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

在印度，有充分的证据表明城市化仅限于集中在某些大城市中心，这几乎是无可争议的。在实现与提供基础设施有关的城市发展方面存在相当大的不确定性。特别是，拟议中的孤立项目（交通走廊和智慧城市）缺乏一体化发展，对实现分布式城市化构成重大挑战。在描述和解释在基础设施提供方面权力下放的有限成功方面，研究仍然存在重大差距。这是由于在城市和区域规划中缺乏空间数据和空间方面（基础设施综合空间发展）。利用现有数据和简单的分析技术，该项目旨在提供一个综合的方法框架，将印度城市地区的基础设施提供与城市发展联系起来。采用渐进式的经验方法，利用两个空间层次将基础设施提供与住区系统联系起来。该项目结合了对制度结构（城市治理和财政）和州一级城市发展实际状况的彻底检查。基础设施提供与大都市（主要城市和附属中心）居住层次之间联系的统计和空间精细分析。这种方法旨在以比较的方式捕捉基础设施提供对城市发展的影响，使用两个非常不同的州，以获得基础设施提供与定居系统之间联系的详尽和准确的表示。该项目对城市研究做出了双重贡献，特别是对印度和类似的南方国家：(i)方法框架可以作为一种积极的规划工具，（ii）有助于解释中心地点理论和基于地点的理论在解释和加强住区等级以实现分散化方面的重要性。

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.