Smart Metropolitan Regional Development: Economic and Spatial Design Strategy for Kozhikode Metropolitan Region

Abstract

Historically, Kozhikode was a port city and a global trading hub connecting Europe and South Asia. The subsequent political and social fabric prevalent during the post—independence period resulted in the city losing its erstwhile economic significance. Industrial and economic activity is now limited to few medium and small scale industries that are neither a major source of revenue nor employment. Economic decline, high growth of unemployment and increasing migration rates has made it important to reconsider economic strategies to transform Kozhikode. For the purpose of this study, the Kozhikode Metropolitan Region has been delineated to ensure that the area is unified by economic activities, labour markets and firms within a single administrative boundary. In this chapter we aim to study the existing economic and spatial structure of the place and propose economic and spatial strategies that can be adapted to revive the economy for a delineated metropolitan region within the district. The economic and subsequent spatial strategies for the region have been formulated based on the principles of the Third Industrial Revolution and Zero Marginal Cost Society, proposed by Jeremy Rifkin all within the framework of the sharing economy system. The fundamental principle of trust—which is the basis of sharing economy—has been integrated to further integrate the community of the metropolitan region for the implementation of the various strategies. In line with this, faith based models, which were practiced by the various communities in Kozhikode since centuries for community and social development, have also been explored for the benefit of the community.