Spatial Metabolism of Urban Densities: Integument of Bangalore, India

Abstract

Rising population density in our cities is one of the major challenges unleashed by rampant urbanisation. In the western world the urbanisation is often linked to the phenomenon of urban sprawl. However, in the developing world, lack of transportation linkages and poor infrastructure in the peri urban areas makes sprawl an unattractive proposition. Even as cities continue to expand, the inner city neighbourhoods are being continuously intensified in terms of population and dwelling units. Density is a term which is used repeatedly in urban discourses. The paper aims at delineating the concept of density into its diverse metrics. The density metrics are evaluated and examined to reveal their inter relationships and interactions with the city structure. A spatial analysis of diverse high density metrics is carried out for Bangalore city. The study helps in enhancing our understanding of density and its interactions with the spatial structure of the city