Exploring the ‘process’ and the ‘product’ to resolve home-based work issues in slum settlements

Abstract

Housing is a vital productive resource for the urban poor. Though the urban poor reside in uninhabitable and unliveable places, they play an important role in contributing to the nation’s economy. Most planning and architectural developments focus on the impacts of slum settlements on city beautification, but less attention has been focused on the slum dwellers’ potential or the improvement of these settlements. This paper reports on the built environment intervention initiated by the Innovation Centre for Poor (ICP) Project, a non-government organisation (NGO), in the slum settlements of Ahmedabad, India, as part of an ongoing study examining the effectiveness of on-site physical upgrade of areas inhabited by the urban poor. The ICP project aimed to improve the home-based working conditions of the urban poor. The paper reports on the methods adopted in the project and the role of the stakeholders and urban poor at each stage of the process. The paper draws from evidence collected through site visits, observations, documentation and records in the form of photos, household surveys and structured interviews with the stakeholders. The key aspect of this paper is to examine approaches and solutions that can provide urban poor with a sense of ownership and comfort in their built environment.The ability of the slum dwellers to undertake the proposed solutions becomes yet another critical aspect for consideration. The inferences drawn from the study would be noteworthy for future redevelopment projects globally.