<p>Redevelopment plans threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in Dharavi, a city within the city of Mumbai. This book dispells the idea that a “slum” can only be a location for despair. Dharavi: Documenting Informalities reveals thriving communities, innovative architecture and powerful grass roots politics. By moving beyond abstract concepts such as globalization and post-colonialism, Dharavi: Documenting Informalities gives detailed, personal accounts of the many ways in which we are all linked to Dharavi’s people and industries.<br /> Essays by Saskia Sassen, Arjun Appadurai and Sheela Patel complement<br /> maps, photographs, drawings and interviews made by a group of artists and architects from The Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm.<br /> In Dharavi, houses and workplaces have developed over generations. Markets, alleys and the landscape itself were created as a result of actions and hard work, through negotiations and mutual needs. Memories of these<br /> struggles, stories and dreams all intertwine in Dharavi.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This chronicle twists the informal society toward a formal one. It aims to show the creative power of the grass-roots and encourage politicians and other stake-holders to listen and to provide the means for infrastructure<br /> and services. &nbsp;<em>— Maria Lantz and Jonatan Habib Engqvist, editors</em></p>