Railopolis: City within A City

Railway transit hubs do play a very critical role in the contemporary urban development discourse as the places of social, economic, and environmental interests. They stimulate the construction of community places around their location. Thus, a railway station, in its own right, can generate a city within a city, often recognised as a “Railopolis”. This paper aims to attempt a brief discussion on the notion of “Railopolis” in the Indian context. India is a country that poses a substantial size of urban population along with several acute urban issues that are challenging the sustainable urban development goals in the country. Transit-Oriented Development is adopted as one of the most powerful tools to make Indian cities more liveable, sustainable, and inclusive. Thus, the emergence of “Railopolis”, as a mini smart city, within an existing city, is expected to comply with the sustainable urban development goals that aim to make Indian cities more competitive in terms of liveability, at the global scale. The study is principally grounded on theoretical reflections and draws inferences on the notion of “Railopolis” by taking evidence from contemporary Indian initiatives. The paper concludes with a synoptic discussion on the potential issues that can confront “Railopolis”, during implementation and some crucial research-worthy questions on the subject of the future of TOD in India.