Dharavi

Redevelopment plans threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in Dharavi, a city within the city of Mumbai. In Daharavi houses and workplaces have developed over generations. Markets, alleys and the landscape itself were created as a result of actions and hard work, through negotiations and mutual needs. Memories of these struggles, stories and dreams all intertwine in Dharavi. This chronicle twists the informal society toward a formal one. It aims to show the creative power of the grassroots and encourages politicians and other stakeholders to listen to the demands and to provide for infrastructure and services. This book dispels the idea that a ‘slum’ can only be a location for despair. Dharavi: Documenting Informalities reveals thriving communities, innovative architecture and powerful grass roots politics. By moving beyond abstract concepts such as globalization and post-colonialism, Dharavi: Documenting Informalities gives detailed, personal accounts of the many ways in which we are all linked to Dharavi’s people and industries. Essays by Saskia Sassen, Arjun Appadurai and Sheela Patel complement maps, photographs, drawings and interviews made by a group of artists and architects from The Royal University College of Stockholm