RE-FORMING COMMUNITY

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY G E N T R I F I C AT I O N : A N U R B A N C R I S I S I N C H AW L S O F M U M B A I

PRATIKSHA ACHARI PRIMARY ADVISOR: DAVID TRAUTMAN SECONDARY ADVISOR: ERIC FIRLEY

CONTENTS

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI I SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

2

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

• Thesis statement

4

• Background

6

• Historical events

15

• Timeline

18

• Site introduction

20

• Media Presence

22

• Existing character

26

• Mappings

32

• BDD Chawl Analysis

60

• Life inside a CHAWL

68

• Inferences

72

• Proposed development

78

• Conclusion

142

• Bibliography & References

144

3

THESIS STATEMENT “A political system focused more on the creation and expansion of business opportunity, than on the well-being of its citizens results inevitably in Gentrification” – as conveyed by Peter Moskowitz in his book, “How to kill a city”. Urban inequality has impacted numerous cities around the world.

Modern day India is witnessing rapid development. The city of Mumbai, with a population of more than 20 million people, is the financial capital of India and has always been a city of dreams. Various factors contribute to the beauty and life of the city, including the heritage old chawl housing system. Chawl is 3-4 storeyed building divided into single room apartments, offering cheap & basic accommodation. My area of research concentrated on a specific chawl community known as BDD, i.e Bombay Directorate Development Chawl, built during the early 20th century for textile mill workers of Mumbai. The single rooms in the chawls have extremely small floor area catered to low-income households. In a city where rents are skyrocketing, chawls prove to be a savior for these low-income households.

Government has proposed plans valuing $2.1 billion dollars for the redevelopment of Bombay Directorate Development (BDD) chawls, spread out on 92 acres of land in South Mumbai. It houses nearly 40,000 people in 121 buildings. The essence of living in a chawl is about the community.

People engage with each other throughout the day, children play together, and housewives spend their gossip sessions at each other’s home; for them chawl is family. The government plans are less considerate towards the community and only concerned for the new development. However, they also face the challenge of deteriorating building condition, small space living and common toilets.

4

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Through a series of extensive research, I studied about the living conditions in these chawls and the characters that I wish to preserve in my architectural proposal. Firstly, investigating the disputed pasts and projected futures, I realized the aspects of rent, cost of living and the migration patterns to be a crucial factor in the existence of chawls.

Next, concentrating on the several mapping exercises to study the existing neighborhood and their relation to the BDD chawls projects the importance of the location and the high land costs. Finally, site analysis aimed to study the character of the chawl. Their composition, lifestyle of people within the single room apartments and how they functioned as a big community. Every aspect is studied in detail to understand the importance of various spaces like rooms, corridors & community ground.

Redevelopment is inevitable but it should not lead to community displacement. In order to preserve the special character of the chawls, I aim to provide a mixed -use development composing of low-rises for the relocation of chawls, mid-rises and high-rises to bring in a mix of social background and compensate the cost of redevelopment. The single room apartments of 120 sq.ft. will now be more than doubled to accommodate the basic necessities and the overall development will provide for many more apartments. In addition to increasing the apartment size, the development aims to provide courtyards, community gathering spaces, public parks, local commercial shops, primary school and parks which is aimed towards the betterment of the chawl residents.

My vision aims toward cherishing the everyday life of chawl residents and preserving their identity within the bustling neighborhoods of Mumbai.

5

MUMBAI

6

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

7

Mumbai is the financial capital of India.

Located in the western region of India, next to arabian sea, makes it an opportunistic land. A city where one can witness both - world’s most expensive house and slums at the same time. Social, economic & religious aspcets differentiate the character of the city. The city opens up to opportunitities to grow and expand by offering world class amenities.

Mumbai skyline is composed of bungalows, apartments, villas, condominiums, penthouses & slums . Mumbai is a very densely populated city with 1.1 square metres of open space for an individual, which makes it a challenging real estate market.

INR ( AVG PRICE/ SQ.FT.)

APARTMENT PRICES 140000 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0

1

2

3

4

5

POPULATION

LAND AREA

DEMOGRAPHICS

POPULATION

30,000,000 25,000,000 20,000,000 15,000,000 10,000,000 5,000,000 0

8

1850 1940 1947 1970 1983 1991 1993 1995 1996 1999 2001 2010 2020 2030

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Male

Female

South

Western suburbs

Eastern suburbs

South

Western suburbs

Eastern suburbs

9

Mumbai city is densely populated. The real estate sector has seen a massive surge in the cost of residences. It is very difficult for an average earning person to purcahse a house in Mumbai. The rents to stay in a new development has also increased which is the reason why many informal settlements have sprung up in the city.

10

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Mumbai’s economic disparity is witnessed in various corners of the city. Concentrated new developed areas are abutted by many low-income neighborhoods.

People staying in the low-income households prove to be an important work force within the city. They function as the bottom layer of the economic strata of society.

11

Worli A posh locality housed in the heart of the city. It is a big real estate market and corporate office hub in the neighborhood area. The area has defined city’s skyline.

Land values are soaring in Worli, developers are looking for every oppor-

12

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

tunity possible. On the other hand it also offers housing for various low-income households.

It is also home to numerous chawls which were built during 1850s.

13

HISTORICAL EVENTS

excerpts from the book “From London to Mumbai and Back Again: Gentrification and Public Policy in Comparative Perspective.”

IMPORTANCE OF LOCATON

“RENT-GAPS”

Lower Parel played an important role in forging Bombay’s industrial modernity. The area’s reclaimed flats were chosen during the 1850s as the location for some of India’s first spinning and weaving mills.

By the 1970s there was a notable growth in what Neil Smith (1979) has termed ‘rent-gaps’ between the land-uses of Lower Parel and adjacent higher-value commercial districts. During the 1970s, there was growing pressure for the redevelopment of Lower Parel’s mill-lands. These were no longer located on the edge of Bombay, as they were when first established in the late nineteenth century, but had become strategically situated at the very centre of a rapidly growing city on a geographically-constricted island. In Lower Parel, strict planning legislation protecting industrial land-use thwarted any attempt at gentrification during the

DECONGESTION PLANS By the 1940s there were growing calls for the ‘decongestion’ of Lower Parel as a centrally-located industrial area.

CLOSURE OF MILLS A proposal drawn up in 1947, the year of Indian Independence, by Bombay’s municipal engineer N.V. Modak and a New York planning consultant called Albert Mayer, a former colleague of the urbanist Lewis Mumford, proved particularly influential. As part of efforts to showcase the fledgling nation’s international urban modernity, this proposal looked to emulate American and European models of an industrially cleansed and decongested city – including the 1943 Abercrombie London Plan. Despite never becoming an official document, Modak and Mayer’s Master Plan in Outline established a new agenda for the closure of Lower Parel’s mills and for remaking the accompanying densely populated neighbourhoods into ‘good’ middle-class localities

TEXTILE STRIKE The area was the crucible for the creation of a self-conscious Indian working-class and retained a strident trade union movement during the 1970s and 1980s. This was demonstrated by a prolonged and fractious textile strike during 1982 and 1983

REFORMS Lower Parel has been seen as a major beneficiary of liberalisation reforms of the Indian economy in 1991, and the spatialised production of new middle-class urban identities

CHAWL

- a large building divided into many separate tenements, offering cheap & basic accommodation.

Chawls were built during the pre-independence period when numerous textile mills were established in the city. Chawls housed the mill workers from the city.

14

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

15

NEW ‘DCR’

EXPERTISE

NO AUDITS

Lower Parel also benefited from the introduction of new planning controls in 1991, which sanctioned the conversion of small sections of mills for residential and commercial use.

In February 1996, the Maharashtra state government did, however, appoint a study group under the chairmanship of the internationally trained and celebrated Indian architect Charles Correa to investigate how best to develop 57 hectares of publicly-owned mill-lands. Proposals included the transformation of congested streets into

There has been no monitoring of mill-land sales following amendments to the 1991 Development Control rules, and no auditing of funds siphoned off from institutional mechanisms like the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction.

NEW SETTLEMENTS In December 1991, Tindall (1991, p. 3) wrote in the Times of India of ‘the sturdy and handsome factory buildings now just waiting in Lower Parel for new life and commerce to be breathed into them.’ Six months earlier, the Cambridge and Oxford-educated Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had ushered in widespread liberalisation reforms of the Indian economy. The private sector was permitted to enter into many areas previously reserved for the public sector, new financial instruments were permitted, the rupee

PRICE SURGE Situated at the heart of Mumbai’s Island City, Lower Parel’s land prices quadrupled from 1000 Rupees per sq.ft. in 1988 to 4000 Rupees per sq.ft. in 1993, and by the height of Mumbai’s post-liberalisation real estate spiral during the mid-1990s, the area’s former mill-lands were estimated to be worth $7.5 billion

16

OPPORTUNITIES Emphasis on Mumbai’s global status has been further reinforced by the creation of Bombay First in 1995, a think-tank directly modelled on London First to formulate initiatives to improve the city’s receptivity to inward investment.

FLOUT / REJECT ADVISORY Although never formally published, Correa’s vision for Lower Parel as a consumption-filled district has been taken up, albeit in a more piecemeal fashion, by several private mill-owners during the last ten years. In particular, the opening of a bowling alley, night-club and shopping centre in Phoenix Mills during the late 1990s has played an important role in signalling and asserting Lower Parel’s new gentrified cultural landscape

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

MIGRATION In Lower Parel, many former mill-workers and their families have moved to townships and ‘shanty’ communities on the outskirts of the city, often as a result of the shift of textile production to suburban sweatshops. This is evidenced by how, according to the 2001 Indian census, the Parel ward recorded the sharpest decline of population of any census ward in Greater Mumbai – despite the official overall population growing by 2 million between 1991 and 2001.

FOREIGN BODIES By 2001, companies such as the accountancy firm KPMG, bank HSBC and the advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather had all taken upmarket office space in Lower Parel’s mill buildings. By the new millennium, several new luxury residential high-rises had been constructed on Lower Parel’s mill-land with names such as Phoenix Towers, directly overshadowing the one-room tenements below known as

chawls.

These controls were subsequently altered in 2001 to allow large-scale development on mill land – a ruling which despite several public interest petitions has been allowed to stand.

Displacement in Lower Parel, however, has been manifest in more coercive forms than a decline in formal housing opportunities for less affluent groups. Gentrification in Lower Parel has been embroiled with intensified efforts by middle-class citizens’ groups over the past fifteen years to reclaim Indian cities from the urban poor. As Whitehead and More (2007, p. 2433) argue, a process of ‘class cleansing’ has been undertaken in Mumbai’s gentrified areas as part of attempts to produce a ‘zone of recreational, commercial and residential excellence’.

Lower Parel’s traditional chimney-filled skyline has been punctured by new brightly coloured residential high-rises with many of its old industrial buildings, such as those of Phoenix Mills, demolished or converted to make way for shopping malls, office complexes and leisure facilities. As Adarkar and Menon (2006, p. 3) suggest, ‘the gentrification of the area is hard to ignore’. The construction of the mills also meant that workers, the majority of whom lived within fifteen minutes walk of their workplace, established a thriving new social milieu of tenements, neighbourhoods and markets.

17

Analytical timeline spanning over 180 years - starting from the 1850s highlighting the important events and several graphs which run together to show the overlapping conditions.

The primary graph deals with population growth over the years - red man indicates an arbitrary number nearly equal to 800,000 and it keeps adding to the existing population which is the grey man from the previous years. This way of representing makes it clear that the population in 2020 was nearly 25 times that in 1850.

Three parallel graphs start from the year 1990s, first shows the increase in land prices over a couple of years, second shows the migration numbers and the third one shows the amount of land prices in each year after 1990s.

Important events in Mumbai are showcased in the lower half of the timeline.

18

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

19

Aerial view of B.D.D. chawls

B.D.D (BOMBAY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE) CHAWLS Mumbai City Government has proposed plans for redevelopment of B.D.D. chawls.

A big community which is home to low-income groups of Mumbai is now facing the threat of redevelopment. Located in a highly priced real estate market of Mumbai, this project has attracted the attention of developers due to existing detriorating building condition. Private investors and government is keen on changing the urban context of this neighborhood, which makes it a very important redevelopment project.

20

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

21

MEDIA PRESENCE ACADEMIC PRESS

POPULAR PRESS

DIGITAL REALM

URBAN TRANSFORMATION

AS CHAWLS MAKE WAY FOR SKYSCRAPPER, THEIR PART IN MAINTAINING THE

WHILE YEARS OF NEGLECT AND DECAY HAVE NOW MADE THE CHAWLS UNSUSTAINABLE FOR IT’S RESIDENTS TO LIVE IN, BY MANY MEASURES THEIR

THROUGH GENTRIFICATION HAS RESULTED IN FRAGMENTED PARCELS OF SPACES, EACH CONDITIONED BY SPECIFIC PRACTICES OF PLACE-MAKING, GIVING BIRTH TO AN UNSETTLED CITY WITH UNSTABLE LIVELIHOOD FOR THE OLDER INHABITANTS, DEPENDENT ON A HUGE INFORMAL SECTOR.

22 22

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

CITY’S DIVERSITY

IS LOST, AS INFORMAL RULES & BIASES INCREASINGLY ERODE THE MULTI-CULTURAL CHARACTER OF THE CITIES.

‘UNLIVABLE’

STATE IS STEADILY USED AS A REASON FOR COMPLETE DEMOLITION RATHER THAN ANY SCOPE OF REPAIR.

23

24

SUPPORT

OPPOSE

Group of people in support of Redevelopment

Group of people in opposition to Redevelopment

• Government

• Residents

• Real Estate Developer

• Traditionalist

• Buyers

• Conservationist

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

25

BUILT YEAR: 1920 AREA OF PLOT : 92 ACRES TOTAL NUMBER OF BUILDINGS : 121 POPULATION : ~40000 NUMBER OF SINGLE ROOM APARTMENTS: 9680 NO. OF FLOORS PER BUILDING: 4 FSI (FLOOR SPACE INDEX): 3

EXISTING CHARACTER

26

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

27

NEW NEIGHBORHOODS

HISTORIC CHARM

B.D.D. chawls built during 1920s provided a means of shelter for the low-income household workers from Textile mills. It housed the entire family in a single room apartment

28

with minmum facilities for sustenance. This project was a government initiative to help provide housing facilities for all the sections of society.

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

B.D.D. chawls are located in the heart of the city in a very fast developing area known as “Lower Parel”. Lower Parel is a hub for various activities like industrial, commer-

cial, residential, sporting events, etc. Some of the tallest towers in the city are located in this region.

29

FRAGMENTED PARCELS

Lower Parel is witnessing rapid development which has resulted in different skyline around various sub-regions. The fragmented parcels especially built during pre-indepen-

30

HEALTH & WELFARE

dence are now termed as “cessed buildings”(buildings which receieve a repair fund from government).

These buildings are the points of attraction for a real estate developer.

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Chawls living has impacted mental, social & economical well being of an individual. Due to the close arrangement of apartments with common facilities, they have proved to a hub for speedy transmission of disesase especially during COVID-19. People

have extended their apartment outside the facade of the building using cantilevered supports which projects their ineffeciency in providing adequate space for living. Social well being is appreciated & rejoiced within these households.

31

32

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

33 2

34

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

35 2

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

FLOOD PRONE ZONE

COASTAL REGULATION ZONE 36

37 2

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIVERSITY

TOPOGRAPHY 38

39 2

Worli Facts: Area 4.16 km² Population (2020) 132452 Population Density 31852 people per km² Male Population 68998 Female Population 63454

40

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

41 2

Map observing the local context of BDD chawls and its surroundings

42

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

43

44

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

45

Density observed in surrounding areas. Intense ground coverage in the interior areas of town, sparse and more strategic development towards the waterfront.

46

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

47

Lower Parel observes a very heavy traffic mobility throughout the day. The network density of roads near BDD chawls makes it a very important zone in South Mumbai.

48

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

49

BDD chawls fall into a category of very highly priced residential land property. The current valuation of land price is nearly $1.2 billion.

50

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

51

52

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

53

BDD chawls is located in the G/S South Ward of Mumbai. The map above shows the essential utilities around the site.

54

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Floor plan of BDD chawls.

55

Ward-wise breakdown of positive cases As of Dec 05, 2020

KW

R/N

R/S P/N

T P/S S

H/E

G/N G/S D

N

L M/W

F/N

16919

M/E

E C B

56

16577

520

1040

15484

582

853

479

987

KE

16419

14722

779

918

N

13711

12372

551

788

S

13622

12172

652

798

GN

13574

12269

T

13476

12340

D

12875 10967

11856 9842

>=15001 cases 12001 – 15000 cases 9001 – 12000 cases 0 – 9000 cases

HEALTH668CONCERNS 637

Discharged2

Deaths 806 330 6 toilets for 20 houses, inadequate testing: Why Mumbai’s Worli chawls are a Covid hotspot.

593 426 Of the 121 buildings that make Active up the crowded BDD chawls in Mumbai’s Worli, 50 have at least one Covid-19 case 361 each, with764 officials struggling to enforce social distancing.

618 419 3

FN

10574

9537

FS

10442

9486

L

10421

9339

-https://theprint.in/india/6-toilets-for-20-houses-inadequate-testing-why-mumbais-worli-chawls-are-a-covid474 482 hotspot/423419/ 1 544 538

GS

9956

9018

531

407

HW

9731

8831

283

617

8552

442

364

8188

436

468

E

9358 9092

RN

8696

7867

309

520

ME

8626

7745

378

503

7378

370

492

6027

125

515

3524

157

139

1864

134

81

MW

8240

A

6667 3820

B

2079

1Ward-wise

Source: COVID 19 Positive patient line listby shared

by DEHO,EPID EPID Cell CELL Source: Covid-19 daily update the DEHO,

1139

15165

C

A

570

16631

HE

F/S

18171

RS

PS

K/E

H/W

18137

PN

R/C

K/W

19880

RC

2Discharges 3Deaths

Total Positives 2,85,260 Total Active 15,0961

15096 breakup is available for 2,73,913 cases (15,096 Active), Total 248326 10491 21 as on Dec 05, Available for 2,48,326 cases, Ward wise reconciliation for Discharged, Deaths and Active is on going

as on Dec 05, Available for 10,491 cases

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Data subject to change after scrutiny and ongoing verification process

57

SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACTS A new study warns that coastal cities of the world such as Mumbai could be at risk of being overrun by sea water by 2050 and that millions more could be impacted by rising sea levels than what was previously believed.

-https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/mumbai-arabian-sea-coastal-flooding-rising-sea-levels-climate-changestudy-1614071-2019-10-30

58

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

59

Study of the existing conditions within the site area of BDD chawls

OTHER BUILDINGS

60

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

MAJOR CONNECTING ROAD

ENCROACHMENT

61

MULTI PURPOSE SPACE

PARKING

62

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

PLAYGROUND

CIRCULATION

63

Focus on the existing property, activities, festivals and daily character.

64

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

65

Analysis of a group of buildings from the 121 buildings of BDD chawl area

CHAWL ENTRANCE + STAIRCASE 66

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

SINGLE ROOM APT.

COMMON TOILET

PASSAGE 67

KHOLI # 5

KHOLI # 4 #4 MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING

KHOLI # 3 #3 MEZZANINE SPACE

#2 COMMON GATHERING SPACES

KHOLI # 2

KHOLI # 1

#1 SMALL SPACE LIVING

Scene depicting the daily life activity within the chawl

* KHOLI - Single room in Chawls is referred to as “KHOLI” 68

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

69

Different arrangement observed inside a chawl P

SLEE

P

P

SLEE

SLEE K

COO

K

COO

SIT

SIT

SIT

K

COO

E

RE STO

R STO RE

STO P

E SLE

SIT

OK

CO

K

O CO

EP

SLE

SIT

EP

SIT

SLE

OK

CO

E

OR ST

E

OR ST

S

C

P

E LE

OK

CO

K OO

SIT

SIT

RE

O ST

P

EE

SL

E

EP

SL

SIT

OK

CO

70

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

71

72

SINGLE ROOMS

This space binds all the chawls together during festivities and everyday life.

INTERESTING CHARACTER

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

6 Toilets for 20 single rooms per floor.

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY

CORRIDOR

Provides opportunity to integrate different characters like transportation, local urban space & market.

COMMON TOILETS

MAJOR CONNECTING ROAD

Linear arrangement takes away the opportunity to create interstitial spaces

COMMUNITY SPACES

LINEAR ARRANGEMENT

INFERENCES

Provides opportunity for interaction, movement & passage of light and wind.

Area of 120 sq.ft. limits space for extended families.

PROBLEM AREAS

73

Through the series of images, I wish to highlight the interesting character in the existing BDD chawls which were the underlying principles in the development of my concept. Top-left image showcases the extended living spaces createdby residents as they do not have a provision for balcony space. Top-right image shows the screen adopted to create a filter from the heat outside. Bottom-left image shows the character of the windows and its importance to the residents. Bottom-right image shows the character of the space in between the buildings which act as an informal gathering space.

74

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

75 2

EXISTING MASTERPLAN

Existing msterplan shows 121 buildings in the context of it’s neighborhood. Community grounds provide an opportunity to socialize with the rest of the community and this is the space that they use for leisure on a daily basis. Symmetry, repitition and harmonious plan can be oberved in the overall development, which are essential characters to their existence.

76

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

77 2

- Redevelopment is inevitable but it should not lead to community displacement. In order to preserve the special character of the chawls, I aim to provide a mixed-use development composing of low-rises for the relocation of chawls, mid-rises and high-rises to bring in a mix of social background and compensate the cost of redevelopment.

78

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

79 2

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

Traditional Indian homes are planned around courtyards, where one would wake up and pray to the god through the sunlight receieved through the open space. Since this is not a single family home, I wanted to give the residents and opportunity to have a courtyard space which will continue the traditional space for worship to the sun, a place for gathering and providing the opportunity to disperse from their existing dwelling space.

80

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

81 2

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

The idea behind the masterplan was to provide the existing residents a relaxed and protective environment where they belong. High-rise is planned towards the northern end of the block which is closer to the sea to capture the view from the higher level apartments. A mix of low-rise and mid-rise gives the opportunity for social interactions between different economic backgrounds. Additional amenities like public parks, primary school and commercial space will provide additional amenities which are catered towards the lifestyle of chawl residents.

82

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

83 2

84

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

85 2

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

86

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

87 2

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

88

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

89 2

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

90

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

91 2

SITE PLAN

92

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

93 2

GROUND FLOOR PLAN 32 APARTMENTS

94

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

95 2

SECOND FLOOR PLAN 38 APARTMENTS

96

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

97 2

THIRD & FOURTH FLOOR PLAN 40 APARTMENTS

98

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

99 2

ROOF PLAN

100 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

101 2

COURTYARD + CORRIDOR

102 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

OUTSIDE

103 2

104 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

105 2

106 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

107 2

108 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

109 2

110 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

111 2

112 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

113 2

SUN & WIND DIAGRAM Screens, grilled doors and louvers provide for easy passage of wind through the openings in them. Windows are planned in a way to achieve good light & cross ventilation, which is an essential element of design of the non-airconditioned homes. Glass partitions in the living rooms filter light to the inside of the home.

114 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

115 2

SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO SIT & RELAX

WATER FEATURE WITH UNDERGROUND WATER STORAGE TANK FOR THE RESIDENTS

SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE

ACTIVITY DIAGRAM Community grounds provide space for people to celebrate their everyday life, as well as other major festivities. During the major festivals like diwali, ganeshotsav or janmashtami, one can expect thousands of visitors not only from the immediate neighborhoods but people from all over the city. During ganeshotsav, the space unwinds to accomodate more guests who travel the city to pray in front of Lord Ganesha’s idol (nearly 15’ high) which will be placed in these grounds. Every community ground will have it’s own identity which differentiates it from the rest of them, however certain amenities like the water feature and underground water storage tank will remain consistent.

116 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

117 2

Street section through the internal street in the low-rise cluster. It is a pedestrian only space where one can enjoy being outside carefree, children can play together and elderly people can utlize the landscaped gardens created for relaxation.

118 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

119 2

Street section through the main street which runs from the center of the site. This street is busy, has 4 lanes and accomodates the bus transport routes.

120 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

121 2

122 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

123 2

124 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

125 2

126 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

127 2

Terrace level of the low-rises has organic farming & folly which provides shade while basking under the sun. Residents can use this space to dry spices during summers and enjoy the weather on roof during winters.

128 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

129 2

130 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

131 2

132 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

133 2

134 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

135 2

136 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

137 2

138 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

139 2

A bird’s eye view overlooking the community grounds in between the low-rises.

140 RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

141 2

CONCLUSION Chawl is home to many low-income families in the city. It provides shelter to a family of nearly three generations. Social & Harmonious living is an advantage of staying in the chawls but one cannot ignore the current deteriorating condition of building, as well as the shortage of basic amenities.

The proposal will cater to the existing needs of residents by preserving the essential character of chawls. The project will serve as a prototype which can be implemented in other chawl locations spread throughout the city, requiring care & attention.

My vision aims toward cherishing the everyday life of chawl residents and preserving their identity within the bustling neighborhoods of Mumbai.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI I SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

142

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

143

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES Page 6: Image: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/mumbai-india-shopping-guide Page 8: Image: Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 26, Atlas 1931 edition -- Digital South Asia Library

Page 29 : https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-pwd-men-showed-loos-as-homes-forbdd-redevelopment-benefits-2712191

Page 9: Image: source=ifttt

Page 30 : Image : https://squarefeatindia.com/from-jail-to-homes-history-of-bdd-chawls-tobe-preserved-in-a-museum/

https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn/comments/bylch4/mumbai/?utm_

Page 10: Image: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/mumbai-best-nightlife Page 11: Image: https://unequalscenes.com/mumbai Page 12&13: Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/socialism/comments/bsqqd9/slumdog_millionaire_mumbai_picture_of_the_wealth/ Page 14: Image: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/apr/23/price-property-mumbai-in-pictures Pages 15,16 & 17 : Harris, Andrew. “From London to Mumbai and Back Again: Gentrification and Public Policy in Comparative Perspective.” Urban Studies 45, no. 12 (2008): 2407-428. Accessed September 17, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43197719.

Pages 32,33,34&35 : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1895_Times_of_India_Map_ of_Bombay,_India_-_Geographicus_-_Bombay-times-1895.jpg; https://hum54-15.omeka.fas. harvard.edu/exhibits/show/mumbai/item/1911; https://hum54-15.omeka.fas.harvard.edu/ exhibits/show/mumbai_development/introduction; Eicher Goodearth Limited. Mumbai & Navi Mumbai road guide : includes Thane, Bhayandar, Panvel, Uran. New Delhi : Eicher Goodearth Limited, c2003. Scale [ca. 1:45,000].; https://censusindia.gov.in/maps/Town_maps/Mum_ slum_pop.aspx Page 36-38: 2019.pdf

https://dm.mcgm.gov.in/sites/default/files/documents/DM%20Plan_City%20

Page 20: https://www.bloombergquint.com/bq-blue-exclusive/bdd-chawl-how-indias-largest-urban-renewal-project-will-alter-mumbais-skyline; https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/ report-pwd-men-showed-loos-as-homes-for-bdd-redevelopment-benefits-2712191; https:// www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/lockdown-stalls-bdd-chawl-redevelopment; https:// squarefeatindia.com/december-creates-history-2020-fails-to-beat-2019/

Page 39: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Geographical-location-of-Mumbai-and-mapof-census-sections-in-Mumbai-Note-Numbers-on_fig1_328969328

Page 21 : Image : https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/93518680_2 951767088239339_1686984779305582592_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=2&_nc_sid=9e2e56&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_ohc=G6ljwTSK57EAX_dDKul&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&tp=14&oh=12b3eb7262c926460bdf3ac174985108&oe=5FED8AE7

Page 54 : http://dm.mcgm.gov.in/sites/default/files/documents/maps/GS.pdf

Pages 22 & 23 : References : Picture: https://i.redd.it/o5svhe05nc331.jpg Statement : Mukherjee, Jenia, ed. Sustainable Urbanization in India : Challenges and Opportunities. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Page 56: http://stopcoronavirus.mcgm.gov.in/assets/docs/Dashboard.pdf

References : Picture: https://jimmydevasia.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/jimmy-devasia-chawl-011.jpg Statement : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-landrights-housing/mumbai-tenantspaying-30-cents-rent-oppose-revamp-of-century-old-homes-idUSKBN18W1V8 References : Picture: http://www.menamalgavkar.com/ Statement : https://www.sahapedia.org/chawls-of-bombay%E2%80%94-introduction Page 27: Image: https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-s-bdd-chawls-luciddreams-in-concrete-2623396 Page 28 : Image: https://www.bloombergquint.com/bq-blue-exclusive/bdd-chawl-how-indiaslargest-urban-renewal-project-will-alter-mumbais-skyline

144

Page 31 : Image : https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/lockdown-stalls-bdd-chawl-redevelopment

RE-FORMING COMMUNITY I GENTRIFICATION : AN URBAN CRISIS IN CHAWLS OF MUMBAI

Page 40&41: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=d39c316b61364e86918fe566aaccf54e

Page 55: http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/Online/TOR/17_ Oct_2017_125858420A2NBZ2I4Annexure-ProposedTORFile.pdf

Page 58: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/mumbai-arabian-sea-coastal-flooding-rising-sea-levels-climate-change-study-1614071-2019-10-30 Page 64&65 : Image : https://m.rediff.com/news/special/how-mumbai-once-lived/20150114. htm https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/time-to-let-go-worli-bbdchawl-4676690/ https://medium.com/state-of-the-map-asia/announcing-our-first-keynote-speaker-dr-anitapatil-deshmukh-59846b913002 https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/321937073333730395/ Page 74& 75: https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-s-bdd-chawls-lucid-dreamsin-concrete-2623396; https://www.mumbailive.com/en/infrastructure/bdd-chawl-residentscommittee-request-to-mhada-and-state-government-to-stop-acb-enquiry-39082; https:// www.mumbailive.com/en/infrastructure/congress-alleges-of-corruption-in-bdd-redevelopment-tenders-10665; https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/time-to-let-goworli-bbd-chawl-4676690/

145