Focus on Mumbai slums

The city's slums, its grand festivals, and even the famous dabbawalas were discussed from the point of view of design, as urban planner and architect Rahul Mehrotra explained the 'kinetic city' at the India Design Forum. HT reports.

The city's slums, its grand festivals, and even the famous dabbawalas were discussed from the point of view of design, as urban planner and architect Rahul Mehrotra explained the 'kinetic city' at the India Design Forum.

HT Image

Mehrotra, who chairs the department of urban planning and design at the Harvard University, said design would only matter if it engages with social issues, and highlighted the need to design toilets for the city' s slums.

"The slums are not going to go away overnight and one of the biggest challenges for its residents is the lack of a toilet. According to a UN report, there is only one toilet for 1,440 people in Mumbai," Mehrotra said.

The organised dabbawalas got a thumbs up from Mehrotra for designing a perfect network. "The dabbawalas show an amazing example of a network that uses synergy and mutual integration."