streets more dimly lit. Looking from the perspective of typology, four variations of buildings were identified, based on the different combination of functions.
Concluding Remarks
By exploring the spatial and typological dimension of slums, a globally useful insight concerning the operation of informal settlements can be created. It is critical to generate information about these specifics because there seems to be a lack of understanding by officials. When mass housing in the city is organised they do not seem to incorporate all the different elements that actually define the informal settlements. What is more, these kind of spatial studies might support cross-national comparison of slums within different contexts. Mapping of slums is also important because then the outcomes can be presented and showed to the general public as well as to the government in order to raise awareness and improve housing policies - in India but also all around the world. Therefore, a concluding notion of Rohan was that, in aiming to get a better overview of different (informal) typologies, researchers who work on this topic should be open to collaboration in order to generate common and comparable knowledge.
Building typologies in Backbay Slum, Mumbai © Rohan Varma Spatial uses of a small scale Industrial unit © Rohan Varma
References McKinsey & Company, Inc., 2003. VISION MUMBAI. Transforming Mumbai into a world-class city. A summary of recommendations. [pdf } Bombay First. See: www.visionmumbai.org/ Riis, J. A., 1890. How the other half lives: studies among the tenements of New York. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. See: www.bartleby.com/208/ Rudofsky, B., 1964. Architecture without architects, a short introduction to non-pedigreed architecture. New York: Doubleday.
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