To complement the debates that the public forum generated, the UDRI has raised support for a gamut of research and advocacy projects. These have ranged from supporting the Commission on Textile Mills, mapping of the Eastern Waterfront, producing local area management proposals for Fort area and more recently, advocating for participation in Mumbai’s development plan, creating an open database on Mumbai as part of a project on Digital Inclusion and understanding other regional dynamics in the metropolitan area.
Projects therefore cover a wide spectrum from studies to urban management proposals and conservation solutions to planning initiatives. Each of these involves a process of fieldwork, documentation and archival research leading to a proposal and sometimes a publication. Projects are therefore often supported through the activities of Mumbai Studio, allowing for institutional collaborations and through the outreach and advocacy generated through the Public Forum. UDRI also routinely files suggestions and objections, or intervenes in court matters pertaining to policies that impact the physical form of the city.
While the primary objective of all our projects has been to develop the insight and vocabulary of city based design, planning and conservation professionals, our recommendations have consistently been oriented towards application and participatory implementation.
