Cultural Challenges In Urbanization

Urbanization is a complex spatial process that converts rural land uses to urban uses, and causes various impacts on ecosystem structures, function, dynamics, and the livelihoods of human beings. It is expected that by 2030, there will be 2 billion new urban residents. The study also suggests that 90 percent of urban growth is taking place in developing world. A largely rural country, with only 17 percent of the population living in urban areas (Nepal census, 2011), Nepal is urbanizing rapidly. With a population of 26.6 million people, the Kathmandu Valley is growing at the 4.7 percent per year, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in South Asia.
However, urbanization brings challenge; especially in the developing countries in terms of improving the urban environment and the living condition. Urbanization leads to the emergence of commercial and industrial activities within the area but the historic city areas, having failed to keep pace with the requirements of the modern economy, start to deteriorate. While historic cities area indentitarian, core to the city both historically and geographically, they are also central to many …show more content…
These include rescue and relief measures that are carried out with no regard to heritage value of damaged areas. Looting of heritage buildings and reuse of traditional building elements (e.g., wooden beams and columns, ornamental windows) as fuel or reconstruction are not unusual. Infrastructure repair or replacement (e.g., road widening) may also disregard or encroach upon cultural assets. Temporary camps are often sited without regard to cultural heritage concerns. Illegal and uncontrolled relocation and reconstruction spoil or damage heritage landscapes and assets. Authenticity and integrity may be lost because of inadequate repair and retrofitting measures (Rojas,