Title: Spatial expansion and liveability: a study of merged villages in Pune City, India

Authors: Jyoti Chandiramani; Gargi Patil; Akash Raj

Addresses: Symbiosis School of Economics (SSE), Symbiosis International (Deemed University) (SIU), Pune, India ' Symbiosis School of Economics (SSE), Symbiosis International (Deemed University) (SIU), Pune, India ' DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, Udyog Bhawan, North, New Delhi, India

Abstract: Spatial expansion has been an inevitable side effect of urbanisation in India, which also affects the level of sustainable development. This study examines the challenges and opportunities resulting from the spatial expansion of Pune City (Maharashtra, India), which has experienced a 111% spatial expansion due to the merger of 23 villages. The study analyses the impact of spatial expansion on selected liveability parameters that are crucial in assessing sustainable development, based on Ease of Living Index (EoLI). Researchers collected primary data from several sources including field visits, expert opinions, and media analysis. Results indicate that the merged areas have resulted in both an opportunity and a challenge for Pune City. However, there is a need to improve the liveability aspects of the merged villages, which is the core principle of sustainable development, also because per capita budgetary allocation for the city has shown a significant decline over the selected timeframe.

Keywords: cities; liveability; Pune; spatial expansion; sustainable development; urban areas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2025.145799

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2025 Vol.28 No.2/3, pp.375 - 403

Received: 10 Jun 2023
Accepted: 23 Nov 2023
Published online: 25 Apr 2025 *

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