Inclusive urbanisation refers to an urban development process in which the benefits of cities, such as employment, housing, infrastructure, public services and economic opportunities, are accessible to all sections of society, particularly the poor, migrants, women, elderly persons, children, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
It goes beyond expansion of cities and focuses on making urban growth equitable, accessible, affordable and participatory.
Why Inclusive Urbanisation Matters
India’s urbanisation is closely linked with structural transformation, productivity and employment. However, rapid urban growth can also produce spatial and socio-economic exclusion through slums, informal employment, housing shortages and unequal access to basic services.
Major challenges include:
- Affordable housing deficit and proliferation of informal settlements.
- Unequal access to water, sanitation, healthcare, education and public transport.
- Large concentration of workers in the urban informal economy, often without adequate social security.
- Vulnerability of migrant workers, particularly regarding housing, documentation and portability of welfare benefits.
- Gender-related constraints such as unsafe public spaces, inadequate transport and unequal access to employment.
- Poor accessibility for persons with disabilities and the elderly.
- Peripheral urban settlements with weak connectivity and public infrastructure.
- Digital divide, which can restrict access to increasingly digital public services.
- Greater exposure of poorer communities to floods, heatwaves, air pollution and other environmental hazards.
Thus, urban inequality is not merely an income issue; it also has a strong spatial dimension, determined by where people live and their access to services and opportunities.
Dimensions of Inclusive Urbanisation
Affordable and adequate housing: Cities require affordable rental and ownership options, slum improvement, secure tenure and access to basic services rather than relying only on displacement-based redevelopment.
Universal basic services: Safe drinking water, sanitation, sewerage, waste management, electricity, healthcare and education should reach informal settlements and peripheral areas as well as planned neighbourhoods.
Inclusive mobility: Affordable public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure, last-mile connectivity and universal accessibility allow poorer households to reach jobs and services without excessive expenditure.
Livelihood inclusion: Urban planning should recognise street vendors, construction workers, domestic workers, gig workers and other informal workers rather than treating informality merely as an encroachment problem.
Gender-responsive cities: Better street lighting, safe public transport, public toilets, childcare facilities and gender-sensitive planning can improve women’s mobility and economic participation.
Accessible cities: Infrastructure and public services should follow principles of universal design, ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities, elderly persons and children.
Participatory governance: Residents, including slum communities and marginalised groups, should have meaningful participation in urban planning and local decision-making.
Climate inclusion: Urban resilience must protect populations that are disproportionately affected by heatwaves, flooding, pollution and other climate risks.
Constitutional and Institutional Framework
The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 gave constitutional status to Urban Local Bodies and envisaged democratic decentralisation of urban governance.
The Twelfth Schedule contains 18 functions that may be devolved to municipalities, including urban planning, regulation of land use, water supply, sanitation, slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation and protection of weaker sections.
Important institutional mechanisms include:
- Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats
- Ward Committees for decentralised participation
- District Planning Committees under Article 243ZD
- Metropolitan Planning Committees under Article 243ZE
However, inadequate devolution of the 3Fs: functions, funds and functionaries continues to constrain effective urban governance.
Major Indian Initiatives
PMAY-Urban: Promotes access to affordable housing for eligible urban households.
DAY-NULM: Focuses on livelihoods, skill development, self-employment and institutional support for the urban poor.
AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0: Seek improvement in urban water supply, sewerage and basic infrastructure.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban: Focuses on sanitation, waste management and cleaner urban environments.
PM SVANidhi: Provides working-capital support and promotes financial inclusion of street vendors.
One Nation One Ration Card: Improves portability of food-security benefits, particularly relevant for migrant populations.
The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 seeks to protect vendors’ livelihoods while providing a framework for regulating street vending.
Global Framework
SDG 11 seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
The New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III in 2016, similarly promotes equitable access to housing, infrastructure, public spaces, mobility and urban opportunities.
The idea is closely connected with the “Right to the City”, which emphasises that all urban residents should be able to access, participate in and benefit from urban life.
