaws and state-owned buses to relatively more expensive rail transport and air – used by a privileged few. The proliferation of private means and ownership of cars and two-wheelers is a common phenomenon across urban India, increasing road density, traffic snarls and commuting time. The impact on urban ecology and human health is starting to be felt. With transport infrastructure projects subject to time and cost overruns, development isn't keeping pace with urbanisation. The role of government in bridging the demand-supply gap is a focal point and India's Five Year Plan, starting this year, envisages an increased focus on transportation infrastructure.

Recent experiments

Attempts at new urbanism include the Hindustan Construction Company's Lavasa project near Pune, which is under regulatory scrutiny from India's muscle-flexing Environment Ministry. While such elitist projects are the minority, it raises questions on the nature of 'affordable housing' and redevelopment of lands especially those occupied by marginalised sections of society in urban centres.

Experiments in transportation systems include the metro, light and monorail rail, bus rapid transport systems (BRTS) and pod rapid transport (PRT). But these are still loose experiments – there is no formal mobility plan.

There is a need for models that marry efficiency and speed, cost, mobility and employment. At the core, initiatives must address the need to move people rather than traffic. Public-private mobility options and optimal balance is key. Enablers such as resources assume significance. There is a lack of planners and planning, and educational degrees in urban mobility are limited. There is also need to develop a community of practice from education to implementation.
