Informal Settlements and Workplace Spatial Dynamics—A Case Study of Vijayawada

Abstract

In the recent past, the policy response to informal settlement planning has predominately been to evict and relocate in the form of resettlement, rehabilitation, and redevelopment. Since the inception of the master plan preparation process, planning for informal settlements is still unaddressed or under-addressed. In addition, informal settlements and their workplace spatial dynamic for drawing planning guidelines are often not carried out. This is also evident from the mass exodus of millions of migrant laborers across India, after the Covid19 lockdown. In this research, spatial relation between informal settlement and their workplace dynamics with respect to landuse types has been exercised, with an intent to draw directions for inclusive informal settlement planning. Multi-regression analysis has been carried out between slum location (slum population) and landuse types for the entire Vijayawada Municipal Corporation area. Further, five identified informal settlements in Vijayawada, India, is studied as pilot cases. The study includes mapping of all the five informal settlements and extraction of their spatial correlation with workplaces using GIS. Overlay analysis and origin-destination matrix for pilot cases were performed to understand the spatial dynamics and location preferences of slum dwellers. Besides, random surveys from pilot cases were interviewed to comprehend and ascertain the socioeconomic status and the travel pattern of slum dwellers. The results indicate and reiterate that socioeconomic conditions of informal settlements force people to live as close as possible to their workplace and the need for inclusive policy and urban planning measures at a zonal scale. The study draws the attention of researchers, planners, and policy makers to carry out further research to include informal housing into city development plans.