135
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_7
Chapter 7
Dwelling in Decay: Analysing the SpatioPsychological Paradigm of Dilapidated
Dwellings in Kolkata
Teesta Dey
7.1 Introduction
The dynamic relation between man and his environment exhibits a variety of interdependence in different spatio-temporal contexts. Human existence in different
environments enables them to create ecological bonding under certain socioeconomic frameworks. Such ecological relations eventually determine the life paths
of those people. Urban space is a unique part of the environment where the conventional human ecological relations get transformed rapidly and radically at times.
With the ageing of a city, the urban ecological bonding of the residents also changes,
leading to further transformation of that urban space. Changing urban demography,
land use pattern, administrative decisions, technological innovations, globalised
consumerism, high aspirations, modified standard of living, emerging social issues
like unemployment, poverty, proliferation of slums and squatters, urban crimes,
etc., create many micro-level urban environments that affect people of different
socio-economic status and create instability in the existing urban ecological relations among the people, their society and the city. But again people try to achieve a
new ecological balance within the changed urban environment and in the long run,
a dynamic equilibrium of urban ecological relation develops. This process is common for every city including Kolkata. The city also exhibits intense urban ecological relations among the people and their surrounding socio-economic environments
influenced by neighbourhood factor and modes of life (McIntyre et al. 2008).
Among various urban aspects of life, residential sector should always be a prime
factor. Urban culture and living standard of urban dwellers depends largely on this
sector. Rapid urbanisation causes high demand and crisis in residential sectors and
creates various urban challenges like rise of slums, squatters and dwellings in old
dilapidated dangerous buildings. This city has been experiencing the dominance of
T. Dey (*)
Department of Geography, Kidderpore College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_7
Chapter 7
Dwelling in Decay: Analysing the SpatioPsychological Paradigm of Dilapidated
Dwellings in Kolkata
Teesta Dey
7.1 Introduction
The dynamic relation between man and his environment exhibits a variety of interdependence in different spatio-temporal contexts. Human existence in different
environments enables them to create ecological bonding under certain socioeconomic frameworks. Such ecological relations eventually determine the life paths
of those people. Urban space is a unique part of the environment where the conventional human ecological relations get transformed rapidly and radically at times.
With the ageing of a city, the urban ecological bonding of the residents also changes,
leading to further transformation of that urban space. Changing urban demography,
land use pattern, administrative decisions, technological innovations, globalised
consumerism, high aspirations, modified standard of living, emerging social issues
like unemployment, poverty, proliferation of slums and squatters, urban crimes,
etc., create many micro-level urban environments that affect people of different
socio-economic status and create instability in the existing urban ecological relations among the people, their society and the city. But again people try to achieve a
new ecological balance within the changed urban environment and in the long run,
a dynamic equilibrium of urban ecological relation develops. This process is common for every city including Kolkata. The city also exhibits intense urban ecological relations among the people and their surrounding socio-economic environments
influenced by neighbourhood factor and modes of life (McIntyre et al. 2008).
Among various urban aspects of life, residential sector should always be a prime
factor. Urban culture and living standard of urban dwellers depends largely on this
sector. Rapid urbanisation causes high demand and crisis in residential sectors and
creates various urban challenges like rise of slums, squatters and dwellings in old
dilapidated dangerous buildings. This city has been experiencing the dominance of
T. Dey (*)
Department of Geography, Kidderpore College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India