Learning from Dharavi: hybridity for sustainable urban (re)development

Introduction Mumbai, India’s economic capital, is facing growing social and environmental challenges. Social exclusion is manifesting through the spread of informal settlements, or ‘slums’, which currently house over 50% of the city’s population. The city is also increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the most severe consequences of which are faced by citizens living in informality. Informal areas are considered pejorative, resulting in their demolition and replacement by formal housing through investor-led ‘slum-redevelopment’ projects promoted by the government. Such redevelopment projects, however, are worsening the social, environmental and economic functioning of urban areas, with detrimental effects on inhabitants and the city at large.Aim Dharavi is selected as a case study for examining the spatial constellations of Mumbai’s informal settlements through the framework of architectural hybridity. The aim is to analyse whether settlements like Dharavi are hybrid, with inherently sustainable urban layouts based on the socioeconomic practices of inhabitants. This data is essential for exploring alternate approaches to sustainable urban (re)development.Material and methods A qualitative research design was selected for the analysis, with data collected in Dharavi through interviews with inhabitants and NGOs active in the area, as well as through on-site observations and photo documentation. The data was expanded with a content analysis of literature on the settlement’s socioeconomic practices. The results and discussion are presented through a thematic analysis of both data sets, according to the nine characteristics of hybridity: Personality, Sociability, Form, Typology, Process, Programmes, Density, Scale and City.Results Dharavi is hybrid, and the data illustrate how this hybridity is fundamental to the functioning of the settlement and the city, even influencing international markets. A multitude of practices are enabled in the settlement’s spatial layout, resulting in social, environmental and economic sustainability. Constraints were also documented on-site, which can be addressed in an inclusive approach to (re)development that improves the environment and boosts productivity.Conclusion The intrinsically sustainable urban layouts of informal settlements like Dharavi make them beacons for sustainable urban development and not pejorative. A paradigm shift is required to unleash their potential in the redevelopment of urban space.