ABSTRACT
The colonial preoccupation with economic and political priorities added a new layer, a new trend and a new morphology to Indian urbanisation. Cities in India, as also ‘urban’, are as much a part of the process of evolution and growth globally as they are ingrained in civilisational history. The mention of grand cities, such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Hastinapur, Indraprastha and Dwarka, in Indian classics clearly indicates that drawing upon their present, the writers of India’s prehistory imagined grand urban form and structure as essential to empires. The beginning of planned economic development in India, with the setting up of the Planning Commission in March 1950, also naturally gave priority to housing. The National Democratic Alliance government’s well-intentioned plans to place Indian urbanisation on a global pedestal with the smart cities initiative has been positioned ahead of other schemes on the Urban Development Ministry’s website.
