Purpose of this paper is to present preliminary results of an interdisciplinary research project at the Indo-German Center for Sustainability (IGCS) funded by the Indian Government whose broader goal is to develop a clearer understanding of current patterns of growth in peri-urban areas in South Asia and to set up a Global Technology Watch for Sustainable Urban Habitat. Today peri-urban areas are
increasingly being recognized as a separate socio-spatial configuration with distinct challenges for sustainability. The literature about India in this field is growing constantly, covering a range of topics from governance, social and political context, spatial-geographic implications, economics, to infrastructure provision and the environment. Currently, the project explores the dynamics in the periurban region of Sriperumbudur, on the outskirts of Chennai. The region has witnessed rapid industrial development, spurred by economic policies that aim on attracting foreign investment to the state of Tamil Nadu, resulting in rapidly shifting patterns of production. Poor capacity for governing the areas
beyond metropolitan Chennai has resulted in significant pressure on land, resources, infrastructure, social structures and agricultural production.
