Sustainability and Urban Planning in India: A Review of Literature

Abstract

The eleventh Sustainable Development Goal commits to making cities more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Urbanization is a multifaceted socio-economic-cultural phenomenon that transforms the civic and demographic makeup of both urban and rural regions. The United Nations estimates that by 2050, India will have 416 million more urban inhabitants. The functions of the Urban Local Bodies in India are in consonance with the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2003, the Government published a Model Municipal Law to assist states in drafting municipal legislation to fulfill the mandate of the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992.  Many Indian metropolises continue to encounter socio-economic and ecological problems due to unplanned, sporadic growth. The planning, funding, and administration of urban areas are crucial for enhancing the livability and sustainability of cities.

There is no prior literature review-based research that has been conducted to look into the recommendations of published research articles on the nexus between sustainable urbanization and urban governance in India. The present paper is an in-depth narrative literature review of articles on sustainable urbanization and urban planning in India from 2003 to 2023 (from the date India first published its Model Law). Researchers qualitatively explore the underlying social and geographical mobility factors and the role played by the Urban Local Bodies in achieving Sustainable Urban Development in relation to SDG 6, 8, 11, and 13 in India. Further, the research gaps identified, analysis of research developments made, and the summative research findings of existing literature will be of use to academicians, law and policy makers, and researchers for their future studies.