• Sunny Daniel

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify urban attractors responsible for bringing groups of people to live and work together forming a society in an urban spatial environment throughout the history of human development. METHODS: The study was conducted largely through the review of literature in history, geography, review of maps, housing price data for specific areas and general books on lifestyle patterns of past cultures. RESULTS : There are broadly two kinds of attractors : Type 1: Attractors which brings people to an urban space Type 2: Attractors which keeps people within that urban zone. Contrary to the general belief that water is the prime attractor for the formation of groups, the study finds that safety is the top attractor for group formation. There was safety from predators as a group, food gathering and hunting became easier and that became the main motivator for humans to work and live together. Safety remains the top attractor in a modern urban society and prices of houses change drastically irrespective of the plot size as a direct relation to crime level. Availability of water is the prime attractor once safety is attained. Water is the creator of wealth and in modern times, this attractor is replaced with the availability of jobs. The second kind of attractors are availability of educational institutions, recreation and entertainment zones for self and family. This includes schools, malls, restaurants, parks and sports facilities. Another major attractor which keeps people in its zone is the type and availability of  transportation which includes the availability of quality transportation networks. CONCLUSION : Type 1 attractors are common irrespective of the geographical locations whereas Type 2 attractors can vary based on the local laws, cultural backgrounds and priorities of the group populations. Identifying a specific attractor for the urban zone can help local law enforcers, town planning specialists and social activists in improving its value and prioritize budget allocations.

urban attractors, urban anchors, community development

"Identifying urban attractors: An empirical study of anchors that seed the formation of a community", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 9, page no.e131-e133, September 2021, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2109520.pdf

"Identifying urban attractors: An empirical study of anchors that seed the formation of a community", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 9, page no. ppe131-e133, September 2021, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2109520.pdf