Proximity and Permeability in Informal Settlements: Learning from Dharavi

Abstract

This research examines the role of proximity and permeability in the functioning and redevelopment of informal settlements through a case study of Dharavi in Mumbai, India. Addressing the limitations of conventional investor-led slum redevelopment projects, the study investigates how the spatial organisation of informal settlements supports livelihoods, social networks, and sustainable urban living. Using a qualitative and exploratory research design conducted between 2020 and 2023, the research combines field observation, interviews with residents and non-governmental organisations, spatial mapping, photographic documentation, and design-based analysis. The concept of hybridity serves as the analytical framework and is examined at three scales: the individual housing-production unit, the manufacturing complex, and the settlement as a whole. Findings demonstrate that the close proximity and permeability of domestic, economic, religious, educational, and social functions facilitate collaboration, reinforce community identity, and support sustainable patterns of mobility, employment, and resource use. The study highlights how hybrid spatial configurations enable socioeconomic flexibility and resilience while reducing dependence on long-distance commuting. At the same time, residents remain vulnerable to environmental risks, poor living conditions, and redevelopment schemes that threaten to dismantle existing socioeconomic systems. The paper argues that future redevelopment strategies should recognise and preserve the hybrid structures of informal settlements, empowering communities to shape transformation processes through approaches centred on collaboration, identity, sustainability, proximity, and permeability.