Growth of urban centres in the upper indus plains as influenced by the development of irrigation potentials

Abstract

The difficult environs of the Upper Indus Plains inhibited any large occupance of the region, which until late in the 19tk century possessed much idle wasteland, sparsely peopled riverine tracts, and a few urban centres at trade nodes. The extension of perennial Irrigation and colonization with planned new settlements followed, leading to the modernization of the economy and growth of urban centres in number and size. The development of new town morphology brought in a phase of change which is current in present day urban and intra-urban structures. The analysis has been directed towards the development of some interpretive ideas and hypotheses regarding overall societal change and urban growth in the region, A multivariate analysis of various indicators of urbanism including agro-economic indices, for the sixteen administrative districts under study is carried out: modernization and urbanization are shown to be related to the development of irrigation potentials and consequent economic growth in various parts of the region, A further study of the thirty eight urban centres of more than 20,000 population shows greater urban activity in the towns in the first colony districts and a greater rate of change in the towns belonging to the areas of later and current developments. A study of five representative individual townscapes shows the phases of change in urban morphology, Rectilinear street patterns and planned layout of modern housing, business, community service and administrative premises are becoming distinct features;. The establishment of modern manufacturing units has brought new functions, employment opportunities and industrial suburbs to many urban centres, A comparison of the urban growth characteristics of this region is made with the developing world, especially those of the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Subcontinent as a whole, It is shown that resource development in the Upper Indus Plains has lead to a distinctive type of urban growth.