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A Study Of Space In Mumbai'S Slums

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  • JAN NIJMAN

Abstract

The urban slum in the less developed world has an overwhelming significance of place for its dwellers: it determines who they are, what they do, where they go, and whom they know. Unlike most Western cities where the different realms of life (residential, work, religious, public, etc.) are spatially segregated, here they are all functionally and spatially integrated. A close examination of slum spaces in Dharavi, Mumbai, reveals such overlapping spatial patterns and raises some fundamental questions. Is there a proper definition of the slum? How should we conceive of the slum community and its spatial features? How useful or problematic are Western concepts of residential segregation, ghettos and enclaves? It is argued that the historical persistence of urban slums points to their indispensability, with the tacit (if inconsistent) approval of the state. Slums not only provide shelter to a large urban labour force but also a milieu that is conducive to intense social organisation and economic production.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Nijman, 2010. "A Study Of Space In Mumbai'S Slums," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 101(1), pages 4-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:101:y:2010:i:1:p:4-17
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00576.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Colin McFarlane, 2008. "Sanitation in Mumbai's Informal Settlements: State, ‘Slum’, and Infrastructure," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(1), pages 88-107, January.
    2. Richard Grant & Jan Nijman, 2004. "The Re‐Scaling Of Uneven Development In Ghana And India," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 95(5), pages 467-481, December.
    3. Alan Gilbert, 2007. "The Return of the Slum: Does Language Matter?," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 697-713, December.
    4. Jan Nijman, 2006. "Mumbai’s Mysterious Middle Class," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 758-775, December.
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    1. Coulibaly, Thierry Yerema & Managi, Shunsuke, 2022. "Populations in slums are happier than rural populations: The case of Mumbai," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    2. Jan Nijman, 2011. "Mumbai as a Global City: A Theoretical Essay," Chapters, in: Ben Derudder & Michael Hoyler & Peter J. Taylor & Frank Witlox (ed.), International Handbook of Globalization and World Cities, chapter 41, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Abigail M. York & Michael E. Smith & Benjamin W. Stanley & Barbara L. Stark & Juliana Novic & Sharon L. Harlan & George L. Cowgill & Christopher G. Boone, 2011. "Ethnic and Class Clustering through the Ages: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Urban Neighbourhood Social Patterns," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(11), pages 2399-2415, August.
    4. Andrew Harris, 2012. "The Metonymic Urbanism of Twenty-first-century Mumbai," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(13), pages 2955-2973, October.
    5. Lalitha Kamath & Anushri Tiwari, 2022. "Ambivalent Governance And Slow Violence In Mumbai'S Mithi River," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 674-686, July.
    6. Fulong Wu & Fangzhu Zhang & Chris Webster, 2013. "Informality and the Development and Demolition of Urban Villages in the Chinese Peri-urban Area," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(10), pages 1919-1934, August.
    7. Azunre, Gideon Abagna & Amponsah, Owusu & Takyi, Stephen Appiah & Mensah, Henry & Braimah, Imoro, 2022. "Urban informalities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A solution for or barrier against sustainable city development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).

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