Satellite Urban Villages: an idea whose time has come

However,India faces unique challenges as its economy industrialises and its urban population grows.

The Indian economy has been among the fastest growing economies in the world,expanding from US 450 billion in 2000 to US 1.7 trillion now,and will grow to an estimated US 5.1 trillion by 2020. This growth has resulted in rapid urbanisation,as experienced by Western economies in the first-half of the 20th century. Urban population in India is expected to grow from 28 per cent now to 34 per cent of the total population by 2015,though the ratio of urban to rural population will remain significantly lower in India compared to Western countries.

However,India faces unique challenges as its economy industrialises and its urban population grows. The infrastructure in general,and especially urban infrastructure,has proven to be woefully inadequate in keeping pace with this growth.

Indias leading cities are among the most densely populated cities in the world,both in terms human and vehicular population. For instance,Delhi has a density of 9,300 persons per sq km; road length per 1,000 people in urban centres range from 0.1 to 0.3 km,whereas planning norms suggest the average length to be 2-3 km. A study by the Asian Development Bank showed that in 20 Indian cities the average duration of water supply was only 4.3 hours per day.

Moreover,most of the new developments in the urban centres have not adhered to good planning norms,and lack adequate open spaces. Consequently,residents of these developments are having to cope with a crumbling infrastructure,living without much air circulation or oxygen rich green lungs,which doesnt help in taking away the stress that one undergoes in todays fast paced urban life. And migration to urban areas over the next decade is expected to be 60 to 75 million,putting these centres under further strain.

The concept of satellite urban villages addresses the basic needs of a fast expanding urban populace. Satellite urban villages are an aggregation of positive aspects of both urban and traditional country-side living. These are typically located on the periphery of an urban settlement,at a distance which has easy access to the city,and where land parcels of significant size are available which can enable development of such vision. To provide a good quality living to about 5,000 people a habitat of 50 acres is required.

Internationally,residential space deemed adequate per person is 300 sq ft. Average family size in India is 4.5,hence space required to house 1,000 families comes to 1.35 million square feet. On an FSI of 0.6,the land area required is 52 acres,translating to 20 dwelling units per acre.

Also,there is an outer range in terms of kilometers from the central-business-district that such a habitat shall be located. Outside of this area any location shall levy an undue strain on the residents in commuting to work every day. An outer limit in kilometres of 6 to 7 times the population figure in million can be considered with the existing and foreseeable public transport and road infrastructure. For a city like Delhi,which has a population of 14 million,the outer limit for location of such habitats can be 84 to 98 kilometres. This implies that anyone coming from Rohtak or Rewari on the west of Delhi or Meerut on the east side,to Connaught Place in Delhi shall be able to maintain a decent work-life balance.

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The satellite urban village shall have provision for all modern amenities associated with city living,such as,good schools,modern retail formats,club/ community centres,wireless WiFi connectivity,sports and healthcare facilities,among others.

Further,the development shall target a minimum of 25 per cent of area under open greens. These habitats represent value for money,as against affordable housing which translates to rather small dwelling units,densely placed.

Satellite urban villages aim at decongesting the dense urban agglomerations and in turn provide an opportunity for city dwellers to escape the hustle of the city life to a more serene and high quality living environment while enjoying all aspects of good life which they are used to. Such habitats have moved from being idealistic concepts to reality,having been developed at Nagpur and Bangalore,and is catching up in five more cities.

The author is CEO,Fire Capital