Cities in Transition A Case Study of Urban Population Growth and Spatial Transformation in Begusarai

This paper examines Begusarai’s ongoing urban transition by integrating demographic trends with landuse–land cover (LULC) dynamics. Using decennial Census data (1901–2011) and district industrial records,and long-run urbanization patterns has been analysed. To project urban population of Begusarai to 2025 ageometric growth model has been used in this study. Complementary LULC assessments for 2005–06 and2015–16, derived from Bhuvan and processed in QGIS to quantify geo-spatial change. Results show ahistorically subdued but uneven urban trajectory in Begusarai registering a sharp inflection between 2001and 2011 as the urban share rose to 19.18%, driven by the recognition of new census towns, expandingindustrial activity around the Barauni node, and improved connectivity