Why do affluent neighborhoods and low-income settlements exist close together in Kolkata?

The proximity of affluent neighborhoods and low-income settlements in Kolkata is a result of the city's complex historical development and rapid, often haphazard, urban growth.

Historically, Kolkata was segregated under British rule, with Europeans occupying the city centre and Indians residing in the north and south. While this specific colonial pattern has evolved, the modern city continues to exhibit sharp contrasts and contradictions, characterized by a mix of East and West.12

The city has faced extreme population pressure for over a century, driven by significant events such as the 1947 partition of Bengal and conflicts in Bangladesh during the early 1970s, which led to massive influxes of refugees. This rapid growth, combined with an acute housing shortage, has resulted in the proliferation of bastis—low-income settlements—which often exist side-by-side with more affluent areas. Because the city's expansion has been largely haphazard and constrained by its swampy, low-lying geography, these diverse residential patterns have become deeply integrated into the urban fabric.13456