Abstract
Kashmir valley located in the heart of huge mountain ranges has experienced urbanization over time and space and is presently home to 46 urban centres located in different parts of the region. The present study aims at analyzing the spatial distribution pattern and spacing of the towns using geographic information system (GIS) and the rarely used quantitative technique of near neighbour analysis. Kashmir Valley is characterized by the strong urban primacy of Srinagar city which is 8 times larger than the population of Anantnag town, 16 times larger than the population of Baramulla and 17 times larger than the population of Sopore town. The application of Rank Size Rule reveals that the relationship among the urban centres in Kashmir Valley is not in conformity with it. The study reveals that the urban settlements in Kashmir Valley are randomly distributed and do not exhibit any specific distribution pattern. The range of spacing varies from 33 kms to 3 kms. The average distance of spacing between the settlements is 9 kms, while the hypothetical mean nearest neighbour distance is 18 kms. The inferences of the analysis could be used as inputs for the spatial planning process and for balanced urban development.
Highlights
Urbanization is the oldest and one of the most pervasive processes of change that has helped to shape societies all over the world
Kupwara district has the lowest percentage of urban population (3.5%) and the lowest share of the urban population of the Valley (1.6%) owing to its accessibility and hill topography.The newly formed district of Kulgam ranks third (18.5) among the districts as far as the level of urbanization in theValley is concerned.This is because among the newly declared 12 towns in 2011, 6 are from Kulgam district only.The lowest number of urban centers is found in Shopian and Ganderbal districts where the respective district headquarters are the urban centers as they have recently been declared as separate districts (Census, 2011)
68.74 13.43 50.45 8.52 61.67 72.41 73.06 52.55 34.39 22.23 11.85 1.68 2.97 0.24 4.26 9.61 9.49 9.57 13.31 9.58 12.15 16.06 17.12 17.64 19.35 21.00 20.01 15.19 18.36 20.77 20.43 22.42 24.96 18.55 20.81 20.23 13.21 9.88 12.06 14.08 2.74 3.71 0.09 89.91 147.74 151.18 1279.66 27.82 rural with only 31.6% of the population living in urban areas.The urban population is unevenly distributed in the 46 urban centers which, in turn, are unevenly distributed in the Valley
Summary
Urbanization is the oldest and one of the most pervasive processes of change that has helped to shape societies all over the world. Urbanization refers to a process in which an increasing proportion of an entire population lives in cities and the suburbs of cities (Husain, 2005). Urban growth is inevitable and occurs mostly due to natural increase, but migration is a significant contributor to it. Urbanization is a dynamic, positive, and a desirable phenomenon, as it is conducive to economic growth, social change, and physical development (Sekar and Kanchanamala, 2011; Masek et al, 2000). The level of urbanization in India is currently 31.16% in 2011. Urbanization in India is highly uneven, where some regions are highly developed while others are in very poor conditions. In Jammu and Kashmir, the percentage of urban population is 27.37% as per 2011 census, and in Kashmir Valley, the percentage of urban population is Journal of Experimental Sciences ● Vol 7 ● 2016
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