Urbanization, while often associated with economic growth and modernization, has also contributed to increased segregation and marginalization of the urban poor in India’s metropolises. Rapid, unplanned urban expansion frequently overlooks the needs of low-income populations, leading to their exclusion from both physical spaces and socio-economic opportunities.

How Urbanization Leads to Segregation and Marginalization

1. Spatial Segregation:

   • Slum Expansion: Around 35% of urban India lives in slums (Census 2011). These are typically located near railway tracks, dumping grounds, or industrial zones.
   • Example: Dharavi in Mumbai or Seelampur in Delhi are spatially isolated from planned city zones.

2. Displacement and Gentrification:

   • Infrastructure projects and beautification drives displace the poor without adequate rehabilitation.
   • Example: Evictions during the Delhi Commonwealth Games (2010) left thousands homeless.

3. Unequal Access to Services:

   • Informal settlements lack piped water, sanitation, healthcare, and education due to their unrecognized status.
   • Elite areas receive disproportionate urban investment under schemes like Smart Cities Mission.

4. Livelihood Exclusion:

   • The urban poor largely work in the informal sector (80–90%), facing job insecurity and harassment (e.g., street vendors, domestic workers).
   • Urban policies often criminalize their work—such as anti-encroachment drives.

5. Social and Cultural Marginalization:

   • Ghettoization of Dalits, Muslims, and migrants in urban peripheries due to discrimination in housing.
   • Example: Segregated Muslim localities in Ahmedabad after the 2002 riots.

Urbanization as a Driver of Inclusion and Empowerment

1. Economic Mobility & Job Creation: Urban centers generate a high share of GDP and offer greater income opportunities.

   Example: Cities contribute around 63% to India’s GDP (MoHUA), with urban labor markets absorbing millions from rural areas.

2. Access to Better Services: Urban areas offer better access to education, health, and infrastructure for the poor than rural counterparts.

   Example: The National Urban Health Mission has improved healthcare outreach in slum areas through Urban Primary Health Centres.

3. Slum Upgradation & Tenure Security: Many cities have moved towards in-situ slum rehabilitation, providing legal tenure and infrastructure.

   Example: Pune’s Yerwada Slum Upgradation Project (supported by NGOs and JNNURM) empowered residents through participatory planning, leading to improved housing and sanitation.

4. Political Visibility: Urban settings provide platforms for collective mobilization, voice, and access to institutions.

   Example: In Dharavi (Mumbai), community-based organizations have helped negotiate with authorities for better living conditions.

5. Improved Social Mobility for Future Generations: Urban education and exposure offer better life prospects for children from poor families.

   Example: Children of rickshaw pullers in cities like Chennai and Bengaluru have been able to access schooling and tech-based skilling platforms.

Way Forward

• Inclusive Urban Planning and Affordable Housing:

  • Integrate affordable housing into urban master plans and implement in-situ slum rehabilitation.
  • Enforce mixed-income zoning to reduce class-based spatial segregation.
  • Example: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban): Aims to build 1.12 crore houses by 2025; over 80 lakh houses sanctioned so far.

• Strengthen Legal Rights and Tenure Security:

  • Provide legal recognition of slums and ensure tenure security for residents.
  • Create city-level frameworks to protect informal settlements from arbitrary eviction.
  • Example: Odisha’s Jaga Mission: Granted land rights to over 2 lakh slum dwellers in urban areas — a model of inclusive urban reform.

• Ensure Livelihood Security for Urban Informal Workers:

  • Recognize, register, and support informal occupations.
  • Improve access to social security, credit, and skilling.
  • Example: Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood) Act, 2014: Legal recognition and vending zones.

• Improve Access to Basic Urban Services:

  • Prioritize last-mile delivery of services in urban slums and informal settlements.
  • Focus on inclusive infrastructure like public toilets, low-income housing, and subsidized utilities.
  • Example: AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation): Focus on universal water supply and sewerage.

• Encourage Participatory Urban Governance:

  • Empower ward committees, urban local bodies (ULBs), and slum-based organizations.
  • Foster citizen participation in planning, budgeting, and monitoring.
  • Example: People's Plan Campaign (Kerala): Participatory local governance model with budget planning at ward level.

Urbanization in India, as it stands, tends to marginalize the poor unless backed by equity-focused planning and inclusive governance. The goal must be to build “cities for all” that bridge, rather than widen, the socio-economic divides.