Development of a methodological framework for linking infrastructure provision with settlement system in Indian urban regions

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In India, there is sufficient evidence of urbanization being limited to concentration in certain large urban centres and it is hardly disputed. Considerable uncertainty exists in attaining urban development linked with infrastructure provision. Specially, the proposed isolated projects (transportation corridors and smart cities) with lack of integrated development pose a significant challenge in achieving distributed urbanisation. There are still significant gaps in research describing and explaining the limited success of decentralisation with respect to infrastructure provision. This is due to lack of spatial data and lack of spatial aspects (infrastructure integrated spatial development) in urban and regional planning. Using available data and simple analytical techniques, this project aims to provide a comprehensive methodological framework to link infrastructure provision with urban development for Indian urban regions. The adopted empirical approach constituted in incremental steps utilises two spatial levels for linking infrastructure provision with settlement system. The project combines a thorough examination of the institutional structure (urban governance and finance) and actual status of urban development at state level. Statistically and spatially refined analysis of the link between infrastructure provision and settlement hierarchy at metropolitan level (main city plus subordinate centres). This approach is designed to capture the influence of infrastructure provision on urban development in a comparative manner, using two remarkably different states, to attain an exhaustive and accurate representation of the linkage between infrastructure provision and settlement system.The project makes twofold contribution to the urban research especially for India and similar countries in the Global South: (i) the methodological framework can be used as a proactive planning tool, and (ii) contribute in explaining the importance of central place theory and place based theory for interpreting and reinforcing the settlement hierarchy to achieve decentralisation.