Can cities keep up? A Tetrad axes graphic (TAG) model for evaluating readiness for neighbourhood densification in Bengaluru, India

Abstract This study investigates rapid densification within Bengaluru, India, where escalating population growth outpaces the capacity of existing infrastructure and services. Recognizing the potential for degradation in urban quality of life due to this widening disparity, the study introduces the Tetrad Axes Graphical (TAG) model. This novel data-driven framework evaluates the neighbourhood’s capacity for densification by generating a visually coded representation of the neighbourhood’s urban form parameters that are necessary to maintain an acceptable quality of life. These parameters, while primarily physical, also reflect socio-political tensions in how density and livability are experienced across neighbourhoods. The parameters represent factors amenable to influence through urban planning interventions, particularly within the context of retrospective planning frequently encountered in rapidly expanding urban centres such as Bengaluru. Applying the TAG model to four high-density neighbourhoods in Bengaluru demonstrates how these indicators can inform retrospective planning and guide targeted interventions. By emphasising context-specific thresholds rather than universal density targets, the TAG model offers planners a diagnostic tool to balance growth pressures with equitable quality of life in the city.