TP schemes and the periphealization of the SEWS

Abstract

Cities have always been the drivers of economy and the magnet of growth and opportunities, attracting a large population. To accommodate this increasing population, cities have expanded by spilling over into its peripheries. The peripheries of the cities have become the focal points of contestation and social exclusion, often leading to inequity, recognized by a social phenomenon called peripheralization. To manage this inequity at the peripheries and to control urbanization, an urban planning tool called the ‘Town Planning Scheme’ has been widely prevalent. The city of Vadodara too has adopted this model to manage its peripheries. The TP Scheme, an equitable land reconstitution model, reserves land for the SEWS, who often get pushed out of the formal housing market, as a result of urbanization. This thesis attempts to understand the politics behind the supply of land for the SEWS through the TP Scheme model and tries to understand if it intentionally or unintentionally leads to peripheralization. It does so by identifying the gap between the conceptualization and implementation of TP Schemes in Vadodara with respect to the land it reserves for the SEWS. This analysis has been done by following a mixed method approach through spatial quantitative analysis as well as qualitative narrative through primary surveys. The thesis finally, tries to suggest sustainable alternatives to make TP Schemes more socially and financially viable.