Slum Networking: An Innovative Approach to Urban Development in India

A detailed description of the Slum Networking approach to slum improvement in India with full information on the design, planning and implementation of the project.

This publication describes in detail the Slum Networking approach that was successfully pioneered in Indore, India and is now being used elsewhere.

The renowned engineer Mr Himanshu H. Parikh pioneered the Slum Networking approach. It is a citywide, community-based sanitation system and environmental improvement programme. It seeks to upgrade the infrastructure of a whole city using the network of slum settlements as a starting point. The result has been a dramatic improvement in the city infrastructure, with a piped sanitation system, clean rivers and a much improved road network. This has all been achieved at a fraction of the cost of conventional approaches.

Although not a housing programme, the improvements in the infrastructure rapidly lead to a significant increase in the quality of housing, as people begin to invest time and money in their homes. Dramatic improvements are also seen in the health and education standards in the slum.

Detailed engineering drawings clarify the innovative engineering approach used.