In our first five year plan, the problem of urbanization was identified with the problem of increasing shortage of living space in urban areas, as a consequence of heavy shift of population from rural to urban area. The second plan marked the expansion of the housing programme of the first plan and given due attention to slum clearance, slum improvement and land acquisition and development was given due importance. In the third plan, it was decided to prepare master plans and regional development plans for metropolitan and industrial cities. In this plan urbanization was recognized as an important aspect of the process of economic and social development.
In the fourth plan the expansion of urban community and spatial implications of the problems of urbanization was given due importance. In the fifth and sixth plan period attention has been given to spatial and functional linkage of towns, development and growth of small towns and prospects of developing new towns as the centres of agro-industries and rural services. The overall view of developing urbanization as a part of integrated rural development was given due consideration.
Spatial Policy
The urban spatial policy considerations are becoming increasingly important in development planning. Alternative settlement patterns are being evaluated from the point of view of cost and efficiency. It has been demonstrated that, in spite of continuous failure to arrest the urban growth at a pre planned time and place, reasonable programmes to influence the direction of migration and the pattern of urbanization are feasible. One of the difficulties in facing the formation of spatial policies and urban growth strategies is that, there are very few successful models of urban planning and there are no ready made policies, programmes and strategies to suit all conditions, places and times.
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