Dholavira, a 4,670 year old city with orthogonal streets, planned urban spaces and underground water and sewage management was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021. Hundreds of such planned cities are dotted across the Indian subcontinent.
Evolved over centuries, India's ancient urban heritage offers many lessons in this era of worsening climate change. The idea of ‘vernacular urbanism’ — that is, cities and settlements that respond to local weather and climate patterns is recognised by both academics and the building industry. The old cities of India have much to offer 21st century urban development.
Urban development in the 20th century was characterised by urban sprawl and high-rise city cores. Cities expanded up and out. Urban experts from Patrick Geddes to Louis Mumford to Jane Jacobs, have recognised suburbia and high-rise city centres as unsustainable. They involve a massive ecological footprint, water management problems and problematic transportation systems, along with the poor quality of life they offer to the majority of citizens.
