A STUDY OF SPACE IN MUMBAI'S SLUMS

摘要

The urban slum in the less developed world has an overwhelming significance of place for itsdwellers: it determines who they are, what they do, where they go, and whom they know. Unlikemost Western cities where the different realms of life (residential, work, religious, public, etc.) arespatially segregated, here they are all functionally and spatially integrated. A close examination ofslum spaces in Dharavi, Mumbai, reveals such overlapping spatial patterns and raises somefundamental questions. Is there a proper definition of the slum? How should we conceive of theslum community and its spatial features? How useful or problematic are Western concepts ofresidential segregation, ghettos and enclaves? It is argued that the historical persistence of urbanslums points to their indispensability, with the tacit (if inconsistent) approval of the state. Slumsnot only provide shelter to a large urban labour force but also a milieu that is conducive to intensesocial organisation and economic production.