Small City Vision Beyond The Big City Blueprint

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Small cities in India are often seen as future big cities, but this mindset overlooks their unique challenges and rich heritage. Instead of imposing big-city solutions, why not let these cities thrive on their own terms? From historic cores to niche economies, small cities deserve tailored strategies that nurture their distinct identities. Could embracing local knowledge be the key to a sustainable urban future?

Source: Ayona Datta, Smart Small City

Policymakers in India started discussing cities and urbanisation as a coherent strategy in the last two decades, with most discussions aiming at addressing the problems seen in its bigger cities. Our nightmares from these big cities, such as traffic snarls, alarming pollution levels, parking woes, slums, and sprawl, have been the driver of our policy actions for our small cities as well. 

The challenges faced by small cities are different from the ones from the metropolitan areas, not just because of the size but also because each of the cities has different functions, different morphology or a different demographic make-up.

Most Indian cities are historic and have continuously been lived in for hundreds and even thousands of years. The original form of many of these cities efficiently supported mixed land use and compact densities without hindrances to functionalities.

To solve the specific challenges faced by these cities, it is important to claim the position that small cities should be as they are and not as cities that can become big cities in the future. It is important to understand the social, economic, cultural and political trends prevalent in these cities and how urbanisation as a phenomenon differs in its manifestation when compared to bigger cities. The urban solutions for these cities should be based on such realities.

Source: Hello Travel

Such solutions would mean that these cities should be able to attract, retain and eventually create talent conducive to their own growth demands. It would mean that natives and migrants live in harmony, with their skill sets complementing the city’s growth. Local citizens, institutions and businesses should be able to benefit from the city’s growth, and the economic systems of production, distribution and consumption should be aligned with this growth and mutually complement each other.

Through such solutions, these cities should be able to utilise their core competencies and existing social, cultural and economic forces to shape the upcoming infrastructure and networks of the city. As a tourist city, a pilgrim city, a trading hub or a coastal town, they should be able to shape themselves to suit their character and ethos.

Nāgrika draws such solutions to shape cities that are unique, authentic and resilient to plan for a more sustainable urban future using the local knowledge. These cities are one of a kind and don’t necessarily fit into any template. They are not inspired by or aspiring to be a big city and are not a copy. Most importantly, they have the resilience to fight the shocks, natural or manmade.

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