Urban Sprawl in Nepal: Changed Dynamics of Market Relationships

Abstract

Urban sprawl is a widely discussed social phenomenon in the arena of sociology. In Nepal, urbanization is expanding rapidly that brings about various social impact and changes. According to the population census, the urban population increased from 63.2% in 2011 to 66.8% in 2021. In contrast, the rural population decreased from 36.8% in 2011 to 33.9% in 2021. This trend of population reveals the increasing migration from rural to urban areas, which leads to urban sprawl and contributes to the expansion of cities. Urban sprawl refers to the rapid and uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding lands, with increasing new residential, commercial, and industrial developments spreading outward from city centers. This transformation leads to social, economic, and environmental impact, such as traffic congestion, the reduction of agricultural land, higher pollution, and overburdened public services. This article is focused to study urban sprawl in Lalitpur district and its impact on historical marketplaces and the process of generating new market places by it. This article has used in-depth interviews with the old market keepers and new market keeper and some inputs from observation. It is found that Urban sprawl not only expands residential areas and increases the population by occupying additional land but also transforms traditional marketplaces by shifting commercial activity to newly developed areas. This shift reduces the viability of traditional markets, leading to their decline, while congestion rises in emerging market areas, creating new economic opportunities.