The Politics of Urban Space: Informality and Spatial Justice in Kolkata

Abstract

In recent years, urban development debates in India have increasingly centered on the idea of “smart cities,” which promote technology-driven and efficiency-oriented models of urban growth. At the same time, these visions tend to overlook the uneven and exclusionary conditions shaping urban life. This paper examines the processes of city-making and urban informality in Kolkata to argue that smart urbanism produces a fragmented and selectively inclusive city rather than a universally “smart” one. Using insights from critical urban theory, particularly the works of Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, Ananya Roy, and Partha Chatterjee, the paper conceptualizes urban space as socially produced, politically contested, and economically structured. Through a qualitative and interpretive analysis of Kolkata’s transformation—especially in Salt Lake and New Town—the study illustrates that urban informality is not peripheral; rather, it is integral to the functioning of the city’s political economy. The paper further argues that smart city initiatives reinforce socio-spatial inequalities by privileging technologically integrated and middle-class populations while marginalizing informal citizens. By engaging with the concepts of spatial justice and the right to the city, the paper concludes that Kolkata’s “smartness” is inherently fragmented, raising critical questions about democratic urban governance and inclusive development.