DETERIORATING NEIGHBORHOOD : IMPACT OF COMMERCIALIZATION ON RESIDENTIAL QUALITY - CASE STUDY OF NEW DELHI COLONIES

Abstract

City life has always been identified with excitement, activity, opportunity and high density of people. However it has its flip side also. The freedom given by the city can transform into lawlessness; the excitement and activity of a city can escalate into chaotic levels. The escape from insular groups can end up in isolation, lack of social support necessary for normal living. As a result the city s environment can cause much stress to individuals living in it. My primary concern is the commercialization in residential neighborhoods in New Delhi which increase the stress level among residents due to the above mentioned external factors. The physical transformations in form of haphazard growth and chaotic environment are some of the encountered problems very much prevalent and experienced in Indian cities. New Delhi being the political as well as industrial capital of India duplicate s some obvious symptoms of this kind of transformation, because of its rapid urbanization and global connection. The physical transformations in residential colonies or neighborhoods are accounted to be spontaneous in relation to the needs and economic conditions of people residing there as well to the whole city. The mere nature of transformations does not categorize them as chaotic, there being many examples of spontaneous developments in vernacular urbanism exhibits their own underlying order. However, as observed in most neighborhoods this underlying order in spontaneity is found out to be missing, resulting in chaos. During the study, some typical characteristics in the residential development such as location, layout or typology is found out as the catalysis for this kind of spontaneous transformation. Whatever the case may be, consequently the transformation of residential areas do compromise on the needs of the residents resulting in decreased level of intimacy to the place as well as to the social communities.