Aparajita Santra | School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi (original) (raw)

Papers by Aparajita Santra

Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural Research

This paper focuses on working-class women from the informal settlements of Kolkata, India and the... more This paper focuses on working-class women from the informal settlements of Kolkata, India and their precarious relationships with the city. Their existence at the margins of society (socially, spatially, historically, and sometimes even geographically) tends to make them invisible actors in the production of contemporary urban spaces of Kolkata. This paper examines the role of class, caste, and gender in informing the spatial practices of these minoritized women that occur in the city’s liminal landscapes. These practices are quite distinct from those of women from middle- and upper-classes in Kolkata. Terms like “public women” or “bad women” or chhotolok (a common Bengali term used for people from lower classes or castes) have been used to represent and mark these working-class, lower caste women as deviant bodies in terms of their class, caste, and even sexualities. These labels are important to understand how these women have been represented historically in the urban history of ...

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Global Studies

Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologi... more Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologies emerged. Of these urban landscapes, informal settlements (IS) are one of the most globally recognizable and widespread urban-scale typologies. Despite consensus that IS maintain marginalized populations in precarious living conditions, they continue to be ubiquitous throughout the world: an estimated one billion people live in marginalized communities. This article utilizes Game Theory (GT) to explain why IS are tolerated, if not embraced, by three primary actors: State, private sector (PrS), and IS residents. The essay briefly explains salient IS urban characteristics and relevant GT concepts. Then, using GT, the essay suggests that IS endure because they produce Nash equilibria (semi-stable) outcomes if all players achieve some desirable payoff. Ultimately, the essay proposes a replicable theoretical framework that can help urban policymakers understand IS formation and persistence as a function of actor incentives, actions, and payoffs.

Peer Reviewed Articles by Aparajita Santra

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, 2023

Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologi... more Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban
typologies emerged. Of these urban landscapes, informal settlements (IS) are one of the most globally
recognizable and widespread urban-scale typologies. Despite consensus that IS maintain marginalized
populations in precarious living conditions, they continue to be ubiquitous throughout the world: an
estimated one billion people live in marginalized communities. This article utilizes Game Theory (GT) to
explain why IS are tolerated, if not embraced, by three primary actors: State, private sector (PrS), and IS
residents. The essay briefly explains salient IS urban characteristics and relevant GT concepts. Then, using
GT, the essay suggests that IS endure because they produce Nash equilibria (semi-stable) outcomes if all
players achieve some desirable payoff. Ultimately, the essay proposes a replicable theoretical framework
that can help urban policymakers understand IS formation and persistence as a function of actor incentives,
actions, and payoffs.

Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural Research

This paper focuses on working-class women from the informal settlements of Kolkata, India and the... more This paper focuses on working-class women from the informal settlements of Kolkata, India and their precarious relationships with the city. Their existence at the margins of society (socially, spatially, historically, and sometimes even geographically) tends to make them invisible actors in the production of contemporary urban spaces of Kolkata. This paper examines the role of class, caste, and gender in informing the spatial practices of these minoritized women that occur in the city’s liminal landscapes. These practices are quite distinct from those of women from middle- and upper-classes in Kolkata. Terms like “public women” or “bad women” or chhotolok (a common Bengali term used for people from lower classes or castes) have been used to represent and mark these working-class, lower caste women as deviant bodies in terms of their class, caste, and even sexualities. These labels are important to understand how these women have been represented historically in the urban history of ...

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Global Studies

Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologi... more Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologies emerged. Of these urban landscapes, informal settlements (IS) are one of the most globally recognizable and widespread urban-scale typologies. Despite consensus that IS maintain marginalized populations in precarious living conditions, they continue to be ubiquitous throughout the world: an estimated one billion people live in marginalized communities. This article utilizes Game Theory (GT) to explain why IS are tolerated, if not embraced, by three primary actors: State, private sector (PrS), and IS residents. The essay briefly explains salient IS urban characteristics and relevant GT concepts. Then, using GT, the essay suggests that IS endure because they produce Nash equilibria (semi-stable) outcomes if all players achieve some desirable payoff. Ultimately, the essay proposes a replicable theoretical framework that can help urban policymakers understand IS formation and persistence as a function of actor incentives, actions, and payoffs.

The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, 2023

Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban typologi... more Over the past two hundred years, urban landscapes have changed dramatically as new urban
typologies emerged. Of these urban landscapes, informal settlements (IS) are one of the most globally
recognizable and widespread urban-scale typologies. Despite consensus that IS maintain marginalized
populations in precarious living conditions, they continue to be ubiquitous throughout the world: an
estimated one billion people live in marginalized communities. This article utilizes Game Theory (GT) to
explain why IS are tolerated, if not embraced, by three primary actors: State, private sector (PrS), and IS
residents. The essay briefly explains salient IS urban characteristics and relevant GT concepts. Then, using
GT, the essay suggests that IS endure because they produce Nash equilibria (semi-stable) outcomes if all
players achieve some desirable payoff. Ultimately, the essay proposes a replicable theoretical framework
that can help urban policymakers understand IS formation and persistence as a function of actor incentives,
actions, and payoffs.