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In the past decades, the world has seen unprecedented migration of people from rural communities to urban centres. According to the UN, “the urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018.” Today, 55% of the world’s population is reported to live in urban areas, and this is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.1) Such migration is particularly intense in the less developed countries, which make the majority of global population, and the rate of urbanisation is highest in Asia.
In spite of its historic isolation and renown for conservation of its traditional way of life, Bhutan is no exception to the process of urbanisation. On the contrary, it stands out as a striking example of urban growth. Just over half a century ago, there was not a single town in Bhutan. The country was entirely made up of villages. Even Thimphu, the nation’s capital for nearly four centuries, was a valley of a few scattered villages and the dzong fortress, which housed the government and monastic headquarters. Over 99% of the built environment we see today in the growing metropolis of Thimphu was built after 1960s. The picture of Thimphu taken in 1963 shows the valley of open rice fields, which have today become a concrete jungle. The picture of south Thimphu taken at the turn of the century shows how fast the suburban areas of Thimphu have grown. |
