High technology and intra-urban transformations: A case study of Bengaluru, India

High technology and intra-urban transformations: A case study of Bengaluru, India

high technology, urban change, Bengaluru

High technology is defined as software and hardware firms, information technology enabled services and fiber optics. These firms locate in large cities and take advantage of cheap and high skilled technical skills with knowledge of English language to promote efficiency and productivity in global enterprises. The overarching question addressed in this research is why do some urban regions grow and others stagnate in the global economy? Why do high technology firms choose to locate in some urban areas and not other cities? Since the 1990s the Indian government implemented the policy of liberalization, deregulation and globalization. Large cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai have experienced a process of urban growth based on agglomeration economies and this has manifested several spatial changes such as specialization of urban regions, growing urban interdependencies, new patterns in the spread of technologies, changes in the product mix of regions and changes in the product mix of the local economy. This research is a study of the Bengaluru and examines the following two major questions: (1) Has the location of high technology in Bengaluru contributed to intra-urban transformations at the ward level? and (2) Have the high tech firms created social gaps within the different wards of Bengaluru? This research uses both quantitative, qualitative methods and geographic information systems (GIS) for analyzing data. Secondary data was collected from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore City Corporation (BCC), Bangalore Transportation Authority (BTA), Census of India, and Department of Information and Technology, Bengaluru. Primary data was collected through interviews. This research concludes that the location of high tech firms has increased the gap and has transformed the high tech wards and non-high tech wards socially and economically and even culturally. The high tech firms do not simply agglomerate in proximity to educational institutions within wards but coexist where wards are characterized by high literacy, illiteracy, slum population, high rise luxurious apartments, shopping malls, poverty and homelessness. An example of such a ward is Koramangala with the best residential locality, excellent educational institutions and cluster of slums are found.

Kalra, Rajrani

Kent State University

2007

Kaplan, David H. Advisor

en

Dissertation

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1195648204

http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/items/show/1098

http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/archive/files/e2df75880848a4f2e5384848c85d352a.jpg