Homes and office buildings are densely packed into an area of Jaipur, India. The colorful urban area is also known as the "Pink City."
India is experiencing rapid urbanization. This means Indians are migrating from rural areas and suburbs to cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur, above.
More than a million people migrated to Jaipur between 2001 and 2011. Today, with a population of about 3 million, Jaipur is the tenth-largest city in India. The city of Jaipur and the state of Rajasthan, where it is located, work to provide safe and affordable housing to millions of new residents.
Read discussion topics in the "Questions" tab to better understand issues facing Jaipur's busy city planners.
-
Zoning. Jaipur's city planners must mark each area of the city for a specific use, a process called zoning. The brightly colored apartments in the image are in a residential or housing zone. What other zones do you think Jaipur's city planners need to anticipate?
Business, industrial, municipal (government and police buildings, for example), and school zones are just a few of the areas city planners must incorporate in their plans. Each of these zones could also have sub-zones: a school zone, for example, may specify whether the area is approved for an elementary school or a university.
Additionally, many areas are "mixed-use," allowing for a determined mixture of zones. A downtown street, for example, may be zoned for both business and residential use, allowing for commercial businesses and apartment buildings on the same block. -
Services. An urban area the size of Jaipur provides access to many city services. What are some services city planners usually include when zoning a residential area?
Access to clean water is a primary service. The large structure on the right of the image is a water tower, for instance, which provides clean water for drinking and hygiene to local residents. Reliable, safe access to sewage systems and a source of power (usually electricity or natural gas) are other key city services.
In India, as in most nations, residents pay for these and other services either by direct bills or through municipal and state taxes. -
Infrastructure. What are some of the buildings and other physical structures city planners need to include in their designs?
Urban infrastructure includes: roads, bridges, power plants, electric and fiberoptic cable networks, cell phone towers, pipelines for water supply and disposal, levees and other flood-control systems, WiFi hubs for Internet access . . .
-
Transportation. Public transportation (also called mass transit) systems are networks where transportation is shared by many people. What sort of public transportation systems do you think Jaipur's city planners consider?
In Jaipur itself, city planners and transportation engineers design roads, bridges, and trails for car, bus, bike, and pedestrian traffic. They also plan for rail and metro (subway) systems. Jaipur is near lakes and rivers, so some amount of ferry traffic must also be considered.
In addition, a city the size of Jaipur usually has a nearby airport. (Jaipur International Airport is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) away in the town of Sanganer.) -
Environment. Urbanization often comes at the expense of the natural environment. What are so-called "green areas" city planners incorporate into their designs for cities and neighborhoods?
Public parks are the most popular form of green area. Others include bike trails, walking paths, nature reserves, and public gardens.
Articles & Profiles
Maps
Worksheets & Handouts
strong set of cords or wire ropes.
large settlement with a high population density.
person who plans the physical design and zoning of an urban center.
set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and flow of electric charge.
conditions that surround and influence an organism or community.
having to do with the transmission of light through transparent fibers.
shelters where people live.
science and methods of keeping clean and healthy.
structures and facilities necessary for the functioning of a society, such as roads.
to move from one place or activity to another.
development of an area for more than one purpose, such as housing (residential) and shopping (retail).
having to do with local government.
industrial facility for the generation of electric energy.
methods of movement that are available to all community members for a fee, and which follow a fixed route and schedule: buses, subways, trains and ferries.
regions with low population density and large amounts of undeveloped land. Also called "the country."
liquid and solid waste material from homes and businesses.
geographic area, mostly residential, just outside the borders of an urban area.
money or goods citizens provide to government in return for public services such as military protection.
process in which there is an increase in the number of people living and working in a city or metropolitan area.
elevated structure used for storing water.
system of sectioning areas within cities, towns, and villages for specific land-use purposes through local laws.
Media Credits
The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.
Photographer
Kedryn Samson
Producer
Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society
Last Updated
Aug. 30, 2012
For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please visit our FAQ page.
Media
Some media assets (videos, photos, audio recordings and PDFs) can be downloaded and used outside the National Geographic website according to the Terms of Service. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the lower right hand corner (
) of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.
Text
Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.
Interactives
Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.
-
Urbanization
The development of human civilizations was supported by large numbers of people who lived in sparsely-populated rural areas defined by agriculture, fishing, and trade. Over time, as these rural populations grew, cities began to develop. Urban areas are defined by dense populations, the construction of multiple and often large buildings, monuments and other structures, and greater economic dependence on trade rather than agriculture or fishing. Even the ancient Incan, Egyptian, or Chinese civilizations, changed their environment in order to urbanize. Modern urban cities like New York City, Beijing, Dubai, and Paris are bustling centers of business, entertainment, and trade. However, the modifications humans make to their surroundings in order to urbanize such places can impact the environment in negative ways: pollution, disruption of water flow, deforestation, and desertification. Explore the effects of urbanization on the environment and help students explore how human cities impact the world around us with this curated collection of resources.
-
Urbanization
The development of human civilizations was supported by large numbers of people who lived in sparsely-populated rural areas defined by agriculture, fishing, and trade. Over time, as these rural populations grew, cities began to develop. Urban areas are defined by dense populations, the construction of multiple and often large buildings, monuments and other structures, and greater economic dependence on trade rather than agriculture or fishing. Even the ancient Incan, Egyptian, or Chinese civilizations, changed their environment in order to urbanize. Modern urban cities like New York City, Beijing, Dubai, and Paris are bustling centers of business, entertainment, and trade. However, the modifications humans make to their surroundings in order to urbanize such places can impact the environment in negative ways: pollution, disruption of water flow, deforestation, and desertification. Explore the effects of urbanization on the environment and help students explore how human cities impact the world around us with this curated collection of resources.