Vijayawada,
Andhra Pradesh 

Vijayawada is situated in the Krishna district and along the Eastern bank of the Krishna River. Several canals run eastward from the Krishna River. These canals, built as a part of colonial irrigation schemes on the River, serve as a central feature of Vijayawada city today. The urban growth of the city is also defined and shaped by the presence of several mountain ranges of the Eastern Ghats. Historically, Vijayawada has been a trade-based city, which continues to have a strong presence even today. In the last few decades, Vijayawada, along with Guntur has emerged as an important region for higher education - particularly famous for the proliferation of coaching classes for all kinds of competitive exams. Vijayawada and Guntur came to light once again in 2014 after the bifurcation of the state into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Hence, this urban study looks at the social, cultural, and political changes that are taking place in the city and explores various housing typologies that have been affected due to these extensive shifts. These typologies range from low-income housing to gated communities and townships, also including commercial housing.