Sub-metropolitan patterns of local governance in relation to specific urban development trajectories in Chennai, India

Abstract

The starting point of this paper is that distinct peri-urban areas within a given metropolitan region experience varying patterns of urban transformation. These transformations are both tangible, notably the extension (and in some cases intensification) of the built environment, and intangible, concerning local governance arrangements. The latter reflect the fact that different types of urban development are driven by distinct sets of actors, situated at various spatial scales, and the co-presence of these actors and interests redefines the normative and legal frameworks that underpin local governance. This paper proposes to investigate whether governance patterns in selected peri-urban areas of Chennai can be explained in relation to the specific spatial-temporal trajectories of the built environment that characterise their respective locations. In particular it will question the impacts of “new economy” infrastructures on the functioning of locally elected panchayats in comparison with areas experiencing more “ordinary” urban growth. What are the repercussions in terms of their ability to maintain control over their territories? What types of benefits and costs accrue to peri-urban areas as a result of harbouring “premium” economic and residential spaces? The paper builds on recently completed joint work that systematically traced and characterised distinct spatial-temporal trajectories of built-up area in the metropolitan region of Chennai (Pareek et al., in preparation).