Chandigarh and Gandhinagar were planned Indian cities which were a result of a political necessity. Chandigarh was designed on modern planning principles whereas the planning of Gandhinagar showed the relevance of traditional planning.

The book begins by reviewing key Indian cities of historical significance, in a chronological order to form a contextual appraisal, followed by descriptions of the two cities, Chandigarh and Gandhinagar. The planned cities of Chandigarh and Gandhinagar are further evaluated by comparison, highlighting issues of urban design approaches. The findings contribute towards the application of urban design approaches in an Indian context. Furthermore, the book explores certain urban design principles leading towards urban renaissance of Indian cities with a methodology.