Urban Slums Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) it is vital to understand acceptable, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate ways of communicating about mental distress. Diagnostic terminology is rarely used, may be stigmatizing, and is... more

In low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) it is vital to understand acceptable, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate ways of communicating about mental distress. Diagnostic terminology is rarely used, may be stigmatizing, and is subject to misinterpretation. Local terms, such as idioms of distress, can improve mental health literacy and service delivery. Our objective was to examine lived experience and coping connected to distress and depression in an underresearched population: young men from LMIC urban slums. We conducted 60 qualitative interviews with men (ages 18-29) in Bhashantek slum, Bangladesh. Themes were generated using thematic analysis and grounded theory techniques. The heart-mind (mon), mentality (manoshikota), mood (mejaj), head (matha or ''brain''), and body (shorir) comprised the self-concept, and were related to sadness, hopelessness, anger, worry, and mental illness. The English word ''tension'' was the central idiom of distress. ''Tension'' existed on a continuum, from mild distress or motivational anxiety, to moderate distress including rumination and somatic complaints, to severe psychopathology including anhedonia and suicidality. Respondents connected “tension” to burnout experiences and mental illness which was summarized in an ethnopsychological model. These findings can inform culturally sensitive measurement tools and interventions that are acceptable to the community, potentially increasing engagement and enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

A key contemporary issue in International Development lies in questioning the adequacy for using the Capability Approach in differentiated cultural contexts. This paper argues that the socio-historical construction of the Capability... more

A key contemporary issue in International Development lies in questioning the adequacy for using the Capability Approach in differentiated cultural contexts. This paper argues that the socio-historical construction of the Capability Approach has been mostly embedded in liberalism and individualism – which led to the acceptance and use of the concept in the Western world but also beyond, in differentiated contexts where the sole actions of individuals are explored as if they showed and revealed the full extent of the influence of social institutions or external circumstances.
As a result, neglecting the cultural aspects and the institutional factors shaping motivations highlights a consequent gap in the capability space which is illustrated in this paper through the case study of Kathmandu urban slums. It appears that the Capability Approach considers the freedom of choosing a life one’s has reasons to value as the main determinant of slum dwellers’ strive for self-realization. However, reasons for valuing a certain life over another engage with broader processes at the collective level.
Consequently, approaches to tailoring the concept of capability to different strands of International Development and Development Studies may encompass a common bias – a bias relating to the socio-historical construction of a concept which, in spite of its apparent generalizability, presents a range of risks as to how collective norms, identities and belief systems are incorporated in defining the lives people value and how they achieve to arrange these lives for themselves.
I conclude that future research should attempt at shifting the focus from an individual-based to a social-system-based investigation of what determines and influences people’s decisions and reasons for living the way they do.

Liveability assessments of informal urban settlements are scarce. In India, a number of slum upgrading schemes have been implemented over the last decades aiming at better living conditions. However, these schemes rarely consider... more

Liveability assessments of informal urban settlements are scarce. In India, a number of slum upgrading schemes have been implemented over the last decades aiming at better living conditions. However, these schemes rarely consider improvement in liveability as an explicit criterion, assuming that better physical conditions and the provision of basic services inevitably lead to better liveability. We use Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) to analyse liveability in four different informal settlements in Pune (India). We compare the liveability by conducting semi-structured interviews with residents and by analysing them in individual and aggregated FCMs. Each settlement represents an archetypical form of the upgradation process: non-upgraded (base case), in-situ upgraded, relocated, and temporary resettlement. The FCMs show that the liveability indicators availability of community space, proximity to public transportation, feeling of belonging, and good relationship with neighbours and community are central elements of these neighbourhoods' liveability. The results suggest that upgradation may lead to an improved overall liveability but can also reduce it if not designed properly. The fostering of community agency, an integration of the neighbourhood into the formal city fabric, and the maintaining of cohesion during the shift from horizontal to vertical living emerged as critical factors. To ensure sustainable integration of liveability considerations in slum upgrading schemes, we suggest using indicators well-adapted to the local context, co-created with local experts and stakeholders, as well as periodic post-occupancy liveability evaluations.

Este capítulo trata de la ciudad informal, de los asentamientos informales, o, si lo prefieren, de la ciudad oculta en sentido metafórico en tanto que construcción social del paisaje. Específicamente, analiza algunas situaciones dentro... more

Este capítulo trata de la ciudad informal, de los asentamientos informales, o, si lo prefieren, de la ciudad oculta en sentido metafórico en tanto que construcción social del paisaje. Específicamente, analiza algunas situaciones dentro del contexto brasileño. Sabemos que lo oculto es algo desconocido, inesperado, no revelado. Los paisajes de la ciudad informal, en realidad, no están ocultos, pues son muy visibles en las ciudades donde se encuentran, específicamente en el caso de Brasil. Sin embargo, los asentamientos informales en Brasil sufrieron y aún sufren, en cierto modo, un largo proceso de ocultación por parte del Estado y de gran parte de la sociedad, que los considera indeseables y, por tanto, no visibles, en línea con lo apuntado en la Introducción al presente libro. La ciudad informal, oculta para la mayoría de los que pertenecen a la ciudad formal u ocultada por los que no la viven, por los que no les han enseñado a mirarla o que no desean mirarla, es el objeto de este capítulo. Cabe señalar que este es un tema sobre el cuál abundan los análisis socioeconómicos, pero son pocos los análisis espaciales, centrados en su construcción, en la materialidad de este paisaje. En este contexto, y con la intención de incidir en este análisis, el capítulo se centra en el estudio de los asentamientos informales y su inserción en el paisaje urbano con la intención de iluminar algunos de sus códigos espaciales y asociarlos a la vivencia del lugar. El capítulo está subdividido en tres partes, que se desarrollan de la siguiente forma: la primera, con el título de los paisajes de la aglomeración, analiza el caso de las favelas; la segunda, con el título de los paisajes de interferencia, estudia la realidad de los cortiços insertados en los tejidos urbanos y otros modos de apropiación informal del espacio formal; y, a modo de conclusión, se presentan los paisajes de la proliferación, basándose en la conformación del paisaje urbano desde la mirada global de los asentamientos de la ciudad formal y de la informal y desde la necesidad de reconocer la ciudad a partir de la comprensión de ambas realidades.

The book highlights important urban development issues in Punjab such as urbanisation, slums, housing, poverty, urban governance, development, infrastructure/ services etc and suggests major reforms to improve quality of life in urban... more

The book highlights important urban development issues in Punjab such as urbanisation, slums, housing, poverty, urban governance, development, infrastructure/ services etc and suggests major reforms to improve quality of life in urban areas.

Drawing from the problem of typology creation in its current forms that can be found mainly in policy papers, Berescu offers a critical overview of some of the ways in which the places where impoverished Roma live are named, then labelled... more

Drawing from the problem of typology creation in its current forms that can be found mainly in policy papers, Berescu offers a critical overview of some of the ways in which the places where impoverished Roma live are named, then labelled and categorized. The delimitation and counting of extreme poverty areas is a highly contentious issue in itself, but admitting that racial segregation exists is an even more difficult one. This is why official documents tend to circumvent the problem of slums and ghettos in Romania and, to a lesser extent, in Eastern Europe. By analysing the underlying methods and the language of reports and strategies we can comprehend the ways in which new ghettos are formed and concealed, and how they will be governed.

A definition of an informal settlement An informal settlement consists of groups of people who occupy land for living purposes without having any legal claim to it and without conforming to codes and legal regulations. Squatting can be a... more

A definition of an informal settlement An informal settlement consists of groups of people who occupy land for living purposes without having any legal claim to it and without conforming to codes and legal regulations. Squatting can be a conscious or unconscious housing movement. It can be caused by the need for housing in poor contexts, but also by political movements (Neuwirth, 2004). Slums are settlements which are characterized by informality and, according to UN-Habitat, lack at least of one of the following basic conditions for decent housing: adequate sanitation, water supply, durablility, adequate living space. 1

This article probes the extent to which social-class stratification, moral thresholds and liminal spaces and bodies played a role in the survival of the East End in the late-nineteenth century. Arthur Morrison's fiction, in this sense,... more

This article probes the extent to which social-class stratification, moral thresholds and liminal spaces and bodies played a role in the survival of the East End in the late-nineteenth century. Arthur Morrison's fiction, in this sense, builds awareness of neglect and degeneration, and highlights the need for renewal and restoration in the East End. Morrison's style is distinctive for telling the story of East Enders from an insider's point of view and translating the " stranger's literature " into a more intimate and personal experience. Undertaking the city as a unified yet heterogeneous fabric, this study suggests that slums and ruinous spaces were a part of a greater whole and their potential for liminality was essential to the existence of the East End. The paper takes a thematic approach to the representation of the East End and focuses on ruins, holes, analogies of animals, indefinable objects and grotesque bodies in A Child of the Jago (1896)-with a greater focus-, Tales of Mean Streets (1894) and The Hole in the Wall (1903). In A Child of the Jago, the Jago is not only a place to dwell in but it also nourishes and hides criminals within its ruins and holes. It is an urban ruin that aggravates the efforts of the middle classes trying to reconstruct an ordered and transparent space. The deviation and grotesqueness of the Jago help maintain its existence and survival disregarding the social codes and practices of the other classes.

In Italia, in Spagna e in Francia le baraccopoli sono una realtà lontana dall’essere superata, nonostante gli interventi posti in essere da parte delle autorità competenti. Quando sono sorte e come sono cambiate nel corso degli anni? Chi... more

In Italia, in Spagna e in Francia le baraccopoli sono una realtà lontana dall’essere superata, nonostante gli interventi posti in essere da parte delle autorità competenti. Quando sono sorte e come sono cambiate nel corso degli anni? Chi vi abita? Le politiche nazionali e locali al riguardo hanno avuto un impatto positivo o hanno finito col perpetuare lo status quo?

A review of an adaptation of a Rebus novel by Ian Rankin

Studies of informal street vending in the Global South often investigate grassroots resistance to formal and informal power as a collective and organised phenomenon. In our case study in the megacity of Dhaka, we show collective... more

Studies of informal street vending in the Global South often investigate grassroots resistance to formal and informal power as a collective and organised phenomenon. In our case study in the megacity of Dhaka, we show collective resistance is not possible due to an overwhelming threat from a coercive state. Informal vendors must resort to other tactics to appropriate public space to preserve their livelihoods. This is achieved by street vendors entering into locally embedded social and economic relations with agents of the state working informally to extort regular payments from them in return for access to public space. These local relations work in opposition to the neoliberalising ambitions of the state to clear and sanitise public space. Vendors look to local police and petty criminals for livelihood security rather than each other. This atomisation, reinforced by the culture of suspicion and kinship insularity, prevents vendors from organising across local boundaries to press claims for greater protection from the state. We argue that in cases where formal power is acting informally, this need to be taken into account to understand the social and economic realities of informal trade and the subsequent obstacles to collective action by the poor in cities such as Dhaka.

Open source geographic information system (GIS) has been used to analyse various public and other infrastructural facilities available to the population living in slums of Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry (MCR) area. The analysis... more

Open source geographic information system (GIS) has been used to analyse various public and other infrastructural facilities available to the population living in slums of Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry (MCR) area. The analysis shows that about 99% slums in MCR are accessible to fair price shops, all the slums in MCR are having a health centre within 1 km., 97% slums are accessible to an anganwadi centre within 1 km., about 99% slums are having either a government / government aided primary school and 98% slums are having either a government / government aided high school within 1 km. Most of the slums are well connected through other parts of the city by a blacktop road or a cement concrete road.

Situated in the center of Mumbai, Dharavi is Asia’s second largest slum. It dates back to the 1800’s and is home to an estimated official population of 1 million people, but the actual population s estimated to be much higher. The area... more

Situated in the center of Mumbai, Dharavi is Asia’s second largest slum. It dates back to the 1800’s and is home to an estimated official population of 1 million people, but the actual population s estimated to be much higher. The area occupied by this settlement is 1.73 square kilometers, yielding a population density at least ten times higher than the Mumbai average. Dharavi is a legitimate city within a city and boasts an economic output of more than $650 million per year. The study consisted of distributing surveys to roughly 50 households (around 250 people) around Dharavi, interviewing several individuals from a variety of backgrounds, and speaking with small business owners about their patterns of consumption and needs. Based on the responses to 30 of these surveys and the information garnered from several rounds of interviews, estimations measuring power and water consumption were formulated and basic calculations were made to attempt to quantify some of the benefits of a project such as this. The goals can be summarized as seeking a nexus between CSR organizers, corporates, small companies, Dharavi residents, and government representatives to work together in bringing a sustainable solution to issues of water and power scarcity in several areas within and beyond Mumbai.

Abstract. Our research focuses on the problems of modern spatial, social and economic marginalization of the Belgrade slum population, as well as on the measures of improving the living conditions in them. The slums on the territory of... more

Abstract. Our research focuses on the problems of modern spatial, social and economic
marginalization of the Belgrade slum population, as well as on the measures of improving
the living conditions in them. The slums on the territory of Belgrade are numerous, dispersed,
heterogeneous in structure, size and type, and the common denominator that could
express the typical situation is poverty of their population. The paper also included an
analysis of the causes of the spatial concentration of slums, the increase in population,
exclusion of the population, poverty and the attitudes of the Belgrade population toward
these settlements and their inhabitants. A significant part of the paper refers to the main
life problems of the Roma, but of the Ashkali and Egyptians as well, who mostly inhabit
the slums (unemployment, illiteracy, begging, poor housing conditions, health problems
etc.). Measures for improving the living conditions in Belgrade slums, aiming at the
integration of their inhabitants into the spatial and social space of Belgrade are proposed in
the final part of the paper.
Key words: slums, poverty, Roma, exclusion, integration, Belgrade, Serbia
DOI: 10.3176/tr.2013.1.03

This is a chapter in Parnell, S. and Oldfield, S. (eds), The Routledge Handbook on Cities of the Global South. Routledge, London, 2014. It traces the origin of the term 'slum' in Britain and its uses through history in that country and... more

This is a chapter in Parnell, S. and Oldfield, S. (eds), The Routledge Handbook on Cities of the Global South. Routledge, London, 2014. It traces the origin of the term 'slum' in Britain and its uses through history in that country and its colonies through to the postcolonial utility of the term and its renewed use in the post millennial global target setting.

This article is constructed as three narratives that are situated within the distinct and separate spatio-temporal contexts of social activism and research of the three contributors. Each contributor’s role and position within this... more

This article is constructed as three narratives that are situated within the distinct and separate spatio-temporal contexts of social activism and research of the three contributors. Each contributor’s role and position within this context has inflected his/her discursive approach, ranging from a polemical stance to one of empiricism and reflexivity. The article thus presents multiple modes of writing, analysis, and engagement, drawing on participant-observation to oral history documentation, activist experience, and field survey. The trajectory of each contribution is linked and we aim to provide a cohesive account in three voices, offering imbricated views of a pedagogical context in an extremely poor, Muslim slum in Howrah, West Bengal, India. This article-cum-photo essay is also an illustration of how collaborative writing — inclusive of activist experience and academic research — can address the issues of poverty and hope as it examines the role of education in such a context.

This report proposes strategies to foster water resilience in Sangam Vihar, an informal settlement of approximately 500,000 people in Delhi, India. The Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence, a nonprofit organization focused on access... more

This report proposes strategies to foster water resilience in Sangam Vihar, an informal settlement of approximately 500,000 people in Delhi, India. The Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence, a nonprofit organization focused on access to water and sanitation infrastructure, is working with the community to improve water management and quality of life in the area. This report explores the interlocking causes of inadequate infrastructure coverage, and discusses different approaches to the issue. It uses qualitative research and hydrological analysis to design interventions for several case study sites, to contain storm water and wastewater, reduce flooding, improve water quality, harvest rainwater, and handle solid waste. The proposed interventions include rooftop rainwater harvesting, plant-based storm water and sewage filtration, storm water detention, and opportunities for income generation. They are intended as affordable, feasible initial steps in a longer process of environmental remediation and infrastructure construction.

Este trabajo analiza la revista La Garganta Poderosa, producida por el colectivo villero La Poderosa. Se argumentará que se creó en respuesta a la creciente estigmatización que sufre este grupo en los medios masivos de comunicación a... more

Este trabajo analiza la revista La Garganta Poderosa, producida por el colectivo villero La
Poderosa. Se argumentará que se creó en respuesta a la creciente estigmatización que sufre este
grupo en los medios masivos de comunicación a partir de fines de la década del '90 y principios de
la del 2000. Se estudiará su surgimiento en base a las teorías tradicionales de movimientos sociales:
la teoría de movilización de recursos, la de manipulación de marcos cognitivos y la de ventana de
oportunidad.
Por otra parte, la enmarcaremos en las teorías de medios alternativos. Analizaremos, de esta
manera, las características que la distinguen de los tradicionales, como su discurso contra
hegemónico, su organización horizontal y su relación con la comunidad por la que fue creada.

For most people, the urban neighbourhood is within easy reach by Hong Kong’s efficient transport system. It is a convenient place where one can buy cheap products and then leave. However, for those living in the poorest neighbourhood in... more

For most people, the urban neighbourhood is within easy reach by Hong Kong’s efficient transport system. It is a convenient place where one can buy cheap products and then leave. However, for those living in the poorest neighbourhood in one of the most unequal cities in the developed world, residents may not necessarily think about it this way. Residents of this underprivileged neighbourhood are relatively immobile, and their experiences of ‘mainstream’ urban life limited. Hence this article describes the spaces significant to them as it recounts a distinctive way of life in post-industrial Hong Kong that makes Sham Shui Po Hong Kong's centre of poverty.

This paper explores the politics of slum dwelling and slum demolitions in the state of Maharashtra, India. Specifically I have used the case study of the slum Golibar located in Khar East, not too far from the Bombay city center. Looking... more

This paper explores the politics of slum dwelling and slum demolitions in the state of Maharashtra, India. Specifically I have used the case study of the slum Golibar located in Khar East, not too far from the Bombay city center. Looking through the lens of "Right to the City" discourses (Lefebvre, Harvey, Davis, Mitchell) I examine at the production of space in Mumbai's slums and the way in which various actors such as politicians, developers, NGO's, and residents of the city alike shape the discourse around ownership and space. Through a critical analysis of these ideas and theories, I use field notes from participatory observation and on-the-ground interviews I conducted in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai to develop a comprehensive understanding of social justice in the realm of slum life and the modes of urban resistance which are employed in Mumbai against neoliberal development and violent demolition practices.

Informality is usually defined as the whole practices that escape from the state and the radar of the administrations. Yet, informality is not invisible and causes conflicts around the way it is possible to produce knowledge about it. The... more

Informality is usually defined as the whole practices that escape from the state and the radar of the administrations. Yet, informality is not invisible and causes conflicts around the way it is possible to produce knowledge about it. The article, which focuses on slums upgrading policies in Madrid (Spain) since the 1960s, sheds light on urban informality by locating itself at the crossroads of two types of literature: the anthropol- ogy of ignorance and the sociology of public policies. It shows how the institutionalization of these resorption policies was based on the constitution of important statistical and mapping devices but that a large part of the phenomenon (the big slum of the Cañada Real Galiana) was deliberately left out of these official public knowledge devices in order to avoid putting on the political agenda what appeared to be a reserve of informal- ity necessary to host of populations evicted elsewhere. It also shows that residents have mobilized to resist this exclusion and produce alternative knowledge about their neighbourhood. The article concludes that shantytowns, and more generally urban informality, are at the crossroads of processes of formalization and informalization that overlap on struggles for the production of knowledge or ignorance.

A truth we know and a truth we don't see: The Past, The Present and The Future

1. PENDAHULUAN Permukiman nelayan adalah merupakan lingkungan tempat tinggal dengan sarana dan prasarana dasar yang sebagian besar penduduknya merupakan masyarakat yang memiliki pekerjaan sebagai nelayan dan memiliki akses dan keterikatan... more

1. PENDAHULUAN Permukiman nelayan adalah merupakan lingkungan tempat tinggal dengan sarana dan prasarana dasar yang sebagian besar penduduknya merupakan masyarakat yang memiliki pekerjaan sebagai nelayan dan memiliki akses dan keterikatan erat antara penduduk permukiman nelayan dengan kawasan perairan sebagai tempat mereka mencari nafkah, meskipun demikian sebagian dari mereka masih terikat dengan daratan. Kawasan permukiman nelayan haruslah mempunyai ataupun memenuhi prinsip-prinsip layak huni yaitu memenuhi persyaratan teknis, persyaratan administrasi, maupun persyaratan lingkungan. Kampung Nelayan Tegalsari merupakan salah satu kampung yang berada di pesisir Kota Tegal dan merupakan salah satu lokasi yang di nilai pemerintah Kota Tegal paling kumuh. Kampung ini di huni oleh masyarakat yang mayoritas mata pencaharian bergantung pada laut yaitu sebagai nelayan dan budidaya tambak. Sebagaimana kawasan pesisir pada umumnya, pembangunan di kawasan Pesisir masih menghadapi beberapa masalah di antaranya: sarana pelayanan dasar termasuk prasarana fisik masih terbatas; kondisi lingkungan kurang terpelihara sehingga kurang memenuhi persyaratan kesehatan; air bersih dan sanitasi jauh dari mencukupi, keadaan perumahan umumnya masih jauh dari layak huni; dan pendapatan penduduk masih sangat rendah. Pemerintah didalam penyelenggaraan kawasan permukiman sesuai dengan UU Nomor 1 tahun 2011 tentang Perumahan dan Kawasan Permukiman mendorong perwujudan kawasan permukiman yang berfungsi sebagai lingkungan hunian dan tempat kegiatan yang mendukung perkehidupan dan penghidupan yang terencana, menyeluruh, terpadu, dan berkelanjutan. Hal ini diterjemahlan oleh Kementrian Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahan Rakyat (PUPR) untuk pembangunan 11 Kampung Nelayan dan salah satunya adalah kampung nelayan tegalsari Kota Tegal. Hal ini juga sesuai dengan arahan Presiden Joko Widodo yang menunjuk langsung penataan Kampung Nelayan Tegalsari saat berkunjung ke kawasan tersebut pada tahun 2014 lalu. Program penataan kampung fokus pada pembangunan sarana dan prasarana dasar seperti ruang terbuka hiaju, penyediaan utilitas warga seperti air bersih dan sanitasi kemudian nantinya akan dilanjutkan dengan pembangunan rumah deret, rumah susun khusus nelayan, instalasi pengelolaan air

Chandigarh, the first planned city of North-west India saw the growth of slums and segregated growth of the poor settlements in the past. Although Chandigarh has been taking some initiatives to provide housing and basic services to the... more

Chandigarh, the first planned city of North-west India saw the growth of slums and segregated growth of the poor settlements in the past. Although Chandigarh has been taking some initiatives to provide housing and basic services to the poor, it was only recently, the city took very drastic steps to enhance the access to housing and basic services to the poor living in segregated settlements. It has implemented an ambitious housing project in the city which has demonstrated positive results. The paper is an effort to highlight how and what kind of efforts have been taken by Chandigarh city to include the excluded by providing housing to the slum dwellers. An effort has also been made to know the perception of the beneficiaries of the housing programme to suggest a suitable strategy for similar initiatives elsewhere.

Stefano Portelli è un antropologo, che vive a Roma. L'ho incontrato per la prima volta il 15 agosto 2015 durante la Processione dell'Assunta all'Idroscalo. Uno di quegli incontri in cui la curiosità verso il prossimo scatena quel feeling... more

Stefano Portelli è un antropologo, che vive a Roma. L'ho incontrato per la prima volta il 15 agosto 2015 durante la Processione dell'Assunta all'Idroscalo. Uno di quegli incontri in cui la curiosità verso il prossimo scatena quel feeling dettato dall'interesse, dalla passione e dalla cultura che accomuna.

Hyperdensity created by clusters of skyscrapers deprives the working poor of their basic human right to dignified living. For example, Hong Kong is notorious for coffin cubicles, a miniature house that combines toilet with kitchen and... more

Hyperdensity created by clusters of skyscrapers deprives the working poor of their basic human right to dignified living. For example, Hong Kong is notorious for coffin cubicles, a miniature house that combines toilet with kitchen and beds too small to stretch one's leg. The present central research question is: What are the qualitative factors that constitute a dignified living environment for the working poor in Hong Kong? Through collaboration with a non-profit, Christian Concern for the Homeless Association, eight on-site observations and numerous informal interviews were conducted and carefully documented. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the complications that these individuals face-and hence serves to inform potential design solutions that may prove more appropriate, tangible and plausible. In addition, such charity outreach can also empower the working poor to share their first-hand experiences, and subsequently engage meaningfully in the design processes. Although this paper primarily discusses the existing context and analysis done through literature analysis and site visitations, it provides solid groundwork for further design exploration.

Review essay on the movie Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)

The last two decades have witnessed momentous shifts in the policies of urban development in India. For instance, the earlier policies of 'slum removal', 'slum relocation', and 'slum resettlement' have, in theory, been remodelled as... more

The last two decades have witnessed momentous shifts in the policies of urban development in India. For instance, the earlier policies of 'slum removal', 'slum relocation', and 'slum resettlement' have, in theory, been remodelled as in-situ redevelopment and in-situ up-gradation. This shift corresponds to similar policy changes in many other countries of the global south, notably in Latin America, South Asia and Africa which underwent transition to a neo-liberal model of urban redevelopment. This shift was largely guided by the dominant international discourse advocating the 'formalising of informal' and 'legalising of illegal'. With respect to the housing for urban poor, it translates into providing them with security of tenure and ownership rights. In India, the 'Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission' (JNNURM) was launched by the UPA government as a key driver to push the neo-liberal agenda of creating slum free cities in 2009 which was reintroduced by the NDA government in 2014, with a new nomenclature, the 'Smart City Mission'. In 2008, a flagship housing scheme, viz., the Rajiv Ratn Awas Yojna (RRAY) was pre-launched under the aegis of JNNURM with the explicit purpose of rehabilitating the slum dwellers in Delhi. Based on a long ethnographic study and 'right to the city' perspective (Harvey, 1982 and Lefebvre 1991), my paper narrates the experiences of the beneficiaries of this housing scheme, resettled at Bawana Industrial District on the North West periphery of Delhi. It also, revisits Delhi's slum rehabilitation policy timeline to contextualise these experiences in a state sponsored neoliberal urban regime. The paper, thus, deconstructs the 'myth' of rehabilitation in the urban planning and policy discourse.

Slum tourism has become extremely popular in the 21 st century. It is mostly prominent in developing countries across the globe, however in Mumbai it is still a relatively new industry. With its escalating use, slum tourism has generated... more

Slum tourism has become extremely popular in the 21 st century. It is mostly prominent in developing countries across the globe, however in Mumbai it is still a relatively new industry. With its escalating use, slum tourism has generated a heated and critical debate especially concerning ethics. However, scholarly research on slum tourism remains limited and fragmented, especially in Mumbai. With this, very often the community which is directly impacted by slum tourism rarely get to voice their opinions in the debate. Therefore, in collaboration with and specifically looking at Reality Tours and Travel and its affiliated NGO Reality Gives, this report will provide a valuable contribution and analysis into the perceptions of the Dharavi community using a qualitative empirical approach.

Efforts aimed at urban poverty reduction and service delivery improvement depend critically on slum dwellers' collective agency. This study investigates the role and impact of the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the slums of East... more

Efforts aimed at urban poverty reduction and service delivery improvement depend critically on slum dwellers' collective agency. This study investigates the role and impact of the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the slums of East Delhi. In the development of slums, the role of CBOs are often overlooked and undermined due to their informal social identity, flexibility in operations. These CBOs are key agents in social change but often they are considered to be non productive and often questioned for accountability. Through case study approach, the study made strong efforts to highlight and discuss the role and impact of CBOs. This study was carried out in four slum areas in east Delhi has made an attempt to explain various roles and impact of these CBOs in improvising slum community. The study critically examines various roles of CBOs and factors enabling them to perform. The study finds that collective action taken by CBOs significantly helped slum residents to improve government provided facilities and accessing various entitlements. The CBOs displayed their abilities in solving community problems, both short term and long term. There is a close relation between CBOs performance and social development. Thus, the study argues that these CBOs are very essential in local development and are indispensible elements in bringing social change in the slums.

Developing economies like India have a higher concentration of poor people living in cities which is visible in its growing slums and informal settlements over the years. The central and state governments have taken several initiatives to... more

Developing economies like India have a higher concentration of poor people living in cities which is visible in its growing slums and informal settlements over the years. The central and state governments have taken several initiatives to solve this problem such as poverty alleviation, slum up-gradation and redevelopment programs and policies. However, dwellings units constructed under these schemes are still lying vacant due to unwillingness of slum dwellers to shift. This is majorly due to the quality of the housing units constructed and the lack of basic social and physical infrastructure available. The research involves the study of slums interventions schemes-VAMBAY, RAY, IHSDP and PMAY in the commercial capital of Orissa the city of Cuttack. The paper examines the issues, problems and potentials with the government interventions and recommends the city level preventive and improvement interventions strategy.

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the socio-economic and environmental scenario and make a comparison among four types (i.e. public, private, socially disadvantaged and floating) of slums in four significant slums of Khulna... more

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the socio-economic and environmental scenario and make a comparison among four types (i.e. public, private, socially disadvantaged and floating) of slums in four significant slums of Khulna city. A total of 927 household survey was conducted by members of all 7 groups. Slumness of these slums are determined using Slum Severity Index based on physical aspects like housing structure and dwelling condition; socio-economic aspects like migration, income status, social conflict status; health and sanitation aspects considering overall sanitation system, waste disposal system and drainage condition etc. Also some correlation matrices are generated through SPSS to establish relation among different variables. GIS is used to generate accessibility maps in different context. All these results indicates that different slum needs insights in different aspects. By using this study as an overview of the overall slums in this city, it can play an important role regarding formulating related policies and strategies.

Slum upgrading is accepted as a priority for sustainable development. While there are clear challenges to upgrading, local support and community engagement are seen as essential to success. Typical " top-down " approaches led by... more

Slum upgrading is accepted as a priority for sustainable development. While there are clear challenges to upgrading, local support and community engagement are seen as essential to success. Typical " top-down " approaches led by institutions with power and resources may fail to generate local engagement. Conversely, initiatives led by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) or other self-help groups may garner good community support but may lack institutional and material resources to meet objectives. A hybrid approach that engages the community while mobilizing the resources of governments and large agencies can overcome some of these limitations, but it is not without complications. We examine the process and impact of a slum upgrading pilot project in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, that operationalized this hybrid approach by adopting an adaptive management model to promote community engagement. The project was part of the Government of Kenya's Kenya Slum Upgrading Program and involved the Kibera Water and Sanitation Project led by UN-Habitat's Urban Basic Services Branch. The project showed significant early success in building community engagement, but it also encountered significant challenges. We assess the project's success in building community engagement by (a) analyzing documents that reflected the institutional discourse related to the project, (b) examining the record of the implementation of the project, and (c) conducting field surveys and interviews to assess community perception of the project. Survey results show that critical infrastructure in the community has improved over the course of the project and expectations for continued improvement in the future have developed. The study concludes that using an adaptive management approach and strongly promoting community involvement should be the aim of institutions delivering slum-upgrading projects and that this can result in effective, successful development outcomes. While the approach does present significant risks of creating unrealistic expectations, the benefits to project management are clear.

Urban population in India has been rising rapidly as millions of migrants are moving to urban areas aspiring for higher earning and better living conditions. The number of urban poor is also growing, and a significant number of these poor... more