Urban Village Essay

Chapter 4: THE URBAN VILLAGE
The lands of the villages have been acquired in the process of the growth and development (as a part of the Development in Master Plans prepared for Gurgaon) of the city. The agricultural lands have been transformed into built-up area. Thus, it is the villages whose landscapes have got changed drastically not only physically but also socially and culturally. One can see, particularly old men folk sitting together and a hookah being shared, which is a common scene. The Urban villages seem to be functioning as a bubble where the cultural lifestyle co-exists, in a fractured and disjointed way, with the lifestyle influenced by the modern economic scenario.
It goes without saying that the Factors affecting built form are omnipresent; however one plays a major role during specific time periods depending on the socio-economic evolution. We can trace a line of evolution of typological examples that have been influenced by the historic evolution of the region. When the settlement was in its nascent stages, the major force that moulded the typology of the residences was that of natural influence: Topography, Climate, Soil, Drainage, Mineral Resources

Some of them fritter away their newly acquired wealth but most redeploy it in businesses that leverage the emerging urban landscape — transportation, labour contracting, supply of construction material and so on. Some of the more prosperous villagers buy themselves new homes and move out. However, they all usually retain their houses in the old village settlement. This settlement, dubbed as a lal dora area, is exempt from usual municipal and building codes. The former farmers use the exemption to build a mishmash of buildings with little regard for safety or ventilation. These become home to construction workers and other service providers who move into the area. Thus, the village turns into a slum with the old villagers as