Kev's Mumbai Blog

19th day, friday: aftermath and presentation

2008-03-27T14:44:00.002+01:00

Aftermath: it was gone. A group defended it from people taking it to sell the bottles. That group brought it into their factory, and later dismantled it and sold the plastic bottles for 140 R. They said if we gave them a real couch, they would have kept it, as they cant make money out of it. They liked the intervention and wished for more things like that…

18th day, thursday: 13th Compound; intervention

2008-03-27T14:43:00.002+01:00

080320_13th compound_thursday

Intervention: we made a couch from plastic bottles, string and tape (we sold the surplus bottles for 30R). At lunchtime, we placed it under a canopy in one of the compound streets, at a T-junction with a small lane, and recorded how people reacted. People were timid at first, then tested its durability, sat down and socialized with eachother.

17th day, wednesday: 13th Compound; answers

2008-03-27T14:42:00.003+01:00

080319_13th compound_wednesday

13^th Compound: another contact:

Met with a 100+ yr old woman who was the first one to arrive to the 13^th Compound. She constructed her house after filling the marsh with sand and mud. She lives in the residential Kabba Walla Compound on the other side of the 60ft rd. Most of the people here collect waste from Mumbai, and store in the upstairs of their house.

16th day, tuesday: 13th Compound; interviews

2008-03-27T14:38:00.001+01:00

13^th Compound: more contacts:

Met with an owner of a plastic recycling factory, a doctor, and a former political leader today. All of these men have experienced decline in business in the wake of future development, and high electricity prices.

3RD WEEK: 15th day, monday: 13th Compound; industries

2008-03-27T14:37:00.002+01:00

080317_13th compound_monday

13^th Compound:

We have noticed that EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE STREET: sorting, storing, hammering, assembling, washing, thoroughfare, trucks, carts, bags on head, gutters;

self-washing, clothes-washing, cooking, eating, buying, selling; socializing at corners, under a canopy, at unused space.

14th day, sunday: kashid beach

2008-03-27T14:36:00.002+01:00

080316_kashid beach_sunday

Kashid Beach: decided to stay the night…

We had so many conversations with children, families, locals, drunk men on annual day out from Mumbai. They liked taking pictures of us…

13th day, saturday: kashid beach

2008-03-27T14:30:00.003+01:00

080315_kashid beach_saturday

Aaaaaaaaaaah… Kashid Beach

Train taxi ferry bus rickshaw: 6 hrs – worth it. Sun, fresh air, cool breeze, T-shirts, coconuts, goan curry.

11th, thursday: 13th Compound; introduction

2008-03-27T14:28:00.008+01:00

080320_13th compound_thursday

13^th Compound: Introduction; periphery walk

The largest recycling centre in the world, and the biggest money-maker in Dharavi. Pressure and prime development zone: near to Bandra Kurla Complex and Mahim Railway Station. Pollution and space: won’t adjust to future development.

12th day, friday: 13th Compound; contacts

2008-03-27T14:28:00.007+01:00

080314_13th compound_friday

13^th Compound:

Today we met with the leader of the 13^th Compound, who was just elected president of ‘Dharavi Businessmen’s Welfare Association.’ Then we got a tour of the area and got to see all sorts of industries: plastic sorting; plastic, tin can recycling; soap production. These raw materials are sold to companies from the outside.

10th day, wednesday: Mumbai Tour

2008-03-27T14:27:00.002+01:00

080312_Mumbai_tour_wednesday

Tour of Mumbai: fishing village, Navi Mumbai, artist’s village & Chowpatty Beach.

Fishing village provided insight into what Dharavi might have been like 100 years ago.

Navi Mumbai suggested what future Dharavi might look like, with its corporate ‘Las Vegas’- like buildings.

Rediscovering Dharavi with author, in Shivar Guesthouse

2008-03-27T14:26:00.000+01:00

9th day, tuesday: map 90 ft road morning

2008-03-27T13:59:00.003+01:00

080311_Dharavi_90ft rd_tuesday

at all times, the junction condition with 60 ft rd separate 90 ft rd into 2 parts.
temporary / fixed...

activities: quanititavely recorded; lots of activity at night
movement: peak @ junctions esp. at night; dramatic change after crossing the 60 ft rd to the south (near the power station)
space: counted steps; felt big/small/open/straight; repetitive; corner of buildings follow curve of road - material, green, garbage, making; wider @ end; different after junction w/ 60 ft rd - wider, vegetation, footpath; municipal buildings - different treatment of space - parking/trees; range between quality of shops - advertisement is key; skyline different @ junction; night - feel presence of cars, new road of commerce

WEEK 2: 8th day, monday: map 90 ft rd: night

2008-03-27T13:57:00.006+01:00

080310_90ft rd_night_monday

the task this week was to document key roads in Dharavi. 90 ft rd was our assignment. morning, day, and night. the night proved to be intimidating at one point...

90 ft rd is a very pedestrian, always energetic, retail orientated (90%) formal road that provides a vehicular link from the sion-mahim rd to the 60 ft road and beyond. very few residential elements can be seen (like tenement block gated entrances, or dark alleys/side-streets), until you cross the 60 ft road. business. delivery. thoroughfare. access.

7th day, sunday: elephant island

2008-03-27T13:44:00.003+01:00

080309_elephant island_sunday

FRESH AIR!!! SEA BREEZE!!!
lovely day...

click above to see the carved temples of elephant island

6th day, saturday: ghandi, temples, bandra

2008-03-27T13:07:00.003+01:00

080308_Mumbai_temples_saturday

click above to see today's tour of Ghandi's house, muslim mosque in the ocean, and hindu temple on the waterfront.

Dharavi Development Project: Mukesh Mehta

2008-03-27T12:56:00.004+01:00

bandra to north. dharavi slum to south. mangroves and river in between.

1950-2000: major pop. increase. 1996: govt: develop Dharavi as financial centre.

Mukesh Mehta scheduled to make $600m...

Spatial restructuring: relax zoning; transport and infrastructure; business; housing; amenities (malls, museums)

Tenant

Prove tenancy in Mumbai pre 1995

225 sq ft / family in tower slum

schools, museums, clinics; infrastructure, services, higher quality housing

(currently 1 toilet / 700ppl: use toilet at work / railway)

Developer:

$3bn = Dharavi Redevelopment

INCENTIVES: 10% Dharavi land for sale; subsidised accom. for squatters; 1.333 FSI

1 school, welfare office, society office / 100 huts (currently 625 huts / ha)

Must house existing mosque/temple/school in new development (ie, in 5-star hotel)

If works w/ NGO: concessions

must know exactly how many families to rehouse (ID cards)

produce exported to rich areas; wants to cut out middle man and bring rich area to Dharavi...

internationally acclaimed buildings and architects

Mumbai and Metropolitan Lecture: JJ school of architecture

2008-03-27T12:46:00.004+01:00

david harvey - capitolism and urbanisation

mumbai history:

sultanates before british and portuguese
1600s: East India Trading Company; Bombay natural harbour - collection of islands - fishing villages.
1800s: land reclaimed; ppl shifted around;
Bombay = several layers (no chronology) integrated into eachother
Bombay = new developments imposed on older developments
hard to tell new from old...
organic form vs. grid city

India trying to compete with Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore
building boom: 500 euro / sq. m

Dharavi: near airport and Bandra Kurla business complex; at centre of Mumbai bounded by east and west railways; beside rich jaya neighbourhood
Dharavi will be 'South Bandra Business Complex'

Dharavi = economic power - doesn't compare with land prices
v. important to working of city- integral part of Mumbai

urban sprawl: 1000ppl / 0.03 acre no open space…

densest on east and western railway to colaba
earthquake zone: max 70m tall building

informal sector = 68% employment of city (no tax)

globalization + urbanization = urban poverty

Mumbai = 15m ppl (60% in squatter settlements)

Dharavi = 6m ppl

no town planner in local government

slum growth rate = 8% (2% = other growth)

slum dweller wants:

1. job & skills

2. $

3. health

4. house

6 ppl / hut = 10 sq m (2ppl earn $)

80% living in Dharavi, work in Dharavi

noone dealing with urban migration

Day 3, tuesday: sensual walk through Dharavi

2008-03-27T10:50:00.003+01:00

080304_Dharavi_walk through_tuesday

our group walked east to west from sion station to mahim station, getting very lost along the way. this map is hopeless...

click above to see the visual documentation.

what struck me today was the calmer sense of the nagars with respect to the busy, noisy roads around the perimeter in yesterdays experience.
the density of the blocks of ppl living squashed together. the darkness and narrowness of tiny alleys with gutters and pipes on the ground, and electrical conduits at my head height. there is only enough space for 1 person to walk, but you manage 2 depending on how you can step over gutters...
the darkness of these alleys makes you appreciate the 'light at the end of the tunnel' and small spaces deep inside the community providing respite.
women seem to be in these small alleys, monitoring their nagar and socialising with eachother.
we came across 1 large public space (cricket and parking) and some small public niches today (water well, toilet, washing).
main streets are busy, ppl selling everything, ppl going through rubbish, children following us everywhere. it feels very safe.
strong contrast between the established, clean, legal community of the Koli Wada and its dirty, industrial surroundings. women making poppadoms in communal space, kids playing.

ppl asking us why we're here. now we have some contacts. political figures in areas. large vast areas of filth. ppl all doing something. kids everywhere, no supervision, follow us for ages. some important looking elderly men sit in shade at street corner. this is their turf. but we're welcome...

cross the bridge over the railway, out of dharavi now. this is much nicer. trees. hospital. nice residences.

Dharavi history: lecture in Shivar Guesthouse by Bhau Korde

2008-03-27T10:08:00.006+01:00

bandra to north. dharavi slum to south. mangroves and river in between.

1600s: Koli Wada

1880s: Leather tanning; muslims from south; entrepreneurs bring village

1950s: Land Reclamation

1970s: Garment business; muslims from north; export to Italian industries

Dharavi = place where any poor man can live and make a living. struggle. generations. growth.

diversity. density. harmony.

Christmas and New Year: all religions celebrate together

politicians: what i think...

1970: offer housing; 60-70 sq. m; politicians control area

internal community justice: come together to sort problems. dialogue. no police.

80% ppl already sold house. what do ppl need?

leave them be - no govt. help

just infrastructure - maybe rent spaces for small businesses (they will pay)

- not public space (they use prayer rooms, outdoor sq. etc)

if ppl sell for short term money and move out, travel 60km to work, no life. cycle restarts.

must let communities live together.

everyone earns in Dharavi. all working.

Day 2, monday: sensual walk around dharavi

2008-03-26T23:16:00.003+01:00

080303_Dharavi_walk around_monday

kevin, dayo, stephan meet sonam and daksha from the JJ.
task to walk the whole periphery of dharavi with our gps, recording the 5 senses. see. touch/feel. hear. smell. collective experience.
we decided to record from -5 to +5 how intense your specific sense is at various moments. how will they relate to eachother?

click above to see the sight documented from medium range and some close-ups, and also our collective experiences.

Day 1, sunday: adjustment day

2008-03-26T22:49:00.004+01:00

080302_Colaba_sunday

tired. smelly. smoke. throat. no air. dust. beep beep. sewerage. squatters! shacks. beep beep.
oh god are we staying near here? fish phewwww! rats. wake up doormen.
throw bags down. who wants a walk. fuckin hell...
smell. ppl sleeping under makeshift tent at side of road. ppl sleeping in back of rickshaw. uncomfortable. rat. cats dogs. men. scary? keep walking. light up ahead. nothing. turn back. is this sion side or dharavi? this is going to be interesting...

wake up. train to colaba. need to get to civilization. train. people squash. bodies. luckily im tall. hate to b that little guy under my armpit. they're all helping us! how is it possible to move in here? just is, small space. no need to shove aggressively. they're telling us where to stand. legend...
central station very nice (relatively speaking). gargoyles? is this an indian notre dame? taxi to colaba causeway. markets.
hey sir! hey sir! just walk on. no reaction, its fascinating though. leather notebooks. t-shirts. will this pub do football / rugby matches?
bade miya restaurant. more of a food stall. this safe? ah wel. sanitary wipes. mutton bhuna. amaaaaazing...
waiter. great memory. gimme some of that green stuff. pints. cab home. chat around. sleeps.

Rough Guide to Marconi Beam

2008-03-26T13:23:00.003+01:00

Rough Guide to Marconi Beam

This week we were put into groups to cover slum case studies in preparation for Mumbai this saturday. We were given Cape Town's Marconi Beam to document in a tour guide format of exploration.

What makes it stand out against slums from other countries is its beginning during the apartheid era, and notably its growth under the weakness of the post-apartheid government. With so-called 'Coloured' and 'Black' communities relocated en masse in the apartheid era, social enequality, crime, unemployment breed under areas with little or no services. The post-apartheid government's policies regarding solving the squatter problem and social inequality in South Africa are contradictory and promote municipal weakness.

The slum is exceptional because of it's proximity to an upper class South African white suburb and an ever encroaching economic power in the form of an industrial estate. The future is not secure for the inhabitants of Marconi Beam, and social inequality seems permanent despite government's hopes. With economic prosperity and an influx of capitol (in the form of the FIFA World Cup 2010), the context is changing. In this regard it is comparable to Dharavi.

Click on the link above to uncover Marconi Beam...

Biomapping Delft Suburb

2008-03-26T12:49:00.002+01:00

080225_biomapping de hoven aldi and asian market

the task was to find a motivation of an urban area in delft and map it. scale-jumping was encouraged, as was technologies of the gps and 'lie detector' (that shows intensity of place).

movement and the emptiness of space is what we set out to explore in a suburban area of Delft, where there is a great social mix of people (ranging from poor people, the elderly, students, foreign students, immigrants, middle class).

our group decided to recorded the sensual experience of the place, with respect to intensity of place, in a low-tech way. 3 of this group documented the visual intensity and movement of 3 specific points in this area: de hoven entrance and tram stop; asian market and pedestrian thoroughfare; aldi entrance and car park.

Intensity was documented by the quantitative number of people entering the space, on foot, bicycle, car, bus and tram. The intensity of this was graphed like a heartbeat in these 3 specific areas.
It was agreed that this excercise would be useful to someone working for some number-crunching developer, but this is besides the point. The route taken suggests that people are the blood of the urban environment, and the heart the place where they are drawn to / powered from.

David Harvey: Right to the City

2008-03-26T11:54:00.002+01:00

david harvey - capitolism and urbanisation

In changing the world, we change ourselves.

capitolism: pruduct/surplus; competition; growth - urbanisation is key

social/economical/ideological repression to solve problems of employment (eg USA post WW2)
- Suburbanization: lifestyle, spatial, political, capitol

financial probs - capitolism and suburbanization: 1973 property market crisis - NY bankrupt
building boom - stabilize global capitolism
lending: global financial institutions 30% Chinese Central Bank - risk

1st and 2nd waves of investment don't pay off, debt grows - who loses? gap between higher and lower class grows
eg Mumbai: Bandra's impact on $2bn site of Dharavi slums

what kind of world do we want to create? is there control? markets are uncontrolled number machine. urbanisation: uncontrollable aspect - growth and capitolism
social inequality. 2008 mortgage property financial crisis: poor land value decreases, rich land increases

COLLECTIVE RIGHT TO THE CITY

"revolution must be urban" (Lefebvre)

capitolism: rhizomatic and horizontal; economy - local

get to heart of capitol surplus usage to deal with urbanization. unite anti-gentrifation movements - urban revolution

past-present-future:
feudalism - capitolism - next technology of capitolism?
= biotechnology and genetics...?

Urban Complexity 1

2008-03-26T11:05:00.004+01:00

080221_Urban Complexity 1

thrownness - born into a context, then you make your meaning.
mind is part of world: patterns - habits
memory = patterns over time

cosmology: does the world have a brain? (its memory = culture, tradition, evolution)
mind, spirit, universe, god
world structure / our structure
technology: map - discover world; language - "we live in language, it is invisible to us" (Heidegger)
= tool of action in world
= frame for looking at world

horizons of attention: table-room-house-neighbourhood-city places-national-worldwide
"global is no bigger than what you have around you" (Bruno Letour)

we act on a local scale, through a technological frame, with a technological tool
what we project on the world is what we understand global to be
dharavi: no boundaries to understand it, multiple scales, connections, relations, horizons

Culture and Imperialism

2008-03-26T10:57:00.002+01:00

globalisation: change in spatial, temporal perceptions of social existence
- range of scales; Political, Economic, Cultural (media blurs the in-between)
always existed, but highlighted with technologies; printing, colonization, internet

Heterotopia

2008-03-26T10:37:00.003+01:00

Heterotopia

what i disagreed with / disliked:
- the 'Peter Pan illusion' - "i never work a day in my life!" - get real... an existentialist criticism would be that you are creating an illusion to neglect the responsibilities of life. i agree that you must enjoy what you do and live happily, never enslaved to monetary things too much.
- the emphasis on 'defending' heterotopia
- the ambiguity and inability to get one's point across in a concise way

heterotopia = mythic and real contestation of how we live
='other place'; nowhere; good place
= perfect mirror of society (utopia is fictional, therefore imperfect)
= spaces that mirror (and contradict) other spaces (the reconstruction of a village in the slum; irish bar in amsterdam - more homely; the theatre and other theatrical representations of other spaces)
= extraordinary spaces and transcendance - interrupt everyday life, power to mirror the ordinary (eg sacred space like the Gesu above - heavens and us; birthdays in the house)
= space where other rules apply
= an experience - do you work/play? (no economic rationale: artists and footballers)

for me heterotopia = the blurring, undefinable, transcendant space that is phyisical and mental.
the slum itself is not a heterotopia, but there are heterotopias within it.

deep-mapping the watch: chronotopology

2008-03-26T10:07:00.004+01:00

Chronotopology

Today we 'dipped' into this notion of mapping. The task was to use an urban device that defines and promotes a social practice. Reconstruction, Analysis, Product.

Urbanity: chaos, complexity, movement, changing perspective.
Tools: car, pair of feet, walls, building.
Aspect: time
Urban Device: the watch

Everyone in an urban context is always moving from A to B, always concerned with time.
9-5 living.
Mankind invented time to gauge nature. In doing so have we become slaves of time.
does City Rhythm = Body/Nature Rhythm ???

Above shows the contrast of two different livelihoods. One is the 9-5 day of the average worker from Rotterdam; the other the average day of the fisherman from Fiji.
Fiji time vs. Western time.
Conclusion: the less 'civilized' and 'globalised' society is more dependant on the Sun (and the seasons) for it's daily structure; the 'western' society is more dependant on the consistent order of it's context (eg bank opening hours).
This urban device shows how man's creations can enslave him.

maps cartograms ; 1 specific aspect ; 1 symbolic value

2008-03-26T09:16:00.001+01:00

080218_Mapping_Chronotopology

Today i found out how 'taken for granted' geographical world maps are. They have a very political meaning. I have noticed myself looking at world maps and identifying where the equator is and the proportion of north to south on the map. The map above displays the geographical placement and size pf nations of the globe in a 2-D format. It also depicts the proportion of power in the world. The equator is not in the middle of the map, and the northern powers are emphasized.
Trying to exhibit 1 specific aspect that has a symbolic value is very important in maps. The world map in the link above shows where Walmart gets its products from.

Photography: Jasper and his box

2008-02-17T23:12:00.002+01:00

Distance, Perspective and Purity; WITH JASPER AND A BOX...

A small group of us decided to tweak the expectation of today's experiment. We were supposed to take pictures of objects from a consistent distance, and then do a series of repetition of a perspective. If we could somehow do that and add a narrative...
We decided that Jasper would put a box on his head, stand still in various busy locations in the architecture building, and record people's reactions. The results were hilarious.
However, it was impossible to capture people's faces from a consistent distance, as when you got close, you invaded people's experience of the situation (hence, some people were looking/pointing at me when I took their picture).
As an experiment it was interesting to see us make an intervention in a space, and record what happens to the people and the space. It was a very interesting alteration for all the people who experienced it.

Bad Photo

2008-02-17T22:58:00.003+01:00

Photography Workshop: Bad Photo

This is a nice image, unfortunately one cannot capture an image like the way your eye perceives it at the time, especially when light is not abundant (eg indoors). I took the photo with no flash, and with all settings to normal (as if I had good lighting conditions), and it came out very dark (you probably can't see it on the screen of a computer very well, but it is a clear image of 2 faces. It's very natural and the 2 people don't know that there is a camera on them.
What are they looking at?

Photos capture an image and highlight a meaning (the purer and clearer the better), which may be external to the situation when the photo is taken. If the exposure is turned up, then the quality still won't be the same as from your eyes. The picture is darker and suggests a greater serenity than if it were brighter. The meaning is altered with the quality of the image.

Slum Building Day 2

2008-02-17T22:44:00.001+01:00

Fantasy Saves Planning 2

We had to get off the cold damp ground (wood palettes); sturdy walls (construction fences); we could wrap it in cling film (unfortunately that turned out quite expensive, but we managed to keep under budget with yummy Aldi sandwiches and 2.99 sixpacks…); the roof would be the biggest problem. Luckily we found a large plastic cover (which added a calm blue tint and was quite insulating).

You designed properly as you constructed it: the fences set the parameters; the wood boards set the size of the floor. Plastic and metal poles would span from fence to fence to hold up the plastic sheet. On reflection after the construction, that roof sagged a little and was not slanted. So if there was rain, we’d have a problem. It was well sealed with the cling film and cardboard, so air infiltration would be through the unsealed floor. Also on such a cold night, it was a large room, and it was too cold for the people who slept the night.

There weren’t many materials, and everyone was building so close to eachother in a cramped condition. We shared fences for walls with our 2 neighbours. Then the guys next-door to us didn’t have a wall to separate our 2 ‘clans’, so we decided to make both our structures the one large room. They had boards and palettes for the floors that we needed. So our larger room became the bedroom, fit for the 10 of us, with an entrance space. Their structure was the living room, where we could sit, drink and chill out. Cooking was done communally outside with everyone. Marshmallows and beers were a fitting end around the campfire. Respect to those that stayed, because it was freezing that night.

Slum-Building Day 1

2008-02-17T21:34:00.001+01:00

Fantasy Saves Planning

The shock of hearing that we are going to build a slum on the campus was nothing compared to the thought of staying there for one night, living on the (generous) 10 euro a day, including building materials.

Writing about such shock makes me feel spoilt, especially as we didn’t have to beg or find work as well. Also we had an abundance of material from the construction yard and the basement (not allowed, but that’s the nature of this experience).

The 10 euro a day thing was ok for 1 day (Aldi received good business), and scavenging for tit bits of food/building material makes you think laterally about everyday things. You begin thinking about how to exploit the weaknesses that the order of society displays to you. Although this sort of scavenging was enjoyable for one day, it takes up a lot of time that you would like to spend getting work done, or recreation (a luxury that a lot of people mightn’t have the time for).

Organization was a mess for the 37 people in the class, and the language barrier just made everything so slow. Not that any of this talking really got us anywhere in the end. Deciding the site, and the lengthy process of dividing people up into groups of 5 was the only useful outcome of a couple of hour’s work. Efficient discussion can never happen when 37 people are involved. It became easier, and calmer with 5 people. We agreed on things quicker, and our group seemed to always be on the same page.

The real work began when you set out scavenging for materials. After exploiting the lack of security of the construction site and experiencing ‘the man’ (a.k.a. the college security in the basement), our group sized up the members of our shelter (metal fences, wooden boards). It was then that we could have an idea about what we were going to build. Simple geometry and concept was what everybody had in mind.

Phenomenology: body and space

2008-02-17T18:16:00.001+01:00

Path = thinking

Babies discovering the world – journey/path – the city dweller - borders

Is there enough time to think nowadays? – globalisation blocks path of thinking?

Get lost – more meaning – the unfamiliar

Why do we think? – we are in a place – we question it

Here but not here

How do we experience time – when we think of past we put it in front of us

Past present future at once

Architecture = the in between / no place

'Building, Dwelling, Thinking'

dwelling as mortals: the fourfold = 'on the earth'

'under the sky'

'remaining before the divinities'

'man's being with one another'

Slum: characteristics and needs

2008-02-17T17:59:00.003+01:00

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Slum = overcrowded; physical/legal aspect; poor/informal housing; unsafe water/sanitation; insecurity of tenure (UN description)

slum dwellers seek: optimising house COST; SECURITY; journey to WORK; quality of SHELTER; personal SAFETY

45sq.m room = 13ppl.

Materials of cities for the future: crude brick, cement blocks, recycled plastic, straw, bamboo, mud, tin, chains, scrap wood, scrap metal

sites: pavement; low-lying areas (flood); highway/railway lines; creeks

1/5 dwellings have toilet ; 1 tap per 200-8,000 ppl

slum typologies (formal ; informal)

metro core = 20% Mumbai:

formal: tenements (hand-me-downs/built for poor), public housing, hostels

informal: squatters (legal/illegal), pavement dwellers

periphery = 80% Mumbai

formal: private rental, public housing

informal: private subdivisions, squatters (legal/illegal), refugee camps

Mumbai: Formal / Informal; symbiotic; who benefits?

2008-02-17T16:52:00.006+01:00

Mike Davis: Planet of Slums

formal actions on slums:

oppressions/evictions

temporary, ineffective aid

improvements (street lamps)

census/right to land (2yrs)

slum upgrades

grants (redevelopment ; roads/water/sewers)

SRA (Sectoral Plan)

informal systems:

extortion=tax-deductable

police/judges work with mafia re. justice

industry

make-shift sewerage systems

Dharavi:

Reclaimed marshes – boom:

High real estate prices; next to economic power

Religions, languages, cultures (divisions: ’93 riots)

Geographical boundaries

SRA (Sectoral Plan) to compete with Shanghai:

will be larges slum redevelopment ever (600,000 – 1m ppl live there: ppl since 2000 get new apts)

not good for workers (size of apts / industry)

ppl will sell apts, and move elsewhere; who benefits? (votes: politics)

World Bank: urban poverty = greatest problem of 21st century (Mike Davis: Planet of Slums)

2008-02-17T16:17:00.006+01:00

City=2/3 world pop.
2020: countryside pop. migrate to city
2030: developing city pop. x2,
eg. Mumbai: 13m to 33m ppl
2050: 10billion ppl in cities (95%=developing countries)

City-Countryside and the 'in between': dense web of systems

View Larger Map

a reminder of our spatial awareness

2008-02-17T16:13:00.001+01:00

Choreography of Space

a reminder of our spatial awareness: psychological space (we can be here but not here...); space in our body (content/container); the immediate space around our body (kinesphere - skin/context); wider general space

awkward moment: STOP! CHANGE - NEXT MOVE...

2008-02-17T16:04:00.003+01:00

the relation of group meetings to when we all spontaneously entered that 'space' in the DSD, struck a pose in our bodily composition, and then the bell rings... then you depart...

This is an intangible feeling that we all felt at a given moment, and I wonder why we chose to decide it was 'time to move on'? Is it because of a collective demand for action in the space? Or maybe because the composition simply didn't look/feel right at the time?

eventually we will establish a choreographed working methodology, thus working more and more efficiently with eachother...

the organic: primal nature of beings

2008-02-17T16:00:00.000+01:00

the organic

2008-02-17T15:54:00.002+01:00

our primal organic intstincts to find a place our world, be it a muddy earth filled with grubs, or a crossroads in a globalised nha trang, vietnam.
what seems like chaos has its systems...