‘Metropolis’ literally means ‘the mother city’. Any city with a population of one million or more is called ‘metropolis’. Metropolitisation, in India, is a phenomenon of the 20tli century. In 1901 there was one metropolitan city (Kolkata U. A.) in the country, but its number rose to 23 in 1991.

Similarly the population of these metropolitan cities has increased from 1.51 million in 1901 to 70.66 million in 1991, recording an increase of about 47 times during the last 90 years. The phenomenal increase in the popu­lation of metropolitan cities is both due to immigra­tion and natural increase. This has led to the creation of a number of problems like over-crowding, growth of slums, congestion, transport bottleneck, paucity of public utility services, growing social tension and deterioration of urban environment and quality of life.

Since these metropolises are the nerve-centers of the country, their problems need immediate attention and remedial measures. Metropolitan area development is an attempt to suggest ways and means for metropolitan planning so as to provide solution to these problems and improve the quality of life in these urban areas.

The planning work is supervised through the Urban Planning Organisa­tion constituted in November 1951. The urbanisation plan for the development of Delhi has been formu­lated. Kolkata Metropolitan Planning Organisation established in 1961, has also submitted its develop­ment plan for the city in 1966. Similar key plans have also been formulated for other metropolitan cities of the country.