Banerjee, Paroj; (2025) Critical Perspectives on Urban Planning in India: From Colonial Legacies to Inclusive Futures. In: Srivastava, Ashish Kumar and Srivastava, Iva Ashish, (eds.) Cities: Inclusive, Liveable, and Sustainable. (pp. 21-36). Routledge: London, UK.

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Abstract

Contemporary urban planning, especially in the Global South, reflects a complex interplay of colonial legacies, neoliberal policies, and the urgent need for more inclusive and just practices. This chapter critically examines the evolution of urban planning in India, tracing its roots from the colonial era to contemporary neoliberal influences. It explores the persistent inequalities and exclusions embedded in urban planning processes, particularly how they impacted marginalised populations like the urban houseless during the pandemic. Despite urban planning's potential to redistribute resources and address inequalities, its implementation often fails to resonate with the socio-economic realities of India's diverse urban landscapes. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed these fractures, revealing how conventional planning approaches, rooted in Western ideologies, inadequately addressed the vulnerabilities of those living in informal settlements and on the streets. The pandemic response, driven by spatial control and mobility restrictions, disproportionately affected the urban poor, highlighting the limitations of existing planning paradigms. This chapters argues for a reimagining of urban planning that embraces the ‘conflicting rationalities’ of urban life in the Global South. It argues that planning should redress the embedded coloniality and be inclusive through adopting a co-produced ethos – a collaborative approach that engages both state and non-state actors in addressing the complex realities of urbanisation. By focusing on the lived experiences of marginalised groups and the informal sector, this approach can potentially counter the dominant, Northern-centric planning models and contribute to more equitable urban development.

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