Bengaluru’s cultural scene is a dynamic blend of history and modernity. From Kempegowda’s legacy to its evolving cosmopolitan spirit, the city embraces tradition and change equally. It boasts several cultural landmarks such as the Bengaluru Palace of the Wodeyar dynasty, Rangashankara, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum and Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR), alongside green retreats like the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Cubbon Park and Bannerghatta.
From the neighbourhoods of Basavanagudi celebrating ‘Kadlekai Parishe’ (groundnut fair), flower shopping at Malleshwaram, to the renowned ‘Karaga’ in Chickpete, the city flaunts many micro-cultures tied to communities and shared local narratives. Bengaluru has also become a melting pot for various culinary cultures and cuisines. From filter coffee to microbreweries, the cityʼs food scene has undergone a significant transformation since the rise of hyper-local deliveries.
What is the threat to the cityʼs identity?
The city has shifted from traditional businesses to large commercial complexes and malls in the last two decades. Though the city has gained many titles over the years, from being called the Garden City, Pensioners’ Paradise, to Silicon Valley and Cosmopolitan City, Bengalureans find the idea of globalisation inviting but also extremely challenging. Urban planning must consider the city’s economic and cultural connections rather than addressing issues in isolation.
Urbanisation has also driven cultural shifts, particularly in language, lifestyle, and values. Among the IT sector, English has become the dominant language, reducing the necessity to learn Kannada. Additionally, traditional values of collectivism and community living have given way to individualism and consumerism.
A real sense of connection between the place and its people in the city has crumbled. It is crucial to understand how and why some of these transformations have orchestrated pitfalls, forcing the city to survive rather than thrive. And what role have ‘economic growthʼ and ‘developmentʼ played in these cultural transformations?
Impact of urbanisation beyond economic relevance
Bengaluru’s unprecedented growth prompts us to ask: What development model drives this transformation, and who truly benefits—individuals or society, and at what cost?
Development is often equated with infrastructure expansion—roads, flyovers, and high-rises are seen as symbols of progress, and this mindset has driven urban planning decisions for decades. We must assess this approach to ensure today’s solutions don’t become tomorrow’s problems.
Since the early 2000s, Bengaluru has attracted massive Foreign Direct Investment in the information technology sector, creating high-paying jobs and drawing talent from across India. This economic influx transformed the city’s demographic, housing, transport infrastructure, and land use patterns, often resulting in uneven resource distribution.
impact on transport and infrastructure in Bengaluru. Graphic: Ramachandra and Aithal, 2019.)
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Urban sprawl pushed housing to the periphery, increasing commute distances and dependence on private vehicle use. Economic growth and rising incomes fueled vehicle ownership, which quadrupled between 2001 and 2011—surpassing growth from the previous 50 years. By 2023, Bengaluru alone accounted for nearly 50% of Karnataka’s 2.11 crore two wheelers. Vehicle ownership per 1,000 people increased from 284 in 2001 to 827 in 2024.
Infrastructure development remains reactive, focused on flyovers, road widening, and tunnels for private vehicles. This approach, perpetuated by authorities and media narratives, leads to induced demand, where added road capacity quickly gets saturated, worsening congestion. Expanding infrastructure to match growth created a cycle of constant road infrastructure.
This cycle of continuously expanding infrastructure to match population and vehicle growth continues even in 2025; projects like tunnel roads continue to receive priority, while pedestrian-friendly or community-centric initiatives remain neglected.
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Localisation vs globalisation
Bengaluru has become a city that serves the world but struggles at home. While it generates substantial revenue through tech exports and multinationals, its infrastructure, environment, and cultural identity continue to deteriorate. Rapid population growth has strained the transport system, while high-paid tech jobs have driven up housing costs, making housing unaffordable for locals. Bengaluru’s strengths—its diverse population and economic opportunity—largely benefit individuals. Yet the collective costs of traffic congestion, pollution, high living expenses, and poor public services burden society as a whole.
This underscores a deeper question: Is personal success and economic growth worth the steady decline in collective well-being and living standards for society as a whole?
The way forward
In Bengaluru, short-term gains—GDP growth, jobs, investment—mask long-term risks: loss of culture, language, and social cohesion. Prioritising growth over culture erodes the city’s social fabric. For Bengaluru to thrive, its development model must evolve from one that focuses solely on economic growth and infrastructure development towards one that nurtures its culture and the quality of life it offers to its people.
- Language – Incentivise Kannada Language adoption at workspaces
- Culture –
- Provide free or discounted tickets to museums , heritage spaces on weekends
- Attract youth by leveraging social media and influencers.
- Include heritage and place of cultural significance in planning Frameworks
- Mobility –
- Cap new vehicle registrations.
- Adopt Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) approach which focuses on reducing the demand for transportation, shifting to more sustainable modes, and improving the efficiency of existing systems.
- Economics – Redirect revenue to facilitate more lung spaces throughout the city