Ch 7 India’s Urban Landscape Notes Class 8

We did many rounds of consultations with our students to create “Ch 7 India’s Urban Landscape Notes Class 8“.

These notes are not a replacement or a substitute of your ncert textbook. Read the chapter from the NCERT at least one time before using “Ch 7 India’s Urban Landscape Notes Class 8”

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Introduction

Urban vs Rural

Urban Population Threshold by Country

Population Density in Cities

Population density
⁘ Number of people living per unit of area, usually expressed as people per square kilometre.

$\textcolor{blue}{\text{Population Density}} = \frac{\textcolor{blue}{\text{Total population of a region}}}{\textcolor{red}{\text{Area of the region (\text{in sq. km})}}}$

Demographer:
⁘ Expert who assesses the number of people living per unit of area.

How do Cities Become Centres of Economic Activities?

Factors Behind Urban Growth
⁘ Rivers ➽ eased transportation
⁘ Crossroads of trade routes ➽ develops markets
⁘ Access to agricultural produce & raw materials ➽ supported artisans and manufacturing
⁘ Result: cities became centres of:
●●●●●●●● Economic activities
●●●●●●●● Political and administrative power

Important Numbers & Dates

What Leads to Urbanisation?

Areas undergo a gradual transition: villages ➜ small towns ➜ bustling megacities.

Location as a Driver of Urban Growth
⁘ Places near coastlines, rivers, or trade routes ➜ economic hubs.
●●● Mumbai ➽ Arabian Sea = Port ➜ domestic + international trade.
●●● Kolkata ➽ Eastern coast ➜ port city for trade.
⁘ Many cities were villages or small towns
location+ other factors ➜ urbanisation e.g., Jamshedpur

Mumbai ➽ Financial Capital
⁘ Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 1875 ➜ financial capital
⁘ Trade and commerce expanded; talent congregated
⁘ Global ideas ➜ innovation
⁘ Film industry ➜ 1910s.

Bengaluru ➽ IT Hub (“Silicon Valley of India”)
⁘ Software firms, start-ups, and higher education institutions.
⁘ Industry clusters ➜ modern hub offering jobs.
⁘ Industries and educational institutions ➜ innovation ➜ new products/services using advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence.

Hyderabad
⁘ Grown into a major centre for technology-based enterprises.

Smaller Specialised Urban Centres

Other rapidly growing cities ➽ Kochi, Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur ➽ companies come due to lower operational costs; set up warehouses/offices

Cities with Historical & Cultural Significance
⁘ Agra ➽ Taj Mahal attracts 70–80 lakh visitors every year.
⁘ Amritsar and Varanasi ➽ thrive on pilgrims visiting sacred places, driving economic activity in transportation, hospitality, local food vending, handicrafts

Delhi ➽ Historical & Modern Urban Development
Historical Growth:
⁘ Cultural, trade and administrative centre since the Iron Age.
⁘ Rajputs, Turks, Mughals built forts, roads and markets.
⁘ British built a new capital, railways and electricity.

After Independence
⁘ New Delhi became India’s capital.
⁘ Ministries, industries, universities and research centres attracted people.
⁘ Population growth strained housing, water and sewerage.

NCR Development
⁘ NCR included NOIDA and Ghaziabad.
⁘ Better roads, highways and metro boosted expansion.
⁘ Since the 1990s, Gurugram became an IT and BPO hub.
⁘ Global companies drove housing and commercial growth.

Cities as Cultural Hubs

Cities➜ people from various regions➜ mix of cultures, languages, customs, traditions, food, festivals ➽ shared along with shared spaces.

Mumbai ➽ Vaḍā Pāv:
⁘ Maharashtrian-style potato dumpling placed inside a pāv.
●●● Popular among workers in textile mills
●●● Easy to make, carry, and eat.

Kolkata
⁘ Former capital of British-ruled India.
⁘ Institutions: Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial.
⁘ Durga Puja ➽ five-day festival held every autumn.
⁘ Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2021.

Other Cultural Facilities in Cities
⁘ Cultural centres, libraries, museums, sports stadiums
⁘ National and international gatherings
⁘ Give inhabitants new experiences; build relationships and networks.

Challenges Faced by Cities

Major Challenges:
⁘ Bad roads
⁘ Unplanned residential development:
●●● Poor access to water,
●●● Sanitation,
●●● Energy,
●●● Waste management
⁘ Growing number of vehicles
⁘ Rising temperatures due to ‘heat islands’
⁘ Pollution and waste
⁘ Higher crime rates (due to higher population density + economic inequality)

Air Quality Index (AQI)
⁘ NCR frequently records AQI levels over 400, far above the safe limit of 50 ➽ poses serious health risks to residents.

Urban Slums

Slums:
⁘ Overcrowded city settlements with poor housing and limited water, sanitation, and other municipal services.

Features of Slum
⁘ Usually grow near city edges, railways, industries.
⁘ Main cause: lack of affordable housing for migrants.
⁘ Residents support cities through informal jobs: vending, domestic work, construction, plumbing.

Government Response
⁘ Improving housing, health, and education infrastructure for slum dwellers
⁘ Pradhan Mantri Aawaas Yojana ➽ affordable housing to economically weaker households.

Planning Our Cities

Cities need to be planned as dynamic systems with evolving needs, especially considering climate change

Factors Urban Planners Must Address

⁘ Population size
⁘ Types of jobs
⁘ Transportation
⁘ Location of homes, businesses, parks, and public facilities (schools, hospitals, libraries, sports facilities, cultural and community centres)
⁘ Public safety provisions ➽ safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists, easy-to-reach fire stations and police stations

public facilities = schools, hospitals, libraries, sports facilities, cultural and community centres

[Ask your teacher if Jaipur and Singapore are for exams or not.]

Jaipur ➽ India’s ‘Pink City’

Vidyadhar Bhattacharya was the chief architect and urban planner of Jaipur, Rajasthan, appointed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II to design a new city in 1727.

Design & Planning Features
⁘ Based on vāstu and śhilpa shāstra.
⁘ Grid plan: rectangular blocks aligned N–S & E–W.Wide squares served as trade/social centres.
⁘ 20-foot wall + 7 gates for security.
⁘ Pink sandstone buildings ➜ Pink City.
⁘ Reservoirs and canals ensured water supply.
⁘ Shaded market porches suited the dry climate.
⁘ Combined planning, sustainability & aesthetics.

Singapore ➽ Dynamic Urban Planning

Planning System:
⁘ Concept Plan ➽ guides land use, looks up to 40 years ahead.
⁘ Master Plan ➽ updated every 5 years to reflect changing infrastructure needs, keeping planning flexible.

Key Planning Features
⁘ Mixed-use: homes, offices, parks & museums nearby.
⁘ Public transport: rail, buses, cycling & walking ➜ fewer cars.
⁘ Green high-rises: rooftop/vertical gardens ➜ “Garden City”.
●●● Walkable & inclusive:
●● ➢ Senior housing
●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ➢Healthcare
●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ➢Childcare
●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ➢Green spaces.
⁘ Supports intergenerational living, community interaction & wellbeing.
⁘ Singapore ➽ “blue zone” city.

Urban Redevelopment in India

Sabarmati Riverfront (Ahmedabad)
⁘ Blends ecology and public utility.
⁘ Features: promenades, parks, markets, boating, and the Atal Bridge

Mahatma Gandhi Road (Gangtok):
⁘ Central shopping hub and pedestrian-only zone.
⁘ Shops, restaurants, hotels.
⁘ Known for cleanliness and vibrant atmosphere.

Sustainable Cities of Tomorrow

Cities:
⁘ Grow and change
⁘ Centers of:
●●● Production,
●●● Consumption
●●● Economic growth.

Role of Technology:
⁘ A well-planned city nurtures creativity, diversity, and community.
⁘ Needs to be complemented by ICT (Information and Communication Technology):
●●● Intelligent traffic systems
●●● Digital surveillance
●●● Online grievance redressal platforms
●●● Solar-powered public spaces

Challenges & Responsibilities:
⁘ Rapid urbanisation brings pollution, traffic congestion, inequality, and loss of green spaces
⁘ A sustainable city of tomorrow must:
●●● Balance growth with care for people and Nature
●●● Offer opportunities without excluding the vulnerable
●●● Provide comfort without exhausting resources

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