This paper analyses trends in evolution of the urban spatial structure (or urban form) of the city of Ahmedabad, with two key objectives in mind: to generate a quantitative understanding of the evolution of the spatial structure and use such a quantitative understanding to inform the formulation of alternative planning policies for the future. Time-series population data from the Census of India over three decades have been used, which are usually available in most developing countries. In the case of Ahmedabad, the city exhibits a gradual tendency of dispersal, although compared with some other mid-sized metropolitan areas of the world, it is relatively compact. A discussion on the application of the spatial structure analysis to the formulation of alternative planning policies is included. Such analyses for similar cities in India and the developing world in general could be carried out to produce a useful catalogue of cities. However, this is not the objective of the paper, but in due course such literature could be built up.
This paper critically reviews the city plan-making process in Ahmedabad, India. The aim is to review the process to establish its strengths and weaknesses. It is shown that the Ahmedabad Development Plan lacks analytical rigour and transparency and there is lack of clarity on how the final plan was finally decided. The mismatch between objectives and the means to achieve it is also shown. It is believed that such a critical review will be of interest to planners in India and other developing countries. In addition, it is intended to promote and formulate a more analytical and scientific approach to planning.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.