| Abstract: |
Affordable housing in Indian cities is increasingly influenced by welfare imperatives and pressures related to land scarcity, urban regeneration, and municipal finance. This study investigates affordable housing as both a tool for social transformation and a mechanism for urban land regeneration, using a micro-level case study of the Mariammanagar Affordable Housing Project under the Tumakuru Smart City Mission in Karnataka, India. The research adopts a convergent mixed-methods approach, using primary survey data from 24 beneficiary households, qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary data from municipal and Smart City project records. Quantitative analysis uses a Housing Quality Index (HQI) and a Social Well-being Index (SWI), with paired t-tests and nonparametric tests to evaluate pre- and post-intervention outcomes. The findings indicate statistically significant improvements in housing quality, health, dignity, and neighbourhood cohesion, along with notable reductions in social conflict. In addition to household-level benefits, the project enables the recovery of high-value, centrally located urban land through vertical redevelopment, thereby facilitating land monetization and enhancing long-term municipal revenue capacity. The study concludes that affordable housing, when integrated with smart city governance and land-based financing frameworks, can serve as a strategic mechanism for inclusive urban regeneration in medium-sized Indian cities. |
