URBANIZATION AS A

BEHAVIOURAL CONCEPT,
STRUCTURAL CONCEPT AND
DEMOGRAPHIC CONCEPT
Dr. Jitendra Mohanty
School of Management
KIIT DU
Bhubaneswar
THE BEHAVIOURAL CONCEPT OF
URBANIZATION
 Behavioural concept of urbanization is often referred to as
Urbanism
 Urbanism is the characteristic way of interaction of
inhabitants of towns and cities (urban areas) with the built
environment
 In other words, the character of urban life, organization,
problems etc – the development and planning of cities and
towns
 Characteristics of urbanism: the diversity of social life
(normal and social role conflict) – rapid social and cultural
change – impersonalness and lack of intimate
communication – materialism – individualism – mobility –
increase in formal social control
 New urbanism is an urban design movement – became
very popular beginning in the 1980s – still rapidly
growing in influence
 The behavioural concept of urbanization explains the
relation of urbanization to materialsm
 Social bonds and friendships are transient and temporary
in urban areas
 Modern comforts and improved standards of living –
people are drifting apart
 The lifestyles, trends, changing mentality of the
population are the main features to be studied through
the observation method
 Space and activity closely related to human behaviour –
types of activities in rural areas differ from activities in
urban areas – examples could be behaviour of children
living in houses in rural areas surrounded by agricultural
activities vs, urban area children seeing their parents
leaving for work in the wee hours of the morning
THE DEMOGRAPHIC CONCEPT OF
URBANIZATION
 No universal concept of urbanization despite efforts
made by authors – no consensus has yet been reached
about universal definition of urbanization
 This is because urbanization as a concept is multi-
disciplinary and multi-dimensional in nature
 Demographic definition of urbanization stated by Jones
is “ It is the rise of proportion living in urban areas” –
Definition is narrow since urbanization is not only all
about demography
 It is a broad concept which deals with the physical,
psychological and the social aspects of urbanization
 As stated by the United Nations, a proper definition of
urbanization should cover four aspects:
1. The growth of population has occurred due to migration, as
urbanization happens only when people migrate from rural to
urban areas – total rise in population actually includes migrants
as well as new born
2. It also includes people who have migrated from one urban area
to the other
3. The increase in the number of people who are engaged in non-
agricultural activities
4. The distinct environment and organization of cities enable urban
ways of life
Considering only the demographic aspect of definition would
certainly limit the understanding of the concept of urbanization
THE STRUCTURAL CONCEPT OF
URBANIZATION
 The structural concept of urbanization states that,
“Urbanization indicates a change of employment structure
from agriculture and cottage industries to mass production
and service industries.”
 Urbanization is a structural process of change – is strongly
co-related to industrialization
 But industrialization is not the only reason for urbanization

 When a place gets urbanized, it does not necessarily mean it

is industrialized
 In ancient times, urbanization tool place even without
urbanization
 Urban places like Oxford and Cambridge are examples of
urbanization without industrialization
PRINCIPLES OF URBANISM
 Walkability
 Most things are within a 10-minute walk from home and
work
 Pedestrian (streets; parking lots; street parking; hidden
parking; garage in the back corridor, narrow, slow
streets) are designed in a friendly way
 Pedestrian streets free of cars in special ways

 Connectivity

 The network of interconnected street network disperses

traffic and facilitates walking
 A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards and alleys
 A high quality pedestrian and public network makes
walking enjoyable
 Mixed-use and diversity

 A mix of shops, offices, apartments and homes on site.

Mixed use within neighbourhoods, indoor and outdoor
 Variation of people – of ages, income levels, cultures and
races
 Mixed Housing

An extent of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

 Quality Architecture & Urban Design
Emphasis on beauty, human comfort and the creation of a
sense of place; a special situation for civil uses and sites
within the community – architecture within the human
range and beautiful surroundings nourish the soul
 Traditional Neighbourhood Structure

 Clear centre and edge

 Public space at centre

 The importance of the quality of the public domain –

open public space designed as a civil art – design of
human and urban habitat to support the viability of
nature
 Increased Density
 More buildings, residences, shops and services are close
to each other to facilitate walking, to enable more
efficient use of services and re sources, and to create a
more comfortable and enjoyable place to live
 The new urban design principles are applied in a full
range of density from small cities to large cities
 Green Transportation

 A network of high quality trains connecting cities, towns

and neighbourhoods together
 The pedestrian design encourages greater use of bicycles,
skis, scooters, and walking as a daily means of
transportation
 Sustainability

 Minimum environmental impact of development and its

processes
 Environmentally friendly technologies, respect for ecology
and the value of natural systems
 Energy efficiency

 Less use of non-renewable fuels

 More local production

 More walking and less driving

 Quality of Life
 These combined add up to a high quality of life worthy
of living, creating places that enrich, elevate, and inspire
the human soul
Benefits of Urbanism
 Benefits to residents

• High quality of life

• Better places to live, work and polay

• Higher and more stable property values

• Reduce traffic congestion and lack of driving

• A healthier life style with more walking, less stress

• Close to the retail street and the main services
• Close to cycling trails, parks and nature
• Pedestrian communities offer more opportunities to get to
know others in the neighbourhood and the city, leading to
meaningful relationships with a larger number of people,
and a friendly town
• More freedom and independence for children, the elderly
and the poor in the ability to access jobs, entertainment
and services without the need for a car or someone to lead
• Large savings for residents and school boards in reducing
transportation costs from children who can walk or
bicycling to neighbourhood schools
• More diversity, smaller shops and unique services with
local owners involved in the community
• Significant savings by driving less and owning fewer
cars
• Less ugly, crowded congestion to deal with every day;
better sense of place and identity of the community in a
more unique structure
• More open space to enjoy; more efficient use of tax
funds with less spending on the deployment of facilities
and roads
 Benefits to businesses
• Increased sales due to increased traffic and people spending
less on cars and gas
• Earn more on revenue because you spend less on ads and big
tags
• A better lifestyle by living above a store in live work units
• Economies of scale in marketing because of their closeness and
cooperation with other social companies
• Small spaces encourage the incubation of small local
businesses
• Lower rentals due to smaller spaces and small car parking –
lifestyle is healthier because of more walking and proximity to
healthy restaurants
• More community participation than being part of the
community and knowing the population
 Benefits to municipalities
• Stable in aspect of a tax base
• Increased tax base due to increased buildings in a narrow
area;
• Reduced traffic congestion due to improved design
• Less resistance
• A better public image of society and a sense of place
• Increased civic participation of the population leading to
improved governance