Page 62 - SHELTER
P. 62
POLICY REVIEW
TOWARDS AFFORDABILITY TO URBAN POOR
-Learnings from Dharavi and The World
The idea of slum redevelopment visions.
AR. SNEHAL SHIRISH often comes forward through
GHAG projecting the inappropriateness SLUM: AS AN
of housing, infrastructure and AFFORDABLE OPTION
lack of tenure security to the
slum dwellers by the concerned According to Alan Gilbert,
Over the years, various institutions. However, even though the term ‘Slum’ is often found
proposals and housing it is a reality, it is also an affordable interpreted as ‘dangerous’, as it
solutions were put option for the urban poor, where opens up complex myths about
forward by different the land is available, accessible and poor people. The World Bank had
experts which had tried becomes affordable in fulfilling the projected a scenario regarding
to solve the problem of everyday needs. The case of Dharavi slums which explained how
making cities slum-free, demonstrates the example of slum hundreds of millions of urban
which are the larger level formation by the urban poor over poor in the developing world
strategies that do not the years for fulfilling the needs for live in an unsafe environment
acknowledge the urban their livelihood which is based on which creates threats to their
poor on a deeper level. small scale industries that have a health and security. And these
So, there is a need to strong network within Dharavi as living environments also lack
go deep down into the well as within the city. The state has basic infrastructure and services
living pattern of Dharavi taken the initiative of making the (Alan Gilbert, 2007) . However,
residents. There is a need ‘Dharavi redevelopment project’, even though it is a reality, it
to plug in the formal a vision which aims to contribute is also an affordable option
role of an NGO or NGOs towards making Mumbai a ‘World for the urban poor as their
to go on the deeper Class City’, which has led to struggle for obtaining everyday
level understanding of opposition by the communities needs are associated with the
community needs and residing in Dharavi along with the spatial characteristics of slums.
to gain the community’s group of citizens. This paper focuses Similarly, during the 1900s
trust. on how the city’s ‘slum policies’ people had settled in Dharavi
are endeavouring to untangle the in search of affordable shelter,
problems of slum formation in the either evicted by the state for
city through examples of the world various reasons or encroached
with a keen focus on Mumbai’s slum for shelter and livelihood. Today,
Keywords: urban poor, affordability, Dharavi. The paper endeavours it is known as ‘slum’, where one
slum,spatial dependencies to think through the lens of urban can notice every lane in Dharavi
is developed in conjunction
Ms. Snehal Shirish Ghag (snehalghag90@ poor and tries to establish thoughts with their livelihood needs
gmail.com) is a practicing Architect and on their sustainability which are
Urban Designer, Mumbai. overlooked for building larger and its urban form justifies the
60 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
