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Conflict in urban development and the globalization policy in developing countries

Amit RayIndian Institut of Technology Kanpur, India

Global Economic Policy has reduced the virtual dimension of the globe. An automobile designedin Japan, material procured in Brazil, manufactured in India and marked the automobile inEurope is quite a feasible preposition in modern day society. The territorial trade demarcation isconsiderably reduced through global trade under the Global Economic Policy philosophy. Themajor impact of the globalization in the developing countries remains to a large extends amongurban populations. Due to the global economic policy, the consumerism has influenced the lifestyle of global population considerably.

However, the effect of globalization policy in developing countries needs careful review. Ithas generated unusual situation for the town planner and the city administrator. Thetremendous growth rate of consumer products is certainly helping the nation’s economicdevelopments. On the other hand, the urban development authority is not able to upgrade thefacilities at the same rhythm. Most of the city developments in developing countries continue togrow slowly with marginal cosmetic changes. Reconstruction of the roads, fly-over, supply ofelectricity, healthcare facilities, law and order, etc. show little improvement. The streets arechocking with new vehicles (two-wheeler and four-wheeler) and the overflow of consumerproducts is flooding the cities. Many cities in developing countries continue to experience a mixhabitat of rural and urban population. Such population is producing confusion, chaos,indiscipline, contradicting value system and unmanageable population growth in urban areas.

Except very handful cities in India, most of the city habitats are predominantly an upgradedrural environment and habits. Conflicting habits and value system of migrated rural populationin the urban habitat is creating larger complex environment for the city administration. Alongwith the population-influx in urban areas, a developing country like India is facing enormouschallenge to fulfill the aspirations of the traditional values that contradicts the veryfundamental of globalization policy. The urban planning and policy-makers are constantlystruggling to maintain the harmony between the two unavoidable forces.

Due to such confused and unmanageable conditions, city health and performance ofconsumer products are both affected amounting to destroy the environment. On the otherhand, the growing population in urban areas is creating huge market demand for the consumerproducts. The effect of globalization in urban areas at micro level is showing very disturbingenvironmental condition. The urban planners are constantly trying to match the demand andthe environmental requirement- pollution free air and soil, clean water, less noise, largerphysical space, etc. but it remains a distant goal. The struggle between the flow of consumergoods and their functioning in optimal condition and maintaining healthy urban environmenthas become a challenge for the city planners. The author proposes to illustrate the above issuesin a typical Indian city with the help of case study.

aray@iitk.ac.in

Introduction

Globalization has shrunk the virtual dimensions and time space around the world. Theunprecedented rapid progress in mass-communication, mass-transportation, and mass-production are creating new markets and wealth. The mobility of human beings andmerchandise has increased dramatically. The new economic phenomenon has created a globaleconomy to create free trade and mobility of free capital. The enormous technical progressalong with the global economic policy has created the possibility and quite likelihood of a‘global culture’. Mc Donald and Coca Cola symbolizes the global culture along with IBM andSony. Increasing consumerism is the outcome of these policies. The Internet, fax machines,satellites, and cable TV have penetrated deep inside the rural communities rapidly changing thelifestyle of the millions. Such change would have never occurred without the global economicmarketing policy through free trade and mobilization.

The author sees the major change in the attitude of the consumers affecting the urbanenvironment. An automobile designed in Japan, material procured from Brazil andmanufactured in India and sold in the European market is quite a feasible preposition in themodern day economy and marketing. The territorial and regional demarcations for trade andhuman resources are fast vanishing through the global trade and ‘open market’ philosophy.Simultaneously with such wide range of trade possibilities involving global community haveincreased various environmental challenges. The author is convinced that due to such rapidlygrowing trade and consumerism will have considerable effect on urban planning andenvironment. The introduction of new products from automobile to household consumerproducts demands new town-planning policy. The expectations of ‘comfort’ and ‘safety’ aspectshave become the key components of the consumers. The policy makers are constantly trying tomatch with the growing demands of better housing facilities, health services, power supply,roads, open-space, entertainments, etc through the micro level developments.

Globalization Policy and the Social Effect

The entire process of globalization has two-dimensional effects on our society- at macro level(global and international) and in the community or micro level. The Globalization Policy atmacro level has affected the global market economy, life-style and social value system,sovereign democratic governance and the attitude towards global capitalism. The effects arerapidly changing the skyline of the urban environment. The traditional human values areconfronting the changing attitude of the consumerism. The glittering showroom display andconsumer items are attracting the consumers. The glamour of urban environment is sweepingthrough to create a new genesis of human culture. Such rapid changes are not making muchdifference in the Western civilizations because of the historic reasons. The influence of IndustrialRevolution and the World War II in western countries, did not affect India like developingcountries for decades. The slower industrial growth and changes encouraged to blend urbandevelopment and the rural environment simultaneously. Hence, the developing countriesincluding India are experiencing a strange and confused contrast under the Global EconomicPolicy in urban and rural environment. The relevance of traditional values and believes arebeing evaluated constantly. The availability of global entrainment, pleasure, and comfort areshaping the dreams of ordinary citizens, wherever they live. Therefore, the author feels suchsocial evolution is certainly going to effect the urban population and environment.

The major impact of the globalization on the developing countries remains to large extendsin and around the urban population. The exposure to the world of consumerism has happened

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through the advertisement in cable television channels. Consumerism is a new mantra (spirit) ofa ‘global happy family’ because the major impact of the globalization in the developingcountries remains mostly on the urban population.

The flow of consumer products in the recent years has increased tremendously throughvarious forms of media publicity. The economic policy of the country has matched with thesupply of easy interest loans to the consumers. The flow of such consumer products hassimultaneously changed the traditional social values. Globalization philosophy is a process thatwould continue to affect the social structure. At the macro level, the new phenomenon exhibitsthe extremely complex interconnectedness of human life across the globe. Thus, theglobalization has also made us aware across the earth on various issues related to environmentthat is shared globally by everybody. The pollution, epidemics, and environmental hazards dueto globalization policy, affecting the fast growing urban areas may cause global concern.

Therefore, the impact of globalization has a complex interconnectedness with living andnon-living elements. It may have long lasting effect on the present and future environment. Theraising issues of such interconnectedness are becoming the dominant characters of our political,cultural, economic- and natural environment. Naturally, urban development and planningpolicies are subject to various new changes and challenges.

Effect of Globalization in Urban Environment in India

The effect of ‘open market policy’ has generated considerable business and industrial growth inmany developing countries including India. The industrial products in consumer market havewitnessed a phenomenon varieties and quality consumer products since 1984 in India. Thepositive attitude towards consumer products has increased the competitive market in similarbrands. The household furnishing, automobile, motorbike, scooter, cosmetics, textiles, etc. haveflooded the market due to the open trade policy that has set the momentum free. Naturally,the new market philosophy cannot be successful without having the desired infrastructurefacility. In this regard, the town planners play a very important role to providing infrastructurefacilities such as, roads, open-space for parks, organized market place, educational facilities,mass-transit facilities, healthcare facilities, etc. In order to support the network of facilities thecity needs power supply, water supply, open-space, flyover, housing, roads, etc. Because of themomentum of consumerism, the town planners are constantly trying to match with therequirements. However, the required funds that are available for the city authorities are notadequate to support such mega infrastructure with in a short period. Therefore, the cityadministration and the planners have to draw a strategy to understand the limitations of fundsand various social constrains to execute the proposed plans. It may be a frustrating experiencefor the city planners who have always dreamt of a city, fun-loving, comfortable, and safeenvironment for its habitats. The free-trade policy can make all the dreams come true but itneeds the desired financial, social, and political support to make it possible. Once of thefloodgate of global economy is opened the central and the local governments have to preparethemselves to provide the dream environment. The author proposes to illustrate a typicallyconfused state of an Indian city. Under the especial condition, the environment of a large citywhen deteriorates it eventually effects every spectrum of life.

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Are We Ready for the Global Economic Policy?

Before accepting the global agenda on free trade, the country has to seriously take anintrospective of the present conditions. The downpour of consumer products within a shortperiod has put the city administration in an unusual situation. The manufactures, trade policy,and the aspiration of the public have created a situation for which the city planners were notready. The streets are chocking with new vehicles- two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Theoverflow of consumer products is flooding the cities. The tremendous rate of consumerproduction is in one side helping the nation’s economic developments however, the urbandevelopment is not able to maintain the momentum with the rate of consumerism.

Most of the city developments in developing countries continue to grow slowly withmarginal cosmetic changes due to the budgetary constrain and socio-political compulsions. Inmost of the time, the allocations are made with shoestring budget. For example, a few yearsback a master plan was drawn to broaden the Grant Trunk Road the National Highway No.2under a national policy. The budget was allocated to the state for the said project. However,because of an environmental crisis when the state required extra funds from the centralgovernment the fund allocated for the highway project was immediately diverted and theproject was stalled. On the other hand, under the global economic policy, it has opened itsmarket to the world and the production of automobile industries increased tremendously. Inresult, the roads are completely chocked due to the overflow of vehicles.

Along with the above planning problems, many developing countries experience aninteresting phenomenon of cross-culture of urban and rural population with in the cityenvironment. In many cities in India, it continues to experience a mix habitat of rural and urbanpopulation. Rural population in search of employment continues to migrate to the nearby cities.Such population and environment is producing further more confusion, chaos, indiscipline, andunmanageable population growth in urban centers. The author does not blame the ruralpopulation to create such situation. In fact, the rural folks behave and practice the same habitsthat they have been practicing for centuries. The usage of modern amenities and living in anurban environment expects to know or learn things that are necessary for living in any city. Thecrossing the road or walking around the city requires certain amount of discipline andawareness to avoid accidents or discomfort to others. Unfortunately, while the cities are floodedwith new models of motorized vehicles on every alternate day cannot expect such behaviours.Hence, in order to avoid accident the vehicles have to pass by in a snail speed. Globalizationintroduces recent products to vitalize the economy and trade does not expect such confusionthat would create enormous difficulty to the public and the city planners. The quantum ofvehicles (as a generic term) introduced on Indian roads does not match with the buildinginfrastructure for the roadways.

The new age products are going to bring a major societal change that would affect thesocial value systems. While we are planning for economic growth and prosperity, we cannotignore the social changes that are directly connected with the economic policies. In fact, suchindustrial growth has much long lasting effect on societies compare to political changes.

Under the new economic policy, the increasing motor vehicle production has quantumjump. The Time of India newspaper reports on November 15, 2003 that the passenger car salewas 24.1 per cent in October 2003. It writes, “In the current fiscal, the industry has sold 375,674units as yet, marking a 23.7 per cent jump year-on-year….”1 Therefore, since the introduction ofglobal economic policy in India, the sale of cars has become one of the indicators of theindustrial growth and economic success. The TOI reports on November 15, 2003, “Sales ofcommercial vehicles, an indicator of country’s economic health, also rose to 22,015 units in themonth, up from 16,727 a year ago. …For the fiscal, truck and bus sales stood at 131,703 units

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against 99,833 a year earlier.” Along with the four-wheelers the sale of two-wheelers has alsogrown considerably. In the month of October 2003 the sale of two-wheelers has jumped 30.3per cent year-on-year to 438,991 units. Scooters have also registered a 10.8 per cent rise to87,741 units in the month. Thus, the government has raised its growth forecast to 7 per cent topost as the third largest economy in Asia. Naturally, such growth in consumer products hasposed a special challenge to the city planners who have to match the required infrastructure.Widening the roads, building flyovers, and creating disciplined atmosphere would encouragegrowing in positive manner. The above information on the production and sale of motorizedvehicles itself may be one of the important indicators for the urgent development of the cityinfrastructures.

Case Study of an Indian City: Kanpur

Indian cities are facing problems of road congestion, air pollution, accidents, and wastage offuel. The main cause for this is the lack of adequate mass transit facilities, resulting in growinguse of low capacity vehicles including personalized vehicles. The lack of mass transit facilities hasforced people to use their own transportation with in the city. Increasing number of privatevehicles, four and two wheeler, on the road along with the old traditional mode oftransportation is making the situation further complicated. New Delhi, the capital of India, wassited to be the highest air polluted city in the country and one of the worst in the world. Alonethe motorized vehicles in New Delhi, is a combined number of vehicles of Calcutta, Madras andMumbai. Without having an efficient mass transit system in Delhi people prefer to commutewith their own vehicles. Recent partial introduction of underground mass transit railway systemand compulsory conversion of all the public vehicle in CNG (compressed natural gas) fuelled hasdrastically changed the contained of pollutant in air. Such change should have beenconceptualized and planned much earlier to accommodate the expected change that wouldcreate a new horizon in city planning due to the global economic policy. The complexity of thesocio-economic conditions poses large number of circle issues in city planning. The authorproposes to examine one of the issues, rapidly increasing in motorized vehicle, which is raisingmajor concerns around the country increasing pollution, health hazard, traffic congestionproblems, safety, tension, social value system, etc.

At this point, the author feels it is necessary to illustrate the geo-political condition of thecity Kanpur. The field study is based on the Kanpur city in North India, a metropolitan city,sprawling over an area of 300 sq. km. is the largest industrial city in North India. It has thelargest wholesale market of food-grains, iron, textile, and various raw materials for buildingconstructions. 15th Century city is developed side by one of major highways National HighwayNo.2 the Grand Trunk Road that runs from Lahore (Pakistan) to Calcutta via New Delhi,Varanasi, and many other north Indian Cities. The city is situated on the bank of river Ganges.Kanpur city was the cantonment base for the British Government. Since the city is very old, likemost of the ancient cities in India, Kanpur has also been planned from the very early stage. Thecity has grown all along the G.T. Road that is running along the river Ganges because of itsstrategic location. The vibrant trade became possible because of river, the highway, and a majorrailway station. Kanpur has a major railway junction station situated on the main track fromCalcutta and connecting other cities including New Delhi was built more than hundred yearsback. The track is built all along the G.T. Road. Since the city population has increased in manyfolds, has expanded on both sides of the track is causing enormous problems for the citydwellers. The population and the vehicular traffic have increased at alarming rate in the last 15years. One of the tracks cuts at major four places in the city with no flyovers to help the smooth

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city traffic flow. Our survey examines the problem at these crossings at four major intersectionseven though the same crossings exist for more than 50-60 years for the last 15 years graduallythe problem of congestions and pollution has become a serious issue because of increasingpopulation, introduction of new trains and the increase of vehicular traffic.

In a recent report says that the per annum growth of vehicle in first 23 metropolitan citiesin India since 1981 has been 15% against the population growth of 5% only. However, due tothe industrial growth under the open market policy the dramatic change has increased thenumber of vehicles and mode of various transportations. Most of these vehicles are lowcapacity, cars, scooter, auto, tempo (a three-wheel vehicle taxi), which are uneconomical andsocially wasteful in the use of road space. The flow of vehicular traffic has increased thebusiness, employment and revenue earning for the government but the required infrastructureis staggeringly failing to satisfy the need of the people. The growth of low capacity vehiclessince 1981 has increased from 18% compared to 4% in the cases of buses. The governmentagencies need to make especial effort to increase the efficiency, comfort and safety level ofmass transportation system. Adoption of the new open economic policy is encouraging newindustries to produce consumer products for the mass consumption. Motorized vehicles (two-wheeler and four-wheeler) industries have become of the major players in the neo-industrialboom. Millions of vehicles are sold in the market with very little available desired urbaninfrastructural support such as, wide and well-surfaced roads, distinct separate lanes separatingvehicles of different kinds due to their speed and size, road signs, traffic policing, etc. Inabsence of such facilities, naturally driving automobile is no pleasure in most of the cities inIndia.

Case Study I: Kalyanpur Railway Crossing at Kanpur City

In order to access the gravity of the situation, the author has conducted number of surveysduring the last 2-3 years in the city of Kanpur at couple of railway crossings that is passingthrough the city. The congestions, at these crossings create a major source of pollution for thecity. The city with minimum funds for the maintenance of the road condition is desperatelyseeking to survive. As pointed out earlier, before facing the influx of huge vehicular population,the city authority should have planned for flyovers at various points to avoid such condition.Unfortunately, the major policy decision by the central government has not prepared the stategovernment with the required infrastructural facilities.

The survey conducted at 10:00 am at the crossing explains the occupancy of spaces byvarious modes of transportations at the above railway crossing. Returning to the normalcondition, it may take between 10-25 minutes during the above-mentioned time.

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The G.T. Road Railway Crossing Kalyanpur T-junction to Panki (1 km from I.I.T.K) at 10:00 am

Sl. No. Type of Quantity Space Equivalent Remark Vehicle Occupied (m2) No. of Persons

1. Tempo 02 14 46 Going towards Panki2. Truck 04 68 224 Approaching G.T. Road3. Bus 03 63 210 Going towards Panki4. Car 02 15 50 Approaching G.T. Road5. Jeep 02 12 40 Approaching G.T. Road6. Rickshaw 08 24 80 Approaching G.T. Road7. Rickshaw 03 09 30 Going towards Panki8. Motorcycle 09 13.5 45 Approaching G.T. Road9. Motorcycle 18 27 90 Going towards Panki

07 51 245.5 815

Total area occupied towards G.T. Road near the crossing= 113 m2

Total area occupied towards Panki after the crossing= 132.3 m2

A pedestrian is the basic unit, which occupies 0.30m2 of space area

The above data clearly indicates it demands more vehicular traffic space. In the presentcondition at a time, only two vehicles can pass and the rest have to wait or use the lateral spaceavailable. The sidewalk is automatically in most of the time occupied by various vehicles forcingthe people to walk on the main road. Increasing vehicle in such a short time without having thenecessary infrastructure has thrown the public in total mess. However, no effort is being madeto solve the problem until this date. Due to the increasing vehicles and movements of newlyintroduced faster vehicles, the axis to the road space has become the most important factor.During the survey, it was found that up to 20m space is available on the side of the road wherethe vehicles use 5-7m and the remaining space is occupied by the shopkeepers to attract thecustomers. If the city authority utilizes the space properly, it would certainly solve thecongestion problem to great extend. Unfortunately, while the quantum of the problem isincreasing in galloping speed the city administration is engaged in earning revenue throughissuing new licenses to thousands of vehicles without building the required infrastructures.

Case Study II: Rawatpur Railway Crossing at Kanpur City

The second field study conducted at Rawatpur Railway crossing in Kanpur city reveals similarstory that is found in the earlier survey at Kalyanpur Railway crossing. While conducting thesurvey it was found that the evening hours are the worst in term of congestions at Rawatpur.Approximately 24 trains pass through the track everyday. Apart from these trains, there aregoods trains that also cross the city, which accounts about 40 trains per day through the trackevery day. Most of the trains ply between 3pm to 8pm. Therefore, it is obvious the congestionat the railway crossing with no flyover would cause enormous difficulties to the public.

At Rawatpur railway crossing, the survey was conducted for three consecutive days atdifferent timings. In average a vehicle would take between 06-20 minutes to pass through thecrossing, which happens between 20-25 times during the day. During the period of suchcongestions, the level of pollutant rises enormously. While conducting the survey it was foundthat during the peak traffic hours, in the evening, the crossing would have around 100-125vehicles of different kinds, such as- large and small trucks, buses, tempo, cars, rickshaws, horse-

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cart, and bicycles along with people who are on foot. On one survey it was found that therewere 04 heavy vehicles, 42 four wheelers, 48 two wheelers, and 27 tempos at the crossingwaiting to disperse.

Figure1. Fuel & Man-hour CostDiesel Cost @ Rs. 19.00/lit. (2001)

Petrol Cost @ Rs. 30.00/lit.The above figures were derived based on time of stoppage, average salary of a person,

total number of days loss due to the delay, wastage of fuel, for the time the ignitions are on,etc.

Figure2. Total loss/YearThe loss at macro and macro level can be judged from the above table. We need to

remember that G.T. Road is one of the busiest highways that is connecting and supporting thelifeline of surface trade between Punjab, Delhi in north to Calcutta in the east. Therefore, eachtime the road is blocked the entire highway traffic remains stand still causing majorcongestions. The Grand Trunk Road highway passing through one of the major cities thatoutspreads hundreds of kilometers along the river Ganges parallel to the railway lines and inthe westerly direction. Any congestion on the highway causes national loss of enormous wealthand wastage of man-hour to the exchequers.

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Conclusion

The town planning policy is directly linked with the country’s socio-economic changes. Similarly,the global economic policy has brought in a new policy that requires drastic strategic changes inurban development. The author wanted to draw attention of the impact of the global policy ondeveloping countries that are going through the transition of major planning changes. Due tothe new economic policy, India is thriving through the economic development, foreigninvestments, and facing the challenges against other international trade agencies. The localurban development policy has to harmonize with the new wave of global economic policy.However, in order to enjoy the fruit of such economic policy the government at national andstate levels requires urgent infrastructural development policy. Similarly, the examples, theauthor wanted to illustrate the present state of confusion that requires immediate attention.Urban planning agencies are as much important like economic policy if the global policy is to beimplemented because, until now the global policy is essential aimed at urban population.

The urban town planners are among them who would have to constantly struggle betweenthe force of the new trade policy, wave of products sweeping through the markets, the growingpopulations and the necessary infrastructure that is required to facilitate the industries and thepeople. The macro level policy may not pay much attention to the micro level requirements thatthe mass is going the face. Building flyovers, broadening the highways and city roads, openspace, alert administration with discipline and ethical consideration should be the prime agendaof the city authority at the micro level to allow the benefit to percolate in the society. Becauseof the new trade successes, millions of rural populations are flocking around the urban areas insearch of employment opportunities. Many of the cities in developing countries exist in mixedculture of urban and rural populations. Due to the new economic force, the opportunities thatare emerging around the cities are not in harmony with the rural developments. The gap iswidening day by day, which is attracting the rural folks to gather around the cities. Thus, theunexpected population growths in the cities are creating further more complexity to the cityplanners and the administrations.

The urban planners need cooperative governance for such exercises to make a success story.The author, with the help of couple of field studies tried to put forward a small segment of thepossible confusion and complexity that may destroy the fabric of the community. Sudden wealthmay be extremely helpful and exciting for the nation and individuals but to hold on to thesame for the long-term benefit and restructuring the system requires urgent attention. Thedistribution of the wealth and benefits of the successful economic developments has to flowthrough every strata of the society. The author feels that the spirit of the new economic policyis not able to realize the complexity that the developing countries are going facing. It remainsthe responsibility of the local governments and the administration to utilize the funds.Unfortunately, the micro level administration and planners continue to practice the same oldsystem that negates the entire effort of the economic policy, under such state of confusion andcomplexity introduction of new policy demands rigorous exercise of vision and discipline. Hence,the author feels the urban planners in the developing countries, due to the introduction of thenew global economic policy, have much more challenging job to deliver than ever before.

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