Determinants of sustainability and prosperity in Indian cities

Abstract

Indian cities are facing severe sustainability challenges due to rapid urbanization. In this paper, we examine whether the determinants of sustainability and prosperity of Indian cities are the same using United Nation's City Prosperity Index (CPI) framework. Since there is no Indian city in the CPI record, we construct a CPI database for Indian cities based on the available data. To overcome the drawbacks of CPI, we developed a new prosperity index named CPIx. We further develop a city sustainability index (CSIx), using CPIx methodology. We then use the scores obtained from both CPIx and CSIx to check whether the factors determining sustainability is similar to that of prosperity. Six variables from theoretical and economic geographic perspectives are considered to find their effect on city sustainability and prosperity using regression analysis. The results suggest that while income, public service, and housing have substantial positive impacts on the sustainability of Indian cities, natural amenity, and crime rate have significant negative impacts. Another notable observation from the study is that there is a high positive correlation between prosperity and sustainability of Indian cities.