India, June 23 -- HT reported Monday that the Centre has decided to shelve a scheme mooted by the 15th Finance Commission to build eight greenfield cities. The funds, Rs.8,000 crore, will now be utilised to improve infrastructure in cities with a population of up to 100,000. Interestingly, at least 26 proposals for new cities were in consideration when the scheme was abandoned. The binary of greenfield versus brownfield cities makes no sense in the Indian context.

India is urbanising at great speed and existing cities are unable to carry the burden of ever-expanding populations. Existing cities need a massive infusion of capital to augment creaking infrastructure to withstand the inflow of people. Spatial differences are vanishing so muc...