I’ve been in the USA for almost a year now and have had ample time to look at and view the structure of urban development in this country. Of course, there’s no doubt that due to greater affluence, there is a higher standard of living over here, but when it comes to India vs America from the point of view of the structure of the cities and villages, there’s no doubt in my mind which is better. For my Indian readers, let me try and explain how US cities are organized.
US cities and Zoning Laws
Let me start off by saying that what you see on TV regarding US cities isn’t true. On TV, you only see the big cities like Chicago, New York, DC, Los Angeles etc. Those are like the Indian cities of Delhi, Chennai and the like. Most of the US (95%) is organized into areas called suburbs – like our villages. Unlike the villages in India however, people are moving into the suburbs instead of away from them. So they’re growing. And as a person who has lived in Indian cities both big and small all his life, I can tell you first hand that the suburbs of America are a nightmare.
The major features of US suburbs is something called zoning. Zoning means that residential areas where people live are completely separated by large distances from areas where you can shop or go to work. This in itself would be ok, but for one hitch. The density of the suburbs is so low, that there is almost zero public transportation. No buses with any degree of proximity, and no trains that can take you within the districts themselves (only between districts).
Image Credit: Barrie Sutcliffe
- India vs America – The suburbs
This means that there is no viable means of transportation other than cars. And for someone like me who doesn’t drive at all due to environmental issues, it’s completely unlivable. Just imagine – to step out of the house to get a tube of toothpaste, you can’t just walk upto a kirana store nearby. You have to drive! You have to drive everywhere, with no exceptions. And in cars. Forget motorcycles. Most bikes here are specialized for power racing and are more expensive overall than cars. Also, the cold weather makes driving impossible for most of the year. In other words, you can’t suddenly feel like having a cup of coffee and stroll over to your local chai shop.
Cycling is also not viable since the distances are simply too large to cover. What I would give for some small little grocery stores littered around like in India! Where you can just step out in your sandals and walk across for a quick bite and a bar of soap maybe. In 25 years, I have never had a problem with living in any Indian city without a car. Even in Delhi University, a rickshaw would take you to Kamala Nagar in 10 mins for Rs. 5! Here there are no cabs on the streets you can just hail down like autos. You have to call one to your doorstep.
US suburbs are lonely places. There is nothing on the roads except for cars. While walking down the road, you see no humans at all! It’s just the whoosh of cars all over the place. In India, if you step out, there are people everywhere bumping into you, boys playing cricket on the roads, dogs roaming around – you feel that you’re not alone. Here you never meet any living creature on the roads. Just birds.
Image Credit: Beppie K
- Where are the humans?
India vs America – the car culture
The US is a car based society. It’s unfortunate that Indians want to be like that as well. But in my opinion, it will never get as bad as it is in the US. For the simple reason that the US suburbs were built from the ground up keeping cars in mind. So there are large spaces and wide gaps that you can cross only with cars to work and to shop for the smallest thing. In India, the cities and towns are already built and you can’t demolish them. So you can always walk here and there. We’re lucky. We’re also lucky that politicians keep bickering and can’t make up their minds what to do. True, this prevents good long term policy from being enacted, but it also prevents stupid policy being enacted like that of suburban development in the US.
Image Credit: Rich_Lem
- And you thought Indians lived in Boxes?
So to those of my fellow Indians who are thinking of coming to the US. Forget the image. It’s not a nice place to be. Don’t come here. You’ll miss the heat and crowds before you know it. You’ll miss the ability to walk to your local tea stall. You’ll miss driving on bikes. You’ll be stuck in a smelly tin can day after day for 405 hours each year. How this can be anything that anyone wants, I have absolutely no idea.
getting it maybe – at last !
I am get a hang of what you say; still it amazes me the influx into US from all parts of the world not only from India. I am sure there are other influences like standards of living, security and financial savings which over rides the need for being in your own country.
May be the grass is greener always on the other side.
@Vinod Jose
You're right. Those are factors. I feel that another important factor is the image of being in the USA and the social status that it seems to confer.
I feel this because Indians in the US seem to merely accept the difficulties and seem to think that they're OK. When you point out the problems, they react as if this is the first time they've thought of criticism though they are inconvenienced as much as anyone.
I believe a lot has to do with the inbuilt inferiority complex that I've noticed in Indians who think that the "White man" is superior. We see it in films when extra prestige is given to "foreign returned" Indians and songs and movies set in places abroad.
Yes, what you mention of inferiority, I guess is an Indian's acceptance of US being a economic super power.
The reluctance accept the difficulties and hardships are for sure an escapist attitude. The wealth they foriegn returns bring with them confers on them and their household a certain 'social status' which the otherwise only the ancestral rich can talk off. This blinds the hardships and what they see is the reward on return.
Somewhere over a period time, maybe ages, this division of countries would no longer be a determinant of the economic prosperity and when we get to a real global village, in the sense of the word.
you started this blog as if you got some technical facts to support whatever you tried to convey..but it is all normal desi talk about how this place is being isolated and the difficulty of commute.
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param :
it is all normal desi talk about how this place is being isolated and the difficulty of commute
Am I wrong in my facts? If so, let me know. I am open to correction.
Your blog heading indicated some kind of factual comparison between US and Indian cities.. instead, you started comparing suburbs with Indian cities.
And your dislike on car-based society is understandable.. but , for those who dislike that , can always move to major city.
Dude, live in NYC…the cabbies, the people, the cafes, the sarvana bhavans…etc etc will more than ensure that you dont miss Chennai ;)
Pros and cons exist everywhere…and America and India are as different as chalk as cheese…though people wont stop comparing the two :)
How you doing other wise ?? been a long long time..
@Abhik
its true but we should compare atleast who dont know abt usa will know.. n yeah bagvad u r true.. its really uncomfortable 2 be here… means u just see how much they waste natural resources.. when i was in usa i felt bad all time bcoz i used 2 see killing of future generations… the intelligent usa govt apply fines on all things but Y dont it stop doing such silly thing n start working 4 environment??????
I completely can feel your emotions as you write this blog. I could almost echo your voice. India is so much more livable and nicer place, minus the pollution and traffic though
What I think about your article is that it just shows false love for the country and do not focus on the facts.
You are neglecting about the beauty of the AMERICAN suburbs,the peace it provides,the security factors.AMERICAN suburbs are much more organized than the Indian villages or EVEN CITIES.Suburbs are clean and hygienic just in contrast to the Indian villages or cities.
Then why does your blog stops over the chai stalls ,toothpaste,car(a can't do without thing wherever you live) and the houses that are shown in the picture of the suburb,they are a million times better than the unorganized Indian houses(with water problems,sanitaton problems,electricity shortage etc..)
no transport or other ways to reach here and there means no thing no connectivity to other cities after 200 years of freedom and being a world power is not good and i think India is a happening country to live we have everything like metropolitan cities, hill stations, Beaches and ocean and our very own New Delhi , Mumbai, Goa, Kashmir, Punjab kind of cool states and we are all connected to all over the country through trains, planes and other transport……….i will stand for INDIA and peoples more than 110 crores are standing there with me …………..Jai Hind
For a self-proclaimed environmentalist who wouldn't get a car because of environmental reasons, why are you living in a suburb and not in a city, which is, from an environmental pov, much better than a suburb?? And if you've already compromised on your said principle by living in a suburb, then why not get a car too, since that is essential? Or are you a masochist? ;)
One does what one can. Some choices are forced on you.
This is a typical desi mentality.
People have no idea about US lifestyle and they start complaining as soon as the reach here.
When you are in USA, you will have to adapt to it rathar than complaining about it. Remember the saying "When in Rome, be a Roman"
Any person requires his own space to grow as a person. Ever wondered why an average American is better built and healthier compared to an average Indian?(Check statistical data for Indians vs Americans for example life expectancy for an Indian is 69.9 while for an American, it is 78.1)
Its because of the resources he has access to.
Caring for environment needs more thought rathar than just not buying a car. If you think about it carefully, having a car would be better for the ennvironment in long term. Since this would quicken the process to make the shift to renewable sources of energy. Let us not get into that debate now.
It is not that costly to own one either. Buy a second hand which you can afford and then pay just for liability insurance which should cost you about 25-30$ a month.
Electric cars are coming out. So we have better hope. They might not be cleaner in India right away due to electricity production from coal but in USA, it would surely matter a lot.
But just because things are different here doesn't mean I have to adopt them. There are some good things we can learn from and bad things that we condemn. Such as wastefulness.
The reasons why people are different has more to do with genetics and long term environment rather than just nutrition. An example is the Japanese who are smaller than we are and are yet live in one of the most developed countries in the world. Stunted growth only manifests itself in extreme nutritional deficiency.
I don't doubt that Americans are richer and so have access to better healthcare. But do they lead healthier lives? I seriously doubt that based on what I see. In any case, one can hardly appreciate a country for being bigger and having more resources :)
I don't quite follow you as to why you think having a car is greener than not having one…You've just made an assertion without giving any proof of your statements. Since your assertion is contrary to just about every study made so far, you need to back up your claims with some extraordinary evidence here.
And from what I've seen so far, America doesn't have a chance in hell of adopting electric cars. This is one of those times when I would be ecstatic to be proved wrong, but I'm not holding my breath for the next 150 years…
I am seeing lot of pessimism in your post which isn't healthy.
I went through the same when I first entered US.
You will just need some time and an open mind to appreciate it.
All the best.
I was in Zurich. Switzerland and LA for years. The Swiss have less space compared to US. Still they don't clutter stack their houses, every house will have a small portion for outdoor dining and lawn in the cities.
A bus runs every 10 minutes to the nearest Train station and the train in (30 minutes) inturn into the city. This is the same even if you are in a remote village.
every place is so scenic at the same time always near to shops, malls ect. Still less population and no trafic jams
India can dream of a swiss kind of a city/suburb planning. As it lacks wide open spaces and Cars for everyone.
Swiss was like best of both worlds
It really sounds idyllic! I think it'll be a while though before we're able to appreciate such a model. We first need to pass through the phase of big cities and big cars.
America is a great place. India is stupid. India is dirty, crowded and smelly. America is green. The suburbs are great. FUCK you.
Lived in that part of the world for some time, always missed home, so -Returned, Happy and content now, That is all that matters. Of course Grass is manicured , there is a sense of order and live by rules, Big cars even bigger homes,but mates Have you seen the interiors of Detroit,Seattle or Carolina , Life is an expensive affair in the USA, what ever even if you are a US passport holder you still are not White to be included in the society. Major part of that part of world is not inclusive and drenched in hippocrisy.
We travel all the way to the west to create our own cocoons of saravana bhavan and Indian food and more how many time does everybody yearn to come back. Wish all the best for those woh have arrived to the best of life standards in USA, to all who yearn to go there, the author is bang on.
Life is chaotic in India, Work hard and you will have the same life standards or better here in India.
Grass is greener on the other side :)
I don’t agree with this article, if you go to big cities like NY, Chicago, Miami etc.. you are going to find people bumping into you all the time, cabs everywhere and convenience stores everywhere.. I don’t know where you live or why do you say that is too cold.. to even drive a car.. I live in Jacksonville, Fl and even when it gets cold.. I can still drive my car without any problems.. and I know there is no snow here.. but still snow is not a huge problem anymore for big cities either.. they know how to manage that situation. So overall, I don’t think that you have the right to say “Don’t come here” that is a personal choice and you are just trying to influence people based on you personal experience which is not true for everybody.. it just depends on you location.. and for all the bad things you said it seems like you need to go back to India or move to a better city!!
@Andrea, why u always talk about big cities, you don’t know that here in India, every city has every facility like ur ny and dc ! Ok
This post is nothing beyond crap.
Are you generalizing the final outcome as to what is better USA or INDIA based on your personal experience with zoning & lack of driving skills…what crap…
just because you can’t drive or you went to some place which is actually located somewhere so remote…you cannot generalize the entire USA….and what basis are you saying INDIA is better based on cities like Delhi, Mumbai.
What if you were living in Pune 10 years ago or somewhere in cities and you needed toothpaste..where the f**** will you a kirana wala…? you surely need a vehicle there too..
what are you planning to do there…get ur toothpaste or not drive due to environmental issues…..if u want to get to do a comparison it should not be personal on what “you” feel…it should be based on facts…
i have lived in INDIA for 24 yrs before I moved to California for my studies and work…both I still love both countries…
Every country/city has its flaws and will always do….
Mumbai is now so expensive to find housing…pollution…its hard to get a rickshaw and people wait fir 30-40 mins before getting one….plus in a country of more than 1.2 B people so many people, move in and out….
there is more people than space..and because india is still developing….and match to USA, India needs to grow in multiple facets….
infrastructure, process, discipline, anti-corruption and most importantly as a country strict rules….
but USA has its own flaws…education levels, student drop rates, value of education, obesity etc…etc…
so please do not stereotype…its because of fuckers like you that most Americans have a false image about India and vice versa…