Rural Settlements and Historical Growth

Rural Settlements

• Dominant Communities are located in the centre of villages.
• Lower Status Communities occupy the outer flanks of settlements.
• Hamletted Settlements:
  • Large settlements fragmented into smaller units.
  • Units have a shared name, but are physically separated.
  • Occurs due to social and ethnic factors.
  • Examples include: panna, para, palli, nagla, dhani.
  • Mainly found in the Ganga plains and lower valleys of the Himalayas.
• Dispersed Settlements:
  • Remote jungles, small hills, farms and pastures on the slopes.
  • Settlement composed of isolated huts.
  • Results from very fragmented and small resource support.
  • Found in Meghalaya, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

Historical Period and Growth of Human Settlements

• Ancient - Mesopotamia, Greek
• Medieval
• Renaissance
• Industrial
• Post-industrial

Ancient: Mesopotamia Civilization

• Ur
  • Important Sumerian City.
  • Located in ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq)
  • Rich and fertile land due to alluvial soil from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
  • City's collapse resulted from shifts in the course of the rivers.
  • Notable feature: Ziggurat
  • Extensive canal and dam network to control flooding.

Ancient: Greek Civilization

• Developed around the Mediterranean Sea.
• Mainland was rugged and not ideal for agriculture.
• City Planning:
  • Old cities (e.g., Athens) had irregular street plans due to organic growth.
  • New cities (e.g., Hellenistic period) featured grid street plans.
• City Structure:
  • Acropolis (fortified hilltop)
  • Agora (marketplace)
  • Town with housing units.
  • Housing units (courtyards) comprised of:
    • Living space, upstairs room.
    • Kitchens and toilets shared by 16 households.
    • Outdoor toilets, cooking storage areas, cesspools for waste.
  • Street design, featuring double rows of buildings, no front windows, no backyards.
  • Central sewer lines in streets.

Evolution in Planning

• Utopian Design Objectives:
  • Character: Distinct sense of place reflective of the local context.
  • Continuity & Enclosure: Continuous frontages, defined public and private spaces.
  • Quality of Public Realm: Safe, attractive, lively and functional public spaces.
  • Ease of Movement: Accessible, well-connected, pedestrian-friendly environment.
  • Legibility: Easily understandable, navigable environment.
  • Adaptability: Flexible, adaptable public and private spaces.
  • Diversity: Varied environment, offering a range of experiences.

Town Planning: The Garden City

• Ebenezer Howard (1898) Proposed a series of concentric circles:
  • Inner core: Civic centre
  • Outer Ring: Green belt for agriculture and institutional use.
  • Between: Housing and industry.
• Wellwyn and Letchworth: First Garden cities in England.
• Clarence Stein and Henry Wright (USA):
  • Radburn, New Jersey
    • Housing clusters with restricted vehicle access, separated garages connected by walkways.
    • Central village green with small patios.
    • Suited for all ages.

New Town

• Developed away from core areas, but with essential infrastructure.
• Sir Patrick Abercrombie (1944) developed the Greater London Plan.
• Examples of new towns in India: Rourkela, Bhilai, Durgapur, Ranchi.

Government and Housing Markets

• Government Role:
  • Planning
  • Legislation
  • Regulation
  • Funding
  • Action Only Government Can Take:
    • Controlling rents.
    • Subsidizing owner-occupation.
    • Economic control through interest rates and spending priorities.
    • Take advantage of economies of scale.
    • Override free market mechanisms.
    • Universality in provision (e.g., National Healthcare Services in the UK).
    • Uniformity in provision (e.g., stamps).
    • Targeted provision for underrepresented groups/areas.

Influencing and Controlling Markets

• Supply-Side Housing Subsidies:
  • Encourages a rise in housing supply.
  • Examples: Subsidies to housing providers, often used to influence building types.
  • Common approach in developing world (pre-1960s).
• Demand-Side Housing Subsidies:
  • Increases demand for existing housing stock.
  • Examples: Tax relief for owner-occupiers, housing allowances for social renters.
  • Shift in approach towards this in the developed world (post-1960s).
  • Common approach in developing world (post-1960s).

Why Markets Fail?

• Imperfect Information:
  • Consumers cannot effectively compare different sellers.
  • Factors like bureaucracy, political favoritism, or random chance may influence choices.

Building Codes / Building Bye-Laws

• Building Bye-Laws:
  • Legal instruments regulating aspects like building coverage, height, bulk, and architectural design.
  • Purpose is to achieve orderly development and prevent hazards (e.g., fire, earthquakes, noise, structural failures).
  • Prevent chaotic development, ensure user convenience, and maintain building aesthetics.
  • Model Building Bye-Laws- 2016 provided by TCPO for state governments and urban local bodies.
• Jurisdiction:
  • Applies to building activities within specific states, cities, or towns.
  • Ideally, it should encompass all contiguous urban settlements in an agglomeration.
• Applicability:
  • Applies to all building activities.
  • Read in conjunction with master plans, development plans, regional plans, and relevant notifications.
  • Valid for 5 years and require review afterward.

Building Bye-Laws: Typical Contents

• Definitions
• Coverage
• Height & Area
• Setbacks & Open Spaces
• Floor Space Index
• Building Lines
• Parking
• Construction
• Fire Prevention
• Sanitation
• Environmental Protection
• Other Relevant Regulations

Zoning Regulations

• Purpose: Control land use and development within specific city or region areas.
• Aims:
  • Promote organized growth.
  • Prevent incompatible land uses.
  • Ensure sustainable urban development.
  • Regulate and control land and property markets to ensure complementary uses.
  • Stimulate or slow down development in specific areas.
• Common Controls:
  • Setback Requirements
  • Building Height Restrictions
  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
  • Ground Coverage
  • Parking Requirements
  • Land Use Intensity
  • Environmental Considerations

Land Acquisition Acts

• Power of union and state governments in India to acquire private land for industrialization, infrastructure development or urbanization.
• Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act, 2013):
  • Repealed the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.
  • Provides for compensation and rehabilitation/resettlement of affected landowners.

Explore the various types of rural settlements and their characteristics. Understand the historical development of human settlements from ancient Mesopotamia to the post-industrial era. This quiz covers different settlement patterns and their social, ethnic, and geographical factors.