Understanding the relationship between density and neighbourhood environmental quality - A framework for assessing Indian cities

Abstract

The paper brings forth key issues concerning environmentally sustainable development of cities in the wake of rapid urbanization and shows the pathway for future sustainable cities of India. Studies reveal that around the world smaller cities are going to accommodate a larger number of people in the future and be the engines of economic growth and development. A thorough study to ascertain intra-city residential patterns is undertaken. It is perceived that to establish a relationship between residential patterns based on built-forms, distribution of dwelling units, population distribution, etc. (collectively known as physical density) and environmental quality, it is quintessential that local environmental problems are studied at the neighbourhood level. Following this, the terms density and environmental quality are defined and common measures adopted to describe the different types of physical density and indicators to assess neighbourhood environmental quality (NEQ) are identified. The literature review reveals that studies taking into account physical aspects of the built environment and their impact on urban environmental quality (UEQ) are sparse especially in the Indian context, thus justifying the scope of the work. The study concludes with the discussion of impacts of increasing density on environmental quality and identification of a set of variables as emerging from the literature review to help formulate an adaptive indicator framework for assessing NEQ in Indian cities.