Abstract:
This research investigates the major causes of the rapid urbanization of
Nittambuwa town which is located in the northwest periphery of Colombo
Metropolitan. Urbanization has become a major development trend in
developing countries. In Sri Lanka also with the metropolitan area
development of the Colombo city, so many emerging towns show a rapid
urbanization process during past decades. Nittambuwa town also situated
within this Colombo metropolitan area and as an emerging town which shows
a rapid urbanization process and so many political, social and economic
factors have affected. This research uses a mixed-method and urban
geographic approaches. The study area has defined 50 meters buffer zone of
Colombo –Kandy highway in the Nittambuwa town area. It has been selected
30 shops and 50 dwellers for primary data collection under a simple random
sampling method. Observations and other surveying techniques were used to
collect data while other data gained from secondary data sources such as
Urban Development Authority, Road Development Authority and National
Physical Planning Department of Sri Lanka. MS Excel, GIS, and Remote
Sensing techniques were used to analyze the data and charts, maps, and tables
were used to present the data. This analysis revealed that the Nittambuwa town
acts as the main interchanging center within the area. The number of
commuters who pass the town has significantly been increased and transport
services as well during the last decade, 2009-2019. Thought he Colombo –
Kandy has widened and upgraded to reduce the severe traffic jam, it causes to
increase the commuters to the city area. Connecting road development projects
of the surrounding area of the city has affected the increase of the mobility of
the crowd into the town. Construction of large scale textile shops and
supermarkets also have become a major development trend within the town
area. It is better to place an entertaining area for the people to be refreshed and
proper parking yards for private vehicles. It is clear that the infrastructure
development of the town area has effected to rapid urbanization in the
Nittambuwa Town.
