Slum Clearance, Urban Restructuring, and (Re)Emergent Communities in Mumbai

Description

As part of a broader global process of urbanization, a number of cities around the world are engaged in bold urban restructuring efforts focused on eradicating slum areas and reshaping the urban landscape, in part in order to better compete as “global cities.” The city of Mumbai is in many ways emblematic of these efforts. Massive slum clearance and redevelopment efforts are underway in the service of expanding and upgrading the city’s infrastructure and opening space for corporate, commercial, and housing development. Foundational to this restructuring is the demolition of many of the city’s informal settlements and the resettlement of residents to newly built housing complexes. Although there has been a good deal of research about slum communities and the broad processes of urbanization and urban restructuring policy in Mumbai, there has been relatively less empirical research on the lived experiences of former slum dwellers post-resettlement or on the nature of the communities into which they have been moved.

Our research seeks to understand the impact of resettlement on individuals, families, and communities and the dynamics of both urban restructuring policies and local community life that contribute to relocated residents’ current circumstances and well-being. This workshop held in collaboration with the Tata Insitute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai, answered such questions as: How has resettlement affected these residents? How do their current circumstances differ from those that characterized their lives in informal settlements? How do the characteristics and dynamics of their current communities shape their daily lives, well-being, access to opportunity (including livelihood opportunities, formal institutions, and informal social support), and the nature and extent of civic and political engagement?

Period	2020 Feb 14
Event type	Seminar
Location	New Delhi, IndiaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International