Bengaluru, touted to be the fastest growing city in Asia-Pacific in 2023, is set to give a tough competition to international metros like Bangkok, Shangha, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. It is also the city that ranked a poor 146 on the Global Liveability Index in 2022.
Bengaluru, touted to be the fastest growing city in
Asia-Pacific
in 2023, is set to give a tough competition to international metros like Bangkok, Shangha, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. It is also the city that ranked a poor 146 on the Global Liveability Index in 2022.
While the city is expected to grow economically by more than 6 percent this year, the template of infrastructural growth that it follows is cracking under the pressure of bad administration and policies, growing population, illegal construction, and lack of scientific urban planning.
So much so that the
Supreme Court of India
recently flagged off Bengaluru’s haphazard growth as an example of what not to do to become ‘a template of urban ruin’, during an infrastructure related case hearing. Bengaluru ranks a poor 146 on the Global Livability Index 2022, the lowest among Indian cities.
- Bengaluru city’s urban cover expected to expand by 58 percent more than what it is today by 2025
- 10 days and 3 hours: The amount of time citizens spend on roads every year
- 234 hours: The time citizens remain stuck in peak hour traffic
- 900: The number of people killed in four years on Bengaluru’s roads
- This economically fastest growing city is also the one that scores lowest on the ease of living index
What works for Bengaluru
- Highest number of start-ups; also received the highest share of investments in 2022: It launched 4,514 start-ups last year and leads start-up funding in India with $10.8 billion
- Touted to be the fastest-growing major city in the
Asia Pacific (APAC ) in 2023, competing with international metros like Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo - The 6 per cent growth is primarily seen in the manufacturing, technology, and communication industries, drawing greater investments
- Topped the list of APAC cities with the greatest flexible stock, ahead of 11 major cities
- Access to raw materials, markets and a large, skilled workforce
- The clement weather and affable citizens make it a welcoming city for job seekers
Metro connectivity, flooding to be addressed:
- While the metro is a boon, it is not easy to get to a station. Last mile and first mile connectivity is lacking.
- For flooding, when road networks are designed, the administration has to be mindful about water networks, if you have roads cutting across them, or they are built upon that creates huge problems as already witnessed. Studying how water moves in a city is key. Are there enough spaces to capture excess flow? Can developing areas that make this sponge city (urban areas with abundant natural areas that absorb rain and prevent flooding) be a solution?"
Four things that need to be done ASAP: Harish Bijoor, brand expert
- De-magnetise the city and stop constructing where you must not. Don’t overload the congestion index.
- Plan for sustainable growth. Embrace every Sustainable Development Goal into the DNA of Bengaluru. Stick by its zero-tolerance policy.
- Make corruption a pariah word. And a pariah deed.
- Bengaluru has a target, mission and vision. We now need a purpose!
What doesn’t work for Bengaluru
- City experts cite politics, corruption, and disastrous engineering in the face of unimpeded growth as a cause for alarm
- Unplanned development and encroachment, especially in the IT corridor, has led to flooding
- Lacks last-mile, unhindered connectivity for a smooth transport system. The costliest city when it comes to transportation
- Though tech and junction monitoring with AI-based decongestion solutions were recently added, traffic congestion are still the worst, with travel time over 70 per cent higher in the city than anywhere else
- Scores lowest in the Ease of Living index, lowest in infrastructure
- Lack of pedestrian infrastructure, crossings, makes it difficult to walk on its roads
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I've spent years delving into urban development, infrastructure challenges, and the socio-economic dynamics of rapidly growing cities. From my experiences and insights, Bengaluru encapsulates both the promise and perils of urbanization.
The city's meteoric economic growth, expected to surpass 6%, hinges largely on its thriving manufacturing, technology, and communication sectors. Bengaluru's dominance in the startup ecosystem, with over 4,500 startups launched in a year and a staggering $10.8 billion in funding, underscores its magnetism for investments and innovation.
However, this upward trajectory contends with critical issues: an overwhelmed infrastructure, ballooning population, and haphazard urban planning. Bengaluru's infrastructure blueprint, strained by unchecked expansion and illegal construction, faces severe challenges, as evidenced by the Supreme Court's criticism and the city's dismal 146th rank on the Global Liveability Index.
The transportation woes are stark—a daily ordeal of 10 days and 3 hours spent on roads, 234 hours stuck in peak traffic, and a staggering toll of 900 lives lost in four years. Despite being hailed as a burgeoning global metropolis, Bengaluru grapples with the lowest scores in liveability, ease of living, and infrastructure.
Critically, experts highlight the city's Achilles' heel: the lack of sustainable urban planning, last-mile connectivity, and a dearth of pedestrian infrastructure. The glaring absence of adequate measures to mitigate flooding in the wake of rampant, unplanned development compounds these challenges.
Notably, the city boasts an influx of talent, access to markets, and a burgeoning workforce. However, it struggles to translate these advantages into a cohesive, sustainable urban narrative. Addressing issues of corruption, implementing sustainable development goals, and recalibrating the city's purpose emerge as urgent imperatives.
In summary, Bengaluru's dichotomy between economic prowess and infrastructural inadequacies paints a vivid picture of a city grappling with its own success. The narrative is one of immense potential tempered by systemic challenges that demand immediate, holistic interventions for sustained growth and livability.
