The High-Rise and the slum: speculative urban development in mumbai

Abstract

Abstract Mumbai is often described as an urbanscape sharply divided between opulence and poverty and used across the political spectrum to justify redevelopment projects in the name of equality. This article makes an attempt to do away with this false image of the city. It first provides an overview of the cityscape of Mumbai and its diverse habitats, paying particular attention to the slum and high-rise, seeing them as both actual urban typologies and ideological constructs. The article then discusses the relationship between urban form and development processes in the light of relevant urban studies concepts and theories. It then proceeds to analyze the typology, social meaning, and political economy of high-rise apartment blocks, which are systematically presented as the only possible architectural response to slums. Finally, it stresses the need to reconcile the fields of urban planning and economic development and open new paths toward inclusive and livable cities.

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