Vol. 2, Issue 8, Part I (2016)

Kerala has an urban share of nearly 48 percent in 2011 and has the highest growth rate of urban population during the last decade. The districts of Kerala also have a huge growth in their urban population. The speed of urbanization has also increased sharply during the decade 2001-2011. The main reason for urban growth in Kerala is the manifold increase in the number of census towns in Kerala during the decade 2001-2011. Obviously, this is going to have serious implications in future. The level of development in Kerala is found to be highly positively correlated to the level of urbanization. The urban spread demands more investment in infrastructure development and hence the status of infrastructure in such growth centres should be improved to meet the increasing demand. Urban spread may result in the depletion of agricultural areas, an increase in transportation costs and energy consumption. The high density of population in urban areas has contributed to urban poverty also. This manifests in many forms, such as slums, unemployment, lack of social services and increasing violence and crime. Urban sanitation problems including drainage problems, disposal of solid waste and sewage water, lack of safe drinking water, housing problems, etc. are also among the invited problems of urbanization.

Urbanization and economic development have long been recognized as concomitant factors. Policies need to be enunciated to use urbanization as a positive factor to aid economic development. Proper development strategy should cater to the development needs of urban society ensuring modern comfort levels and standard of living while preserving natural, cultural and historical entity of the city.