ABSTRACT

Indian cities are expected to grow by over 10 million people a year over the next 20 years. Urban planning will need to provide for this growth, but the Indian cities have another problem to also solve. This is the issue of urban slums, with some cities having up to 40 percent of their population classified as urban poor. Without a well thought-out strategy for the renewal of these slum areas, the cities will not be sustainable, with the new populations only compounding the existing problems. An interesting initiative towards slum renewal is emerging in a number of cities where women architects and planners are creatively working with the communities in slums to develop renewal projects. This paper will look at a number of these inspirational women and clarify their roles as case studies that others could learn from. Importantly, these architects see the need to integrate renewal strategies into city planning processes to ensure that there is a long-term supply of suitable land for renewal and that job opportunities are nearby. As the men in slums are often out looking for work, it is the women who become the caretakers of the physical form of dwellings. The women also often become involved in building new houses on renewal sites. This role of women in the slums has probably had an influence on the fact that it is women architects and planners who seem to be taking a leading role in Indian slum renewal.