Cities of India
Low levels of urbanization
India, like the rest of south Asia, does not have a high level of urbanization. At 27% urbanized, India ranks second in south Asia in terms of urbanization. The large country of India has two sets of triangular primacies. The southern primacy consists of Hyderabad, Madras, and Bangalore. Delhi, along with Calcutta and Bombay act as the primacy of the north.
Three Generalized Types of Cities
Traditional |
Colonial |
Planned New City |
| ~ mixed land use | ~ governmental/financial buildings and some residential | ~ some retail, some office, some recreational land |
| ~ narrow crowded streets | ~ spacious, vegetated, planned streets | ~ planned, nice looking |
| ~ density located at center | ~ most dense in central business district, low density in residential areas | ~ low density throughout |
Delhi, like many cities is a combination of these types of cities. New Delhi and Old Delhi combine to form a metropolitan area that has characteristics of the traditional city and the colonial city.