Delhi’s Leisure Spaces: Patterns of spatial use in a mixed-income informal settlement
Open Access
- Author:
- Ahrar, Sana
- Graduate Program:
- Architecture
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 16, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Rebecca Henn, Program Head/Chair
Alexandra Staub, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Mallika Bose, Committee Member
DK Osseo-Asare, Committee Member - Keywords:
- urban informality
recreation
unauthorized colonies
social interaction - Abstract:
- During the past two decades, scholars in critical geography, urban planning, and sociology have been intrigued by urbanization challenges, inequity in housing opportunities, and informal modes of urban development in the Global South. Countries such as India struggle with equitable development challenges, particularly from exponential urban growth and prevailing informality, making the desire for inclusive development practices a rallying cry. In Delhi, challenged by the inadequate supply of formally developed housing, the urban poor and middle class have sought alternate housing solutions. While slums and squatter settlements primarily develop on encroached land, in contrast, unauthorized colonies are developed on privately owned land. Their development violates land-use regulations as laid out in state master plans. While researchers are drawn to the complexities of slums and squatter settlements, there is little understanding of this other type of informal development, which is mixed-income, unlike the segregated informal developments seen across the Global South. Previous research has shown that recreation is essential for social, physical, and mental health and well-being. However, even at a city level, there is an uneven distribution of open spaces for recreational purposes in Delhi. On a settlement level, unauthorized colonies lack designated outdoor recreation, social interaction, and entertainment venues. The proposed initiatives by the state to improve living conditions in unauthorized colonies present an opportunity to seek insights into the heterogeneous resident populations’ use of and preferences for recreation. Using a case study, this research examines what kind of spaces are used by two social class groups of residents for social interaction and recreation, within and outside the settlement. This research adopts a mixed-method approach for data collection, including site observations conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes surveys and phone interviews conducted after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with participants recruited using the snowball sampling technique. From a theoretical and empirical perspective, this research is at an intersection of three key study areas: urban informality, social class, and recreational space. This research presents the perspective of informal community members. It contributes to understanding how residents of a mixed-income informally developed settlement use open public spaces for recreation and social interactions. In addition, it highlights the challenges faced by residents in accessing open public spaces during and before the pandemic. The findings draw attention to the need for small-scale interventions such as pocket parks within such settlements. The findings also contribute to our understanding of what the different social classes prefer towards meeting their social and recreational needs. The study found that while middle-class residents' criteria for selecting recreation spaces outside the neighborhoods are focused on social acceptability and social control, the serving class is more limited by physical and financial accessibility concerns. These findings can serve to inform planners and policymakers on the need for strategies to ensure equitable access to recreational spaces at the city and district levels.