Sixteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Housing in the urban Indian context has undergone remarkable transformation through different policy regimes, reflecting shifts in socio-economic dynamics, market, housing and governance priorities. The research situates housing typology as a useful lens for examining how various design outcomes shaped by national-level policy interventions, such as from early industrial housing typology of housing provision, and the more recent paradigm of affordable housing, Smart Cities, and RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority). Housing policy is crucial to urban development, cultural life, neighbourhood stability, and serves as a critical pillar of urban governance. Despite the centrality of housing policy to urban development, current academic knowledge and literature have not connected the influence on typology in relation to policy transitions, creating a research gap on how policies influence dwelling forms, layout, and settlement patterns in housing provision heterogeneity. This paper hypothesizes that housing policy regimes function as key drivers of typological change, and that the careful adaptation of regulatory frameworks can strengthen the inclusivity and sustainability of housing provision in India. The aim is to identify housing typology divergence as the typologies evolution from traditional to contemporary forms through various policy regimes, examine divergence on the way that policy influence those designs, and finally analyse successes and failures of policy influence. The paper looks forward to a future with adaptive, collaborative, participatory and resilient policy frameworks of housing provision that will inform continuous renovation of persistent gap, and contribute to the development of inclusive and innovative housing solutions for India’s sustainable urban future.