Urbanization trends and development planning dynamics in India: Lessons for South Africa

A delegation from the nascent Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) visited South Africa to establish links with a diverse range of South African institutions and practitioners in the field of urban development and planning.

IIHS represents a bold attempt to respond to the implications of a massive urbanization explosion in India between 2000-2050. It is anticipated that half a billion Indians will be urbanized over this period.

However, as in South Africa, national policy and planning has simply not come to terms with the implications of this demographic and social-cultural transition. Furthermore, higher education institutions are equally unprepared. In light of this, IIHS represents an attempt to bring a systemic response to these challenges into the world. IIHS represents the establishment of a new university dedicated to the production of urban practitioners that are equipped to deal with the full gamut of challenges associated with rapid urbanization in a context of large-scale poverty. IIHS plans to equip 100 000 urban practitioners over the next few decades.

Download Presentations:

• Invitation [pdf, 124kb]
  Date: 14 May 2010
  Venue: SACN Offices
  16th floor, Joburg Metro building
  158 Loveday street, Braamfontein
  
  
• Presentation [ppt, 18mb]
• Audio recording of the roundtable discussion [mp3, 35mb]