Culture, Spaces, and People: Urban Dynamics in Contemporary India(Urban Futures)

This volume discusses the nuances of cultural phenomena in the transforming urban landscape of Indian cities. It focuses on the role of globalization, transitioning economic patterns, and national urban policies in changing their urban landscape. The volume argues that culture is an important determinant of the emergent urban patterns. It decodes and determines the human centered inter-linkages among social, cultural, economic, and political aspects, and their reactions to the transformations in urban morphology to understand the spatial perspective and visualization of new emerging cultural phenomena. The book reflects on the contemporary global forces and currently operational national urban policies that have enforced new dynamics of consumption, lifestyles, and institutions. Further, it also examines the ways in which these forces come together to create new hybrid cultures which manifest in spatial practices. With detailed case studies of different cities, this book will be of interest to students, teachers, and researchers of urban planning, cultural studies, urban sociology, urban geography, history, urban design, urban conservation, and policy studies. It will also be useful for professionals working in the field of smart cities in India and abroad, planning authorities, urban scientists, cultural tourists, artists, local cultural enthusiasts, and those interested in studying the urban conditions of Indian cities.

Table of Contents:
1. Culture as a Determinant of Urban Morphology 2. Cities as by-products of Culture, Consumption & Tangled Identities 3. Culture as the Emergent Commodity 4. Cultural Resurgence via Current Urban Policies and Practices 5. Visualizing a newer Cultural Landscape 6. Towards a new Culture led Urban India

About the Author :
Daksh Jain trained as an architect and urban designer. He is a resident of Udaipur, India. His interests traverse domains of academia, urban design, heritage conservation, development finance, cultural studies, and policy framework. An avid traveller and food enthusiast, currently, he is working as an architect and urban researcher at Urban Foundry, where he is also the founding partner.

Review :
"Challenges of urbanization will continue to unfold in India. This book looks at the cities of India as the treasure of culture where people, activity, and space are the key elements. The cultural experience and the identity of the cities as forged over the centuries are at cross Road. The book discuss innovative ideas that need to be deliberated." — Sameer Unhale, State Mission Director, Swachh Maharashtra Mission, Mumbai "Indian cities have emerged as 'centers of excellence, specifically Udaipur, where we can experience architectural uniqueness, aesthetic continuity, and cultural integration. It is our collective heritage that we now need to preserve, restore, add layers of growth to it and march ahead as leaders. I feel that we have to integrate our historical expertise and cultural experiences to create platforms for future growth. The cities we know today did not evolve from an ancient settlements but were founded, built, and developed by the rulers and people in symbiosis. This book is a great opportunity to generate research into the future direction of cities. I hope this research publication will explore new cultural concepts related to emerging cities in India." — Mayank Gupta, Deputy Secretary - Development, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation