A Comparative Study on the Issues and Impacts of Land Use Planning in Indian and International Hill Cities

Abstract Land is the most important asset used by humans for existence and has been exploited since the dawn of civilization. Due to the unprecedently high rate of population expansion that has resulted in chaotic urban development, the land use pattern in most metropolitan areas has changed significantly in the recent past. The unplanned development and rapid urbanization are also occurring in India’s hill cities, and thus land use planning is becoming increasingly important. Moreover, due to geography, terrain, slope, climate, susceptibility to natural disasters, and other factors, planning in the hills is very difficult. This has led to several problems in hill towns, all of which require a well-thought-out framework for systematic urban development. The prime objective of the study is to get fully acquainted with the current processes of land use planning in India and abroad by examining a variety of instances, as well as analysing the efficacy of such processes in their respective hill cities. A comparative study of best land use practices being followed in hill towns in India and abroad is also carried out to identify any gaps and issues in the land use planning techniques being used in Indian hill towns.