Call for Articles: Mumbai Reader 22

The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) is inviting articles which will be considered for publication in the upcoming Mumbai Reader 22.

Theme: ‘Civil Society & the City.’ 

Civic action stems from the grassroots in response to events that stir powerful forces of change and bring people together. Many such events have shaped the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This year’s Reader aims to capture some such stories of change that resulted in the conception of crucial civic action groups in the timeline of Mumbai’s history. These have been pivotal in influencing the urban environment and policies of the region. The idea of the upcoming Mumbai Reader is to capture these stories of change and the role of civil society in shaping Mumbai in the past and a reflection on what this means in the future. 

The articles are expected to cover original stories and events that led to the formation of specific civil action groups and/or their most impactful civil action. We request you to write the story addressing the following:

  1. A title for the story.
  2. Articles with anecdotal narratives are encouraged, accompanied by factual information, about key events that led to the formation of the civic action group.
  3. Establishing a brief context (approx. 200 words) of MMR during the event.
  4. The role of the civil action group and other individuals involved in this story.
  5. Underscore the work that played a pivotal role in the entire journey.
    • The wins and losses along the journey. It shall allow the readers to closely perceive the difficulties faced and how they were overcome during the entire process.
    • What, in your opinion, was the key turning point or formula for success?
  6. Conclude by summarising your reflections on the process followed then & what has changed in the current scenario and what it means for the future (approx. 200 words).

Articles can also be in the form of essays, poems, photo essays, illustrations, cartoon strips and caricatures and more. The editorial team will review and choose articles. 

Submission Date

Share your articles and images before 15th July 2022 to publications@udri.org

Guidelines

  • Kindly share the article with a maximum word count of 2500 words in an editable text format.
  • Please provide high-resolution scans of archival pictures of the story, people, events and process.
  • Share high-resolution current pictures for a ‘then and now’ comparison. 
  • Kindly label the pictures with due credit information.
  • Provide images in jpeg format and any open-source file that may be necessary.

Submission of the article assumes that the author(s) grants UDRI the following rights:

  1. To accept or reject any article submitted via an open invite.
  2. The permission to print/republish the submitted article in the upcoming Mumbai Reader;
  3. To allow making copy edits to the article, as per the standard requirements of the publication;
  4. The permission to crop and edit photos according to the needs of the publication size.
  5. The author(s) acknowledges that the submitted articles will not be compensated for in monetary terms and free of royalty;
  6. To unilaterally make modifications to the above-notified terms.

UDRI will give due credits to the author for the submitted article, while the copyrights of the article will remain with the author. 

FAQs

What is the size of the Mumbai Reader?
The open size of the book is 209.80 X 354.60 mm. 

Where can I find previous editions of Mumbai Reader?
You may see our past Mumbai Readers at https://www.udri.org/udri-publications/

How is the cost determined for a copy of Mumbai Reader?
Urban Design Research Institute is a non-profit organisation. The Mumbai Reader is sold at a no-profit no-loss price. We print about 500-1000 physical copies of our Reader. We give a complimentary copy of the Reader to all its contributors, several institutions and government officials.

How does UDRI credit already published articles in the Reader?
UDRI’s standard practice to credit already published articles is by mentioning – Reprinted from (publication name) with due permission from (author name). Published (date). 

About Mumbai Reader

Since 2006, the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) has been publishing the Mumbai Reader, each comprising a compilation of articles and essays that reflect perspectives on various issues facing the Greater Mumbai and Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It is a periodical snapshot of the city and the region and aims to enable readers to understand the complex dynamics impacting the metropolis so that the present and future of the city can be well reflected upon. The Reader typically considers unpublished work and in some cases, published work, regardless of the format. 

About UDRI 

The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) was established in 1984 as a public charitable trust to enrich the understanding of the urban environment and work towards its improvement. We aim to make the urban planning process inclusive and accessible to all. We engage with complex urban issues and decode them. We bring information into the public domain and facilitate dialogue on the relevant urban challenges.