July 15, 2024 | Working Paper
  • Headline: Class and Space in Indian Cities
  • Intro Text:

    Indian cities have always been marked by stark class disparities and these have only become more pronounced in recent decades. PERI researcher Vamsi Vakulabharanam and Sripad Motiram use a socio-spatial methodology, a rigorous class scheme, and data from a spatially representative survey from Hyderabad and Mumbai to explore contemporary city spaces. Among their findings, they show that in both cities, the class distribution varies across residential zones, and how a class fares depends upon its zone of residence. They also argue for a more integrated and egalitarian restructuring of Indian city spaces.

  • Type of publication: Working Paper
  • Research or In The Media: Research
  • Research Area: Asian Political Economy
  • Publication Date: 2024-07-15
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  • Authors:
    • Add Authors: Vamsi Vakulabharanam
    • Add Authors: Sripad Motiram
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Abstract

Indian cities have always been marked by stark class disparities and these have only become more pronounced in recent decades. Although academic literature has explored class relations (broadly) in Indian cities, there is a dearth of studies that rigorously explore class-space interactions. Given this, we use a socio-spatial methodology, a rigorous class scheme, and data from a spatially representative survey from Hyderabad and Mumbai that we specially designed to explore city spaces. We use three different notions of space: residence, work, and commuting, and present patterns that are not well-known for Indian cities. Along these three spatial dimensions, we show that class and space mutually determine each other. We show that in both cities, the class distribution varies across residential zones, and how a class fares depends upon its zone of residence. Class location also determines whether the work location of an individual is far from the residential location and the extent of commuting. We demonstrate considerable residential coexistence of classes in city neighborhoods. Apart from being an interesting feature of Indian cities, does this coexistence have any implications? We use an instrumental variable regression to show that class-based spatial integration results in higher economic development. Residents of mixed-class neighborhoods, particularly lower-classes, are less likely to be poor and more likely to be better educated, compared to their counterparts living in segregated neighborhoods. Based on this finding, we make a case for a more integrated and egalitarian restructuring of Indian city spaces.

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