Hill Towns Research Articles

A Comparative Study on the Issues and Impacts of Land Use Planning in Indian and International Hill Cities

Abstract Land is the most important asset used by humans for existence and has been exploited since the dawn of civilization. Due to the unprecedently high rate of population expansion that has resulted in chaotic urban development, the land use pattern in most metropolitan areas has changed significantly in the recent past. The unplanned development and rapid urbanization are also occurring in India’s hill cities, and thus land use planning is becoming increasingly important. Moreover, due to geography, terrain, slope, climate, susceptibility to natural disasters, and other factors, planning in the hills is very difficult. This has led to several problems in hill towns, all of which require a well-thought-out framework for systematic urban development. The prime objective of the study is to get fully acquainted with the current processes of land use planning in India and abroad by examining a variety of instances, as well as analysing the efficacy of such processes in their respective hill cities. A comparative study of best land use practices being followed in hill towns in India and abroad is also carried out to identify any gaps and issues in the land use planning techniques being used in Indian hill towns.

Urban sustainable intervention to address the physical factor for degradation of visual place quality in the hilly urban region: A case of Manali town, Himachal Pradesh.

The depletion of urban aesthetics is a major issue in the urban hill town due to the rapid growth in urban infrastructure. The potential for growth in the urban hill town is at a very rapid state, which affects the local population and its ecological environment. Urban sustainable development in urban hill towns is a crucial challenge. This type of uneven development leads to a degradation of the visual quality of place in hill towns, which defines the overall evaluative image of the town’s urbanscape. Manali is located in the northern part of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India. This study intends to investigate the physical parameters of this decline and assess possible solutions for improving hill towns’ visual quality. The study’s thorough grasp of the problem and its possible solutions is based on the author’s integration of concepts from several different domains, such as urban design, planning, and architecture. This research emphasises the vital role of visual aesthetics in enhancing quality of life of both inhabitants and visitors to the region. Furthermore, it determines the adverse effects of decreased perception. The research proposes approaches to enhance the deteriorated visual quality of the urban environment in Manali, a hilly town. These strategies comprise augmenting public spaces, giving priority to pedestrian infrastructure, and encouraging community participation in the design procedure. The research is based on enhancing the visual place quality of areas within Manali town, including Manali town, old Manali, the ISBT, the Tibetan colony, and the mall area, utilising surveys based on questionnaires and dimensions of visual place quality. The study implemented the Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology to evaluate and rank various physical factors. The results yielded viable solutions, such as the enhancement of street squares, sidewalks, and widths, as well as the revision of planning and development regulations and legislation. The findings of the research may have potential applications in identical topographically undulating areas.

Towards Sustainable and Congestion Resilient Urban Design for New Satellite Hill Towns: The Case of Jathia Devi, Shimla, India

Towards Sustainable and Congestion Resilient Urban Design for New Satellite Hill Towns: The Case of Jathia Devi, Shimla, India

Circumscribing the Attributes of Cultural Heritage Mapping in the Colonial Hill Towns of India

Circumscribing the Attributes of Cultural Heritage Mapping in the Colonial Hill Towns of India

Transformation of Traditional Colonial Bazaars: Case of Malcolm Peth Bazaar, Mahabaleshwar, India

ABSTRACT A bazaar is a market place that contributes to the economy as well as the spatial, cultural, political, educational, and social determinants of the society and its settlement. Bazaars, specifically in British colonial hill towns of India due to their unique characteristics, have showcased significant transformation in social and physical attributes. The potential reasons include the pressures of industrialization, tourism, consumerism, and continuously evolving identities. In this context, the paper examines the case of Malcolm Peth bazaar at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, India. It aims to comprehend the socio-cultural and spatial transformation of the bazaar, from its British colonial beginnings to the present differential scenario, emphasizing the perception and representation of the traditional place. The methodology follows the descriptive and interpretive research approach. The process commences with exploring the available theory and literature, followed by the development of a theoretical framework through the literature discourse to holistically investigate the complexities of the traditional bazaar. On-site data collection includes spatial information represented through maps and illustrations and stakeholders’ perceptions recorded in interviews. Subsequently, the data is analyzed by forming domains and categories through tabular frameworks and further narrated to abstract the findings. Focusing on the changing traditions and heritage value, the interpretation of the result elucidates the bazaar’s socio-spatial character in diverse time-place environments that the bazaar has reflected in its evolution process. Highlighting the insensitive approach towards the culturally sensitive traditional bazaar, the research concludes by accentuating the need to react cautiously toward preserving the historical notions of the place.

Building Regulations for North Eastern Region of India

The age of urbanization has ushered in better connectivity and accessibility, opening up the North-Eastern Region to the rest of the world like never before. Consequently, the region has experienced an unprecedented population growth, urban development and an increase in tourist influx. This rapid urbanization has also brought with it several issues like poor living conditions, increased vulnerability to hazards and environmental degradation, which highlights the poor state of building regulations in these regions. Building regulations, while enforced to regulate the ever-increasing demand for development in hill towns, are yet to achieve any substantial impact on elevating the issues faced in the North Eastern cities, which calls into question the appropriateness of these regulations given the current context. This paper attempts to study the type of development occurring in the North Eastern Region and the issues faced to accommodate the growing population. It also presents an in-depth study of the state of existing building regulations in major hill towns of the region, and briefly discusses the possible strategies to revise the existing building regulations for achieving contextually appropriate development.

A qualitative approach to investigate stakeholders' perceptions of heritage in the tourist-centric colonial hill town of Mussoorie, India

The colonial hill towns in India inherited the predominant architectural style and cultural mannerisms from a mother country before undergoing transformations that reshaped their authentic cultural landscapes. In developing countries like India, the negligence of colonial tourism concerning stakeholder involvement is a perpetual phenomenon. As the primary custodians of heritage, stakeholders have a significant role in tourism management plans. Thus, the present study comprehends the stakeholders’ perceptions of heritage in the colonial hill town of Mussoorie, India, through in-depth interview surveys. The qualitative Inductive research approach is implemented for data synthesis. Findings elucidate that involvement of the stakeholders in Mussoorie’s tourism, and heritage management can provide a remedial impact to the large–scale destruction imposed on the colonial lineage for decades. The research will inform practitioners and researchers about a methodological approach to developing the relationships between the heritage's tangible and intangible aspects for preparing holistic development plans.

Hill Tourism and Its Impact on Economy and Employment Generation: A Review of Almora District, Uttarakhand

Tourism is the considered as one the major forces of economic generation globally. In the case of India, tourism is the third highest net earning resource of foreign exchange as compared to other sectors. India is a nation that has diversity in every aspect whether it is natural, linguistic, or cultural. Hill towns are popular tourist destinations as they are famous for their natural beauty and distinguishing cultural traditions. Despite being the major attraction for tourists, there is a major problem of outmigration from some of the states. Uttarakhand is the youngest among the Himalayan hilly states. The paper aims to study the tourism potential and explore its associated challenges in the Almora district of Uttarakhand to derive key indicators that can help in improving the tourism growth and promote local heritage. It attempts to analyze whether the identified indicators have any direct influence on creating employment opportunities and revenue generation.

Traditional Vernacular Architecture of Kumaon: The Case of the Hill Towns of Munsiyari, Uttarakhand

Munsiyari is a region located at an altitude of 2,200 meters in the hilly state of Uttarakhand, India. The eponymous town is surrounded by twenty-two villages mostly inhabited by Bhotiya tribes, who once formed a community that traded with those crossing from India to Tibet, though this trade came to an abrupt end with the 1962 Sino-Indian war. Owing to the region’s prosperity, the villages exhibit a very interesting typology of hill architecture. This architectural identity is also a manifestation of a geographical and cultural response to a difficult terrain. Our study was carried out as part of the preparation of a dossier for inventorying the Kailash sacred landscape with the aim of documenting the present state of the traditional vernacular heritage of the selected indigenous community for the UNESCO nomination of the wider region. That thorough documentation process was used as a means of analyzing local vernacular heritage and its current situation, and with a view to offsetting the rapid transformation of the past two decades.

Review: Emulating Antiquity: Renaissance Buildings from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo

Review: <i>Emulating Antiquity: Renaissance Buildings from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo</i>

Assessing tourism sustainability in hill towns: Case study of Shimla, India

Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations. They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions. Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of these resources or cause their damage. Development decisions need to adopt a sustainable approach that balances tourism growth with the preservation of the natural and cultural assets. The present research details a comprehensive assessment tool to study the sustainability of tourism in hill towns with a focus on Shimla, a popular hill destination in India. The tool specifies seven dimensions of sustainable tourism; 1) Tourism Assets; 2) Tourism Activity; 3) Tourism Related Linkages; 4) Tourism Related Leakages; 5) Environmental and Social Sustainability; 6) Infrastructure; and 7) Attractiveness. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys of local households and arriving tourists. Visual survey is conducted to map built-environment and land-use. Secondary data were gathered from government reports and scholarly articles. A framework of indicators and sub-indicators was developed to analyze the data at two levels — city and ward. While the appraisal of the city provides an overall view of the performance of the tourism industry, at the ward level a comparative analysis was carried out to reveal sector related potentials and issues. The study reveals the imbalanced tourism concentration in the core of the city as compared to other wards and the gap between tourist potential and infrastructure development. These are addressed through planning recommendations for more balanced development with a focus on eco-tourism. The research helps develop a framework which paves way to sustainable tourism development in Indian hill towns.

Study of Urban Growth Dynamics Using Global Human Settlement Layer Data Set: Uttarakhand, India

Due to remote sensing-derived time-series geospatial data sets of built-up area, settlement typologies are becoming increasingly available in public domain. The present study aims to study the urban growth dynamics in Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India, for the last four decades, using open and freely available Global Human Settlement Layer data sets. The growth dynamics was analysed based on factors like increase in built-up area, hot spot analysis and settlement typologies. The results indicate a highly skewed and unbalanced pattern of urban growth, especially after the formation of Uttarakhand State in year 2000. Most of the urban growth process is confined to foothill cites, while in the hill towns there is a stagnated urban growth. The study emphasizes the applicability of GHSL data sets in analysing the urban growth process in Indian conditions where time-series geospatial data are often lacking.

Development of creative problem solving-based framework for site planning in hill areas

The growing urbanization of hill towns results in an increasing demand for infrastructural facilities. Infrastructural facilities are generally planned without considering the effects of the surroundings as well as their effects on the sensitive ecosystem of hill areas. Site planning decisions are taken on the basis of judgment and experience of planners in the absence of a rational and quantitative framework for ensuring the sustainable development of hill areas. This scenario generates the need for an efficient site planning framework. Site planning is a creative problem solving (CPS) process. Hence, in the current study, the CPS-based framework is developed as follows. First, existing CPS-based frameworks for planning and designing are reviewed. Second, the framework is developed for site planning in hill areas. Third, the developed framework is validated through planning infrastructural facilities of an institutional campus on a site located in hill areas. The major strength of the developed framework includes three cycles, namely, understand, process, and implement. Site planning decisions are taken through the generation of alternate scenarios and their subsequent evaluation on the basis of impact on the sensitive ecosystem of hill areas.

Regional Charisma: The Making of a Student Leader in a Himalayan Hill Town

This article explores the production of “regional charisma” in youth politics in hill towns of Uttarakhand, India. Focusing largely on the narratives and experiences of a group of forward caste student leaders in the hills in the years after statehood (November 2000), the article offers an ethnography of political aspiration. Student leaders worked to cultivate regional charisma through drawing on their caste affiliations and political genealogies, demonstrating localized knowledge, and referring to regional idioms of place. They fashioned themselves as appealing and caring moral leaders, orienting their political practices toward sacrifice and service, while disassociating themselves from perceived corruption in adult party politics. In this way, the article argues that regional charisma is a quality that is sutured in, rather than contradictory to, transactional political repertoires.

Income, Vulnerability and Empowerment of Women Street Vendors in Haflong Town of Assam

Street vending constitutes an important segment of urban labour market for a temporary source of subsistence self employment in India since time immemorial. The benefit of street vending is that, employment can be created without adequate government intervention except some regulatory mechanism like municipal board or parking fee etc. But, the income generated from such employment cannot be sustainable in most of the hilly areas of North Eastern States (NES) as it can provide only a bare minimum amount of income especially in the lower circuit of urban informal sector. In addition, women in such employment are really vulnerable when they are mostly engaged in vegetable vending like occupations in small hill towns. The present study seeks to understand the income and employment pattern of women engaged in vegetable vending in Haflong town of Assam. Haflong town is located in erstwhile North Cachar Hills (presently Dima Hasao district) of Assam. The survey has been conducted with pre tested schedule among thirty women vegetable vendors in the town to understand the income, vulnerability and empowerment pattern of the sample respondents. It is found that vulnerability and livelihood situation of the sample women vegetable sellers are not in a decent condition. By using basic statistical tools, from the discussion, it can be deduced that there is urgent need for facilitating access to suitable and adequate space, institutional credit, social security and skills to the urban vegetable women vendors.

Impact of Annual Rainfall Trends on Water Management in Hill Towns: A Case Study on Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), India

Impact of Annual Rainfall Trends on Water Management in Hill Towns: A Case Study on Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), India

Dynamics of urban water supply management of two Himalayan towns in India

Abstract Many towns in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) are experiencing permanent water crises due to increasing population pressure, urbanization, and poor management of existing water sources. This paper focuses on two towns – Mussoorie and Devprayag in the western IHR – to understand various aspects of the growing water scarcity and urban water management. In the current scenario of a changing climate, natural springs, their main water resource, are drying up. Mussoorie experiences an acute shortage of water in summer, precisely when the town hosts numerous tourists. In Devprayag, religious tourism and in-migration from rural areas contribute to rising demand. The reduced discharge in nearby streams has widened the demand–supply gap. An integrated management of water sources is crucial to solving water problems in Mussoorie and Devprayag. In both towns, little effort has been made towards recharging existing water sources. Detailed planning of the water supply system while being mindful of the floating population, a proper sewage and storm water management system, and rainwater harvesting schemes, are absent. There is an urgent need to adopt a comprehensive approach to solving urban water issues, covering aspects of demand, supply and water resources management in these hill towns for adaptive water management.

Review of building regulations for safety against hazards in Indian hill towns

The picturesque hill towns of India are vulnerable to different types of natural hazards, which may cause enormous destruction during their occurrence leading to substantial loss of precious human life and resources. Hill towns are presenting undergoing tremendous developmental activity having densely constructed multi-storied buildings causing severe concerns related to their suitability in the hill towns. Different building regulations are formulated and enforced to the protection of human life and buildings in hill towns. But, in spite of the enforced building regulations, most of the buildings existing in hill towns have no/minimal measures to withstand the adverse impacts of disasters.Therefore, this paper highlights the general issues and problems related to the development and building regulations of hill towns. A comparative study of existing building regulations for safety against natural hazards of various Himalayan hill towns is made to have the in-depth understanding of issues related to building regulations for safety against hazards in hill towns.

Rock Slope Stability Assessment Using Geomechanical Classification and its Application for Specific Slopes along Kodaikkanal-Palani Hill Road, Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACT Linear infrastructure networks like roads play a vital role in the socio-economic development of hill towns centered on tourism. Stability of the slopes along the hill roads are therefore a major concern and slope failures lead to disruption of traffic and loss of property/life or both. This study analyses the stability of cut-slopes along the Kodaikkanal – Palani hill road in the Western Ghats, India using rock mass classification systems like rock mass rating (RMR), slope mass rating (SMR) and continuous slope mass rating (CSMR). These geomechanical classifications provide a preliminary assessment of rock quality based on rock strength, discontinuity properties, hydrogeological condition of the slopes and slope stability based on the inherent rock strength parameters, discontinuity orientation and method of excavation. The results showed that both rock quality and discontinuity orientation contribute to type of failure in rock slopes with RMR &amp;gt; 40. SMR results are conservative while CSMR classification is matches more closely to the failures obtained from the field survey. CSMR classification represents continuous slope stability conditions and hence are more suitable for development of spatial database. Cutting of roads, thereby, steepening slopes has a definite influence on the stability of slopes.

Sustainability assessment for the transportation environment of Darjeeling, India

Darjeeling is an important tourist hill town of West Bengal, India. It suffers from an acute problem of transportation, particularly during its peak tourist seasons due to limited road space, inadequate public transport facilities and indiscriminate use of automobiles. This hill town was originally designed for a population of 10,000, but over the years, it has come face-to-face with rapid urbanization, a rising population of both tourists and residents and intensifying motor vehicle usage. These factors together are posing a threat to its transport environment. This study identifies the Sustainable Transport Indicators (STIs) available in the existing literature to identify the critical stretches using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on experts' consensus. It was found that the experts placed emphasis on the mobility of the town, talking about vehicular impact on air pollution and encroachment of roads as the main issues affecting the sustainability of the transport environment. Thereafter, policy-level interventions have been suggested in accordance with the identified sustainability issues. We trust that other tourist hill towns with issues similar to Darjeeling could easily emulate the study methodology to assess their transport environment sustainability, or replicate on the lines of the recommended policy interventions.