Influence of urban forms on social sustainability: A case of Guwahati, Assam

Abstract

In the last decade, the rapid growth of cities and exacerbated social problems have led to a great deal of inquiry on the extent to which the physical forms of cities can contribute towards achieving a just and sustainable future. Past investigations in the western context have remained less than satisfactory, further raising concerns about their applicability to the developing world cities which face essentially different urbanisation challenges and socio-cultural shifts. As India prepares itself to become an urban majority by 2050 and gives shape to its futuristic smart cities, there is clearly a pressing need to develop stronger empirical evidence about the influence of urban forms on social sustainability which links to sustainable design, policies and practices. This research therefore, tests the effects of urban forms on six aspects of social sustainability using both, qualitative and quantitative strategies, which are calibrated and validated for Guwahati, the dominant city of Assam in India. The quantitative findings for two urban form types using six case studies show that neighbourhood forms with connected and integrated street network, higher proportion of accessible open recreational spaces, higher mix of uses, higher densities and smaller compact urban blocks display higher levels of social sustainability amongst its residents, after controlling for intervening variables. Qualitative findings for four urban form types using twelve case studies further illuminate this complex relationship at the scale of block-segments. It highlights five key theories: (i) intervening variables, (ii) spatial proximity, (iii) favourable spatiality, (iv) complementing synergies and (v) tipping point.