Speaker
Description
In the face of rapid urbanization, cities in the Global South are increasingly turning to digital technologies to navigate complex developmental challenges. GIS-based planning tools have made significant strides in improving spatial analysis and participatory urban planning processes by providing access to robust and scalable data systems. Geo-ICT tools are celebrated for enabling evidence-based consultations and consensus-building. Despite these advantages, the implementation of GIS-MPs in the Global South is fraught with challenges, including fragmented data infrastructures, resource limitations, and resistance from entrenched political and institutional actors. The integration of digital technologies into statutory urban planning tools, such as GIS-based Master Plans (GIS-MPs), offers both opportunities and complexities. While GIS-MPs hold promise to enhance evidence-based decision-making, foster inclusivity, and streamline urban governance, their impact on decision-making in urban planning processes remains underexplored. In India, the integration of GIS-MPs is strongly influenced by national-level initiatives aimed at digital reforms such as the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). These programs have prioritized the digitization of planning processes, yet their execution varies widely across cities.
This research aims to contribute to this emerging field by critically reviewing the state of the art surrounding GIS-based planning tools in the context of urbanisation in the Global South, with a particular focus on India. It seeks to understand how the transformation of traditional Master Plans into GIS-MPs is shaping decision-making processes in Indian cities, focusing on the interplay between digital technologies, socio-political dynamics, and urban development.
Through a systematic literature review, this study identifies key debates, gaps, and advancements in the adoption of GIS technologies for urban planning, emphasizing their potential to address the socio-spatial complexities of rapidly growing cities. The review explores a dual narrative: on one hand, GIS-MPs offer a path to more sustainable urban futures by enabling data-driven, scenario-based planning; on the other hand, their adoption often mirrors the inequities and inefficiencies of existing urban planning systems. The review identifies three main aspects: the technological capabilities of GIS tools, their interaction with local socio-political contexts, and their implications for decision-making processes.
This literature review intends to establish a robust theoretical framework to explore the intersection of GIS-MPs and decision-making processes in urban development. This framework integrates four critical dimensions: digital governance and planning theory, smart cities and digital inclusion in India, urbanism in the Global South, and the role of GIS in urban decision-making. By synthesizing these dimensions, the research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how digital technologies are reshaping the governance and planning landscape in rapidly urbanizing contexts with resource constraints and stark social inequalities with a focus on decision-making in Indian cities.
The study aims to create a theoretical foundation that sets the stage for subsequent empirical studies, which will investigate the operationalization of GIS-MPs in selected Indian cities. By grounding the research in a robust theoretical framework, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital governance, smart cities, and urban planning in the Global South. The findings aim to inform both academic debates and practical strategies for leveraging digital technologies to create more equitable and sustainable urban futures. As a work in progress, this research focuses on laying a theoretical and contextual foundation for future empirical studies. By synthesizing insights from the state of the art, it sets the stage for investigating the transformative potential of GIS-MPs in shaping urban futures while addressing the challenges of their adoption in diverse socio-political landscapes.
References
Praharaj, S., n.d. Area-based urban renewal approach for smart cities development in India: Challenges of inclusion and sustainability.
Arku, M.L.G., n.d. Global South urbanisms and urban sustainability—challenges and the way forward.
Datta, A., 2018. The digital turn in postcolonial urbanism: Smart citizenship in the making of India’s 100 smart cities. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 43(3), pp.405-419.
Town and Country Planning Organisation, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, 2016. Formulation of GIS-based master plan for AMRUT cities: Design and standards.
Hindustan Times, 2021. 675 towns under 1-lakh population to get GIS-based master plans.
Kubicek, H., 2009. The potential of e-participation in urban planning: A European perspective.
Baud, I., Scott, D., Pfeffer, K., Sydenstricker-Neto, J., and Denis, E., 2015. Digital and spatial knowledge management in urban governance: Emerging issues in India, Brazil, South Africa, and Peru. Habitat International, 46, pp.225-233.
Milan, S. and Treré, E., 2019. Big data from the south(s): Beyond data universalism. Television & New Media, 20(4), pp.319-335.
Hoelscher, K., 2016. The evolution of the smart cities agenda in India. International Area Studies Review, 19(1), pp.28-44.
Datta, A., 2015. A 100 smart cities, a 100 utopias. Dialogues in Human Geography, 5(1), pp.49-53.
| Keywords | global south; digitisation; urban planning; Master Plan; decision making; |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
