Event-Triggered Dynamic Urbanisation and Urban Land Expansion: A Case Study of Bangalore, India

Since the 1990s, Bangalore has undergone rapid urbanisation, largely driven by the growth of IT parks, attracting multinational corporations and a significant population influx. The development of transportation infrastructure, including new roads, transit systems and international airports, along with the construction of malls and other developments, further fuelled the urban growth. Despite this expansion, the quantitative analysis of event-triggered urban land area expansion remains under-explored. This study systematically assesses the impacts of specific physical events on urban land and surrounding regions. We employed spatiotemporal land use classification and computed landscape metrics at a grid level to analyze how significant events contribute to urban area expansion. Based on 24 land use maps from 2000 to 2023, analysis reveals rapid urban expansion in the core city, with significant decreases in vegetation and other land use classes over the last two decades. Notably, events such as the construction of an airport and shopping malls led to dramatic changes in urban land use. For instance, North Bangalore, predominantly paddy fields, shrubs and water bodies in 2000, became largely urbanized by 2015. These findings highlight the impact of event-triggered urban expansion and land fragmentation and offer valuable insights for urban planning and sustainable development.