Micro homes which integrate spaces of work and are well connected to the street economy seem to be far more viable on the longer run at all levels.

How we locked ourselves in a box (The Hindu 02.02.19)

March 24th, India went into a 21 day lock down to maintain social distancing. People were asked to work from home, only step out for essentials and wash their hands frequently. Prior to this announcement, the inter and intra state transportation was restricted. These were part of ‘crucial’ efforts to curb the spread of the novel Covid-19. 

Dharavi is a prime real estate location due to its closeness to public transport systems, business districts, as well as ecological hotspots. The proximity of living quarters to where individuals work, often from within households, brings both benefits and challenges to households and businesses.

urbz animated a session with filmmakers that foregrounded the idea of locality in storytelling, specifically in the making of fiction films. 

Shahid Sheikh’s dyeing unit in Dharavi may be small, but it’s full of colour, care, and quiet skill. His story is one of patience, pride, and the kind of work that speaks for itself.

The future in architecture starts with a good hard look at the world as it is.

The small streets in the big city are one of the most important features of Mumbai’s fabric.

Not all is worthy of the bin! Our latest column in The Hindu explores features of Indian urbanism that could inspire cities around the world. (The Hindu 24.09.2017)

Cities around the world are acknowledging that local expertise, knowledge and skills are an effective mechanism to generate ideas, plans and strategies that can be implemented by themselves or by civic authorities and planning agencies. Earlier this year, urbz was part of such an endeavour where we conducted Urban Typhoon workshops in Kochi, India. It was an enriching process working with local people to generate programmes and plans for the improvement , transformation and preservation of neighbourhoods. People’s energies and collective capacities came together to become a powerful force that is promising for the future of Kochi.