Mapping Informal Settlements in India

Abstract

The urban landscape of India today is a complex tapestry woven from rapid growth, historical inequities, and the everyday negotiations of millions who inhabit spaces outside formal planning systems. This book emerges from this intricate urban reality. Conceived as a collaborative endeavour under the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), Government of India, the project represents a significant step towards understanding informality not merely as a marginal condition but as an integral component of urban life and development. The central objective of this study has been to explore the diverse manifestations of informal settlements across three major Indian metropolises, Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai and to investigate how design strategies and policy interventions can contribute towards more inclusive urban futures. In doing so, it acknowledges that informal settlements are not homogenous entities defined only by deprivation or illegality, but rather dynamic spaces of adaptation, resilience, and community organisation. This project recognises that to meaningfully engage with the urban poor, one must first understand the social, spatial, and economic structures that sustain their everyday life.