A multilateral design methodology for development contexts : a framework for the Dharavi potters

Abstract

The migration from rural areas to urban environments, and the continuous growth of the current population has caused an increasing shortage of low-in come urban housing in developing countries. In addition, the high cost of available housing has driven many in the lower income groups into squatter settlements in and along the periphery of urban developments. These squatter settlements are often the result of ineffectual and dysfunctional social and economic policy, compromised structures of governance, corrupt land markets, lack of equitable and humane regulation, and improper and inefficient finance scenarios. While poverty has many dimensions, urban poverty often has a broader meaning of cumulative deprivation, characterized by: squalid living conditions; risks to life and health from poor sanitation, air pollution, crime and violence, traffic accidents, and natural disasters; and the breakdown of traditional family and community safety nets. Rapid population increases within urban areas, crumbling infrastructure, growing inequalities between rich and poor, and insufficient urban services point to the need for a reevaluation of current models of urban development. Through an investigation of a multi-disciplinary approach to development, this project will identify the difficulties and potentials within the context of development in order to augment current design, planning, financing, and construction knowledge towards the creation of viable and sustainable architecture. The Khumbar Wada potters' community in Dharavi, Mumbai will be utilized to illustrate the potential for multi lateral approaches to go beyond the rhetoric that has compromised the discussion of architecture and its relationship to development work. The design will address development strategies and construction processes that express local conditions within the urban, architectural, and tectonic scales. Through the investigation and implementation of architectural infrastructure, the design will alleviate environmental, economic, and political constraints while accommodating local values. A potters' workshop will serve to illustrate the potential of a multi lateral design methodology. This thesis aims to suggest a framework for decision-making that can be used across various sectors and at multiple scales and the physical implementation of infrastructure that allows for the creation of more humane environments.