Mainstreaming Circular Economy in Affordable Housing for Fostering Sustainable Habitats and Urban Regeneration: Insights on Practices for Achieving Circularity in Urban Social Housing

Prospects Of Urbanization And Its Trends

Cities consume over 75% of natural resources (UNEP). The urban landscape evidently reveals that half of the global population lives in cities. Various studies project that 2/3^rd of the global population will be inhabiting cities by 2050. The opportunistic platform of cities acts as magnets attracting people to dwell and work in the abodes offered by them. “India is rapidly urbanizing. According to the 2011 Census, the urban population grew to 377.1 million as compared to 286.1 million in 2001 census showing a growth of 2.76 percent per annum during 2001-2011.” (Handbook of Urban statistics, Mohua, GOI, 2019). The key drivers of this fast urbanization are migration, economic liberalization, and globalization. In India, it recorded an increase of 45 percent in internal migrants as per the Census data from 2001 to 2011. It accounted for around 8 crore migrants each migrate from rural to urban and urban to urban. This puts pressure on cities to provide urban housing and allied facilities; profoundly influencing the pattern of urbanization. The small towns (the tier 2 cities) are increasingly becoming populated as they offer job opportunities pertaining to the service sector, increasing trade transactions and due to their proximity to metro cities. Thus, these areas become the hotspots of migration too. These urban offshoots become clear in their spatial structuring, density and becomes notified as towns in near future. As per the statistics, “the number of statutory towns in India increased from 3,799 to 4,041 during 2001- 2011 whereas the number of census towns have increased from 1,362 to 3,892 during the decade” (Handbook of Urban statistics, MohuA, GOI, 2019).

“Rapid urbanization combined with economic disparities has led to an increasing problem of housing, overcrowding in small houses, steady growth of slums and unplanned settlements and severe deleterious effect on civic services in urban areas” (Handbook of Urban statistics, MohuA, GOI, 2019). Undoubtedly, there is a need for urban housing which offers affordable spaces to dwell, preferably near to their workspaces. This need is addressed on a purely quantitative basis regarding the complex phenomenon of migration, shortage of land to expand horizontally and the increasing land value; leading to larger connotations, like exploitation of land for accommodating higher densities, urban sprawl, lack of green spaces, etc. Such unsustainable spatial planning and built forms increase the ecological footprint, embodied energy, shrink the resources and increase the outcomes of global warming and climate change. Through a qualitative lens, sustainable, affordable urban housing perspectives can address these issues and foster livability in the fast-urbanizing areas.

The paper addresses two things; a) the affordable housing in the cities and towns which are rapidly urbanizing and transforming b) unsustainable spatial practices in the design of affordable housing. The research investigates the possibilities of implementing circular economy in affordable housing right from its conception to demolition, throughout its life. Currently there is a gap in literature pertaining to the suggestive measures and various ways for incorporating the circular economy in affordable housing sector. This paper concludes with a conceptual framework of circular economy in affordable housing. The scope of the book chapter aligns with the theme of circular economy implementation for sustainability in the built environment.