This blog is a personal, unacademic record of the observations, thoughts, and lived experiences of a visitor living in a foreign country. Founded on the belief that socially equitable urban living conditions in the developing world are not just byproducts of market forces, government regulations, or social policy, this log is interested in the effects of incremental urban change that caters directly to human need as a basis for growth. As a mega city of increasing human capital, Mumbai is an urban landscape of epic proportion. With a population of over 21 million at an average age of 28 and a literacy rate of 86%, the city is saturated in the potential of creative ingenuity, but like a snake eating its own tail it is consuming itself through a concentrated expansion.
With particular attention to public art installations, architectural conservation efforts, infill projects, and small-scale built works, this journal will look at the ways in which individuals respond to and contend with the pressures and marvels of this city within a larger context of Indian culture. Nothing in its content is intended to offend, undermine, or neglect the beautiful and mysterious customs of a country that is also wrought with conflict and contradiction. Please note this is not an official Department of State website or blog and the opinions and information presented do not represent the USIEF Fulbright Program. This is not a platform to come up with solutions to urban issues, but rather to ask the right questions.
Please feel free to join the discussion.