Mapping the Perceptions of Bangaloreans towards Flooding and the Influence of Architectural Design on Public Utilities

Despite its global reputation as a planned city and the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India (Kar, 2016: 49), the city of Bangalore has in recent years experienced increasing disruptions caused by rainfall-induced flooding and inadequate urban planning to address this challenge. This research explores the perceptions of Bangaloreans regarding flooding and the role of architectural design in shaping public utilities and infrastructure. Through the use of an online questionnaire, which collected responses through a snowballing process, this paper examines the interpretation of residents for the causes of flooding and their assessment of the performance of public utilities, specifically focusing on waste management, road infrastructure, and water supply. The findings showcase that flooding is mainly a man-made problem, caused by poor drainage systems, inefficient governance and inadequate planning. Further, the findings exhibit widespread disappointment with the public utilities, which are worsened with rapid urbanisation; industrial growth, and the absence of coordination amongst governing bodies. The results portray the need to prioritise sustainable growth, equality and equity, and effective inter-agency collaboration for Bangalore’s sustainable urban growth. Therefore, despite the responses being limited with respect to geographic scope and sample diversity, the key research findings align with the broader literature, hence portraying the need for citizen-centred and resilient urban planning.