The other side of getting urbanised

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: Ashok B Lall, Architect

Large geographic regions in emerging economies will undergo a rapid shift toward further urbanisation in the coming decade. There is both euphoria and trepidation concerning the implications of accelerated urban development. The euphoria results from an enhanced knowledge base as well as an increased productivity spawned by the integration of institutional infrastructure with global markets. The trepidation is voiced by those who view the present severe disparities of wealth and opportunity being further exacerbated by the developmental process which is centred largely on those already privileged rather than on the needs of the majority of citizens, compounded further by the pressure of environmental degradation.

In emerging economies, the overarching force that drives the current process of urban development is globalisation. This spawns new habits and expectations associated with the highly visible “MNC lifestyle” promoted as the symbol of progress and success. This precipitates a growing preference for construction materials with high embodied energy i.e., steel, glass and aluminium. Such preference of lifestyle and the way of building also increases per capita demand for artificial lighting and air conditioning in malls, offices and multiplexes. When this building culture of images is compounded with an unregulated use of energy, a carte blanche is given for both, an “explosion” today and, subsequently, a “bush fire” of energy consumption. The “explosion” is an immediate result of excessive use of high-embodied energy materials, compressed into one decade of a building boom. The “bush fire” is the consequence of increasing dependence on energy for operation of buildings and urban infrastructure, which will persist for their entire lifetime. To this add a drought of water — its increasing pollution and shortage of supply. Consider too the ecological pressure throughout the countryside due to the demands of expanding cities. These factors constitute the environmental challenge of sustainability.

Do we expect the gains of accelerated economic development centred on cities to contribute to general social and environmental well being? Possibly, but only if the initiative is seized to find alternatives to the negative impacts of urbanisation. Conventional models of urban systems and capital-intensive technologies are not going to be affordable. Innovation is necessary on many fronts.