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Slums in the urban ecosystem

While posing a complex challenge, slums also offer a unique opportunity for morally and economically imperative urban development

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Amit Kapoor Bibek Debroy

4 min read Last Updated : Sep 20 2023 | 8:31 PM IST

Roofs of plastic;

Walls of tin;

If cities were in black and white, how would we colour the slums?

Locating slums as a site of urban ethnography presents us with two onerous tasks — (i) conceptualising place as a “social actor” in an urban ecosystem, as some urban ethnographers would say, and (ii) understanding the imagery surrounding slums and its impact on people living in them. Places and people mutually coexist and shape each other’s contours.

Urban ecosystems are intricate and dynamic environments where humans and nature interact in complex ways. Within these urban landscapes, “place” emerges as a multifaceted social actor that plays

Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper

Topics : BS Opinion Slums urban housing shortage

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