Small Towns and Decentralisation in India: Urban Local Bodies in the making

Book Details

• Author: Rémi de Bercegol

• Brand: Springer

• Binding: Hardcover

• ISBN: 9788132237877

• Package Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches

• Language: English

About the Book
This book delves into the effects of decentralisation reforms initiated in the early 1990s on small towns in India, with a specific focus on Uttar Pradesh, one of the most densely populated and economically challenged states in the country. India, while home to ancient urban civilisations, remains among the least urbanised regions globally, despite its large megacities and fast-growing towns.

The book explores the paradox of urbanisation in India, particularly the rapid growth of metropolises and the often overlooked small towns. It analyses the state of small towns in India, which are expected to play a key role in future urban development. However, most reviews of decentralisation have concentrated on larger cities, leaving the impacts on small towns under-explored.

Rémi de Bercegol’s research offers fresh insights with extensive primary data on political, technical, and financial municipal issues in small towns of northern India. The book is particularly valuable for students, researchers, and urban planners working on urban and regional studies, especially in the context of the global South.

Contents

1. Understanding the Changing Urban Space in India

2. From Theory to Practice: Field Research in Four Small Municipalities in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

3. From Local to Regional Challenges: The Political Profile of the Small Towns’ Municipal Councils

4. Between Urban Imbalances and Technical Constraints: The Challenges of Managing Local Public Services

5. From Dependence to Artificial Autonomy: Low Financial Resources of Small Municipalities

6. Building the Town of Tomorrow: The Difficult Development of Small Municipalities

About the Author
Rémi de Bercegol, Ph.D., is a research fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). He holds a doctorate in Urban Planning from LATTS (research group on technology, territories, and societies) at ENPC/UMLV, Paris Est, France. Between 2008 and 2012, he was a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities (CSH) in New Delhi, where he conducted research for his book on small towns and decentralisation reforms in northern India. His research now focuses on urbanisation globally, with a special emphasis on cities in the global South, particularly regarding essential services like water, sanitation, waste management, and energy.