Photo 2. Darukhana, Mumbai. Ship repair area. Two-storey extension (front) of steel clad workshop (behind). The façade on the left shows how removal of parts of the façade is also a form of incremental development. Note the small candy stall on the far right, another ‘incremental development’. In fact, these incremental developments are part of the natural growth of buildings throughout their lifetime.

Photo 3. Agripada, Mahalaxmi. Apartment blocks representing formality, engulfed by informal settlements. The phenomenon of encroachment reveals weaknesses in the current formalized style of architecture and urban planning. The design, or should we say fabrication, of this building type is doesn’t generate sufficient life around them. The space is dead in terms of urban dynamics and it might be considered natural that newcomers settle on these barren lands. Even the use of the word encroachment may be disputable in such cases.