Why Dharavi Needs Skyscrapers

Mumbai's Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums, is a standing testament to the view that urban planners have little control over the population density of an area. When people wish to migrate to an area where land supply is scarce, population density is bound to rise, irrespective of how stringent building regulations are. Due to this, population density is the highest in low-rise settlement areas like Dharavi and not in the areas in Mumbai where there are high-rise buildings. In fact, the population density of Dharavi is many times of that of Mumbai. Even though there are no formal studies, Dharavi houses about 300,000 to a million people in a 557 acre area. In , the population density is 3,230 people per hectare. But, in Chamra Bazar, the most populated neighbourhood in Dharavi, population density is 44,460 people per hectare.

Without restricting migration to Dharavi, there seems to be no way to lower the population density of this slum. However, for it to become truly prosperous, the density of building could be raised, reflecting people's preference to live and trade in Dharavi. While urban local authorities have so far not taken any steps in this direction, global architecture company, CRG Architects, has proposed building a rainbow-colored skyscraper, using recycled shipping containers to meet the residential needs of Dharavi. This may help urban local authorities to handle urbanisation in Dharavi in a more realistic manner.

The “steel city” built by CGR architects will have two twisted towers painted in different colours, and stacked to give a 360-degree view of the city and proper ventilation. It will be made of 2,344 low-priced recycled shipping containers from Mumbai's port city. These two towers that could redefine real estate in Mumbai, and will house nearly 5,000 people. Apart from residential areas, there will also be markets, schools, and medical facilities in these towers.

To meet its infrastructural needs, authorities may allow many such skyscrapers to rise in Dharavi, while simultaneously strengthening its infrastructure. A look at how this will help:

The annual turnover of the informal economy in Dharavi is estimated to be $500 million. The unemployment rate in slums such as Dharavi are much lower than in other parts of India. The per capita income of residents range between $500- 2000, which is not unusually low, by Indian standards. However, people living here do not enjoy amenities beyond basic necessities. As the floor space in Dharavi is limited, Dharavi is overcrowded. While high-population density leads to greater trade and interaction, overcrowded spaces lead to diseases, higher infant mortality and lower life expectancy. Dharavi can maintain its high- population density and decongest its living spaces simultaneously by having many such skyscrapers.

The problems Dharavi face today are not unique. Almost every large city in developing countries have such areas. In the 19th century, global western cities had them, too. In the mid-19th century, the largest cities of England were called death traps. From 1650 to 1750, half the growth in the population of England was curtailed by deaths in London. The most prosperous cities of today's developed West attracted people who died too soon because they lived too close to others in areas without proper water supply and sanitation facilities. Over 100 years ago, life expectancy in New York was lower than in the rest of the United States. Today's Dharavi is in a better position to handle this crisis than London or New York 150 years ago. In an affluent city like Mumbai, by charging real estate developers who build into the sky, local authorities can generate enough funds to build primary infrastructure.

Dharavi can improve the lot of its people like cities across the world have done. However, if it fails to do so, many may conclude that slums like Dharavi are among the adverse effects of urbanisation. This will be seen as a justification for hindering urbanisation, though the fact is that residents of Dharavi are better off living there than the villages they left behind. With all its flaws, slums provide the most affordable settlement units for low-income individuals. Moreover, Dharavi's poor infrastructure may be seen as a justification to not raise building density, even though there is no evidence that high-building density would raise the population density. Informal verticalisation of slums in Dharavi has already been happening. If these informal settlements are formalised, the economic activity would be even more vibrant and dynamic.

Policies to resettle slum dwellers in Mumbai have been in place since 1936. But, such programs often neglect the needs and preferences of slum-dwellers, and are often formulated without consulting them. After a particular slums is demolished, slum-dwellers often re-appropriate their re-settled spaces in the city, as being moving farther from the central city is too costly for them. Property in Dharavi is not inexpensive; some shanties in Dharavi cost over Rs 1 crore. Dwellers here need proper infrastructure, greater floor space and legal titles to their property.