Structural changes associated with urban sprawl : A case study of villages around burdwan municipality in india

Abstract

Most third world countries are experiencing a rapid urbanization and India is no exception. The unprecedented population growth coupled with unplanned development activities has resulted in urbanization without infrastructure facilities. Urbanization of this type generally takes place around a well-established city or in a linear form along highways. This dispersed development along highways and in rural countryside is defined as sprawl. Urban sprawl refers to a dispersed development outside urban and village centers and is associated with impacts such as loss of agricultural land, open space and ecologically sensitive habitats. Such type of sprawl is occurring around Burdwan municipality in India, particularly in areas adjacent to the arterial roads and along highways. An attempt has been made in this paper to identify sprawl both in a temporal and spatial context. A set of Survey of India Topographical sheets and satellite images has been used to picture the direction of sprawl. On the basis of this effort a detailed study was carried out in one of the villages where maximum sprawl could be observed. An attempt was made to identify the economic and social shifts in this village as a result of sprawl, particularly structural changes. © 2007, JAPAN SECTION OF THE REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved.