Dharavi

Asserting a controversial opinion, Michael McQuarrie takes a fresh look at the state of community development by comparing it to the slums in Mumbai. These vibrant and economically active slums make him wonder: have we created a dependent poor?

September 13, 2013 - Shelterforce

Indian journalist Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar examines the opportunities that informal settlements provide to the poor and unskilled for ascending economic and social ladders.

May 7, 2013 - Next City

The Project for Public Spaces (PPS), who have been working with UN-HABITAT on sustainable urbanization, describe why establishing public spaces can be even more important to improving the world's slums than providing power or clean water.

September 5, 2012 - Project For Public Spaces

Neha Thirani speaks with Rahul Mehrotra, urban planner and chairman of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, about the challenges facing "emerging India," including its parasitic gated communities, preservation, and 392 "urban time bombs."

May 18, 2012 - The New York Times India Ink blog

This piece from The New York Times goes inside the economic powerhouse of Mumbai's Dharavi slum to profile the informality that both troubles it and brings it prosperity.

January 1, 2012 - The New York Times

As cities grow, the spaces within them that are truly public diminish, according to this piece. But even with few public spaces, public activities can still thrive.

March 30, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Prince Charles is planning to build a 15,000-person shanty town in India, modeled after Dharavi, the Mumbai settlement featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".

January 14, 2011 - Daily Mail

Watching Slumdog Millionaire, the Oscar winning film of 2008 that is being released on DVD today, can be a bracing experience for those accustomed to the conveniences of Western living. The destitute living is accurately and graphically depicted and is all too real for those that have seen it. Yet, the real danger is letting the poverty obscure a larger, perhaps more important lesson about urban places: Many of these urban slums are functioning, productive cities in their own right, and represent an intergenerational path toward economic improvement.

March 31, 2009 - Samuel Staley

A look inside the real slum featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". The film won 8 Oscars including Best Picture.

February 23, 2009 - The New York Times

According to Prince Charles, Dharavi, the slum featured in 'Slumdog Millionaire,' should be considered a model for the rest of the developing world.

February 11, 2009 - The Guardian

September 29, 2008 - Prakash M. Apte

The battle over development continues in Dharavi, the largest slum in India. Its valuable location in Mumbai has had developers' mouths watering for years, but residents have resisted their drive to demolish and rebuild the slum.

September 8, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times