Human Settlements
Functional classification of towns
Explain why cities become multifunctional.
Towns can be classified by their main function (job):
- Administrative: Chandigarh, New Delhi, Bhopal.
- Industrial: Jamshedpur, Bhilai, Coimbatore.
- Transport: ports like Kandla, and inland junctions like Itarsi and Katni.
- Commercial (trade): Kolkata, Satna.
- Mining: Raniganj, Jharia, Digboi (oil).
- Garrison (army): Ambala, Mhow.
- Educational: Roorkee, Pilani.
- Religious: Varanasi, Amritsar, Tirupati.
- Tourist: Shimla, Ooty, Mount Abu.
Functions are not fixed. As a city grows, its functions intertwine, and a specialised town becomes multifunctional: Delhi is an administrative, commercial, educational and industrial city all at once.
Today the Smart Cities Mission aims to make cities sustainable and inclusive, with better services for everyone.
Every town has a job, big cities have many.
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