Reinventing Dharavi: An Ideas Competition

Reinvention incorporates all possibilities including conservation, alteration, replacement, retrofitting, reconstruction and redevelopment of the living environment.

‘Reinventing Dharavi: An International Ideas Competition’ was conceptualized to generate new ideas, concepts and interventions for integration of urban uses – affordable housing, livelihoods, health and sanitation, recreation, education, urban design and urban planning, social and cultural activities, environment, governance, economics, amongst others in a sustainable manner. The Competition was hosted in 2014 by UDRI with support from an appointed Steering Committee and Technical Committee. Several innovative ideas to redevelop Dharavi emerged from the competition which UDRI will take forward.

Through the competition, it was aimed to generate an exchange of approaches (national and international) as well as novel and creative project ideas to enhance the existing qualities and future potential of this site that particularly take into account the needs of those residing there at present. It was hoped that the outcomes would suggest, and express, an array of multi-disciplinary strategies considered through a range of time structures – from short term to long term, transitory to permanent or staged development cycles. It is essential that a larger group of people be involved in this process including government, civil society, NGOs and most importantly, the people of Dharavi.