Urban morphology in Indian Contexts: A review of methods, approaches, and gaps

Urban morphology, the study of the physical form of cities and their transformation over time, has emerged as a multidisciplinary field bridging architecture, geography, and urban planning. Three dominant global traditions the Conzenian school of Britain and Germany, the Muratorian school of Italy, and the French school of socio-spatial analysis have shaped the discipline with distinct analytical frameworks. While these approaches have been widely applied in Europe and North America, their presence in India remains fragmented and inconsistent.

This paper undertakes a comparative literature-based review of global morphological traditions and examines their limited but notable applications in the Indian context. The review highlights that most Indian studies are concentrated in heritage precincts, colonial towns, and hill settlements, with limited engagement in peri-urban or informal contexts. Moreover, much of the scholarship is descriptive rather than methodological, rarely employing systematic analytical tools from global morphological traditions.

The analysis identifies three persistent gaps: (i) the absence of an India-specific morphological framework, (ii) poor integration of morphological insights into planning regulations and building bye-laws, and (iii) minimal use of contemporary digital tools such as GIS, LiDAR, and space syntax. The paper concludes by proposing a research agenda that emphasizes methodological localization, technological integration, and stronger linkages with sustainability and climate-responsive planning in India’s rapidly urbanizing landscapes.