Far away from the hustle bustle of the city, where the less privileged, native residents of the city move, are the underdeveloped urban fringe zones, which have no access to the city’s municipal infrastructure such as water supply, electricity or communication network.

Displacement of residential population, leading to gentrification have various debatable reasons such as re-articulation of urban spaces, social evolution, geopolitical changes and economic transformations.

Upgradation of Urban infrastructure is not just inevitable, but essential.

But, must we do that on account of displacing people from their homes?

Is this the ‘collateral damage’ that all cities have to bear or  can “Development” be achieved without crushing the city’s poor?

As a discussion platform for the future of urbanism, Issue 5 of The Urban Rhetoric shall aim to develop a dialogue on how urban development and planning, in terms of both design and policies have played a role in the cause and effect conundrum of gentrification. 

Do we have a way around or is this the natural fate of all cities that aim towards a developed future?