Mumbai Office
Room 56/AB, 1st Floor
T-Junction, Koliwada, Dharavi
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400017
+91 98 333 98760
Goa Office
127 Quirnim Vaddo
Aldona, Bardez
Goa 403508
+91 98 2320 9788
Email: contact at urbanology dot org
Urbanology
Mumbai Office
Room 56/AB, 1st Floor
T-Junction, Koliwada, Dharavi
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400017
+91 98 333 98760
Goa Office
127 Quirnim Vaddo
Aldona, Bardez
Goa 403508
+91 98 2320 9788
Email: contact at urbanology dot org
Hello, myself sonam verma, student of BHU, Varanasi. I am working on the topic, role of art and culture in the process of urban change in Varanasi. Please guide me regarding this topic. I would like to work with urbanology, if there is any possibility please contact me.
Hi,
I am a student from the University of Auckland and I am currently analysing the resilience of the built environment in Dharavi, particularly urban blocks around Bareilly street where one of your project is located. However, the link to the proposal in unavailable, could you send a link to me regarding the proposal in Bareilly Street?
Thanks
Best,
Henry
Plan Residents home build at Ratnagiri district.
Hi Mathias and Rahul,
I’ve just sent through an email about visiting your studio in Dharavi… I’ll be in Mumbai for a few days from the 8th of September.
Really keen to have a chat about your work.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks,
Erica
Hi guys,
I recently wrote to you regarding the possibility of getting involved in Urbanology’s work… I read below that some emails were not being received so was wondering if you have seen anything.
Looking forward to hearing back from you, I’m really excited about what you do!
Thanks,
Cameron
Hey Cameron,
It was good to skype with you last month. And thanks for the links. Look forward to continuing our exchanges.
warm regards
Rahul and Matias
Hello!
I really liked your company and projects.Could you tell me please, is it possible for a recent graduate to get an internship as a urban planner?
Thank you
Hi.
This is Rohan, here. I had emailed Matias regarding my research on processes and practices within the construction process, and whether we could figure out a way to meet and discuss. Please do let me know if this is possible.
Best,
Rohan
Hi Rohan,
We had followed up with you through an e-mail exchange on our urbz i.d.s Hope you managed to follow up.
cheers!
Rahul and Matias
Hi,
Already a graduate in a Urban planning ,I am currently pursuing Masters degree in Urban Placemaking and Management from Pratt Institue, New York. I was wondering if there are any internship opportunities for summer 2017. Please let me know.
Best,
Devshri Shah
Sorry Devshri,
We could not respond because we were already full up on our internship program for summer. Hope you had a good program. Do get in touch again for next year if you would still like.
warm regards
Rahul and Matias
Hello URBZ group.
My name is Zuri Camille de Souza and am a spatial designer / human ecologist working in a slow-fashion studio in south Bombay.
I have spent the last few years doing research work on the relationship between nature and cities–nature as resource, as pleasure, as a medium through which to reclaim space from patriarchy, neoliberal hegemony. I’ve focussed on Dubai, Istanbul (where I worked with Yasar Adanali and Sinan Logie as part of the Beyond Istanbul team) and Bombay.
Through the compilation and curation of my photography and fieldwork, I have conceptualized and designed two books – one on counterspatiality in Istanbul and the other on feral wild spaces within Montreal and Bombay.
Here you can find my work:
PORTFOLIO http://cargocollective.com/zuricamilledesouza
COUNTERSPACES http://cargocollective.com/counterspaces
FERAL CITIES http://feralcities.bigcartel.com/
I’d love to see possibilities to collaborate/work for/with you!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Zuri
Hi Matias,
I sent an email to the one listed above (contact@urbanology.org) regarding a university thesis project I am currently undertaking, regarding urbanology in large cities that don’t have such a well defined ecological infrastructure (Paris, LA, etc) and we have to interview specialists in this field. If you are interested in helping us out we would really appreciate your insight, and any more information you need is in the email. Thanks for reading and keep up the amazing work!
Hi Ronan,
Hope your film worked out. We could not find the form you we were supposed to fill. We did do the interviews with Oscar though!
Cheers
Rahul and Matias
I wanna help if you need anything. what you do is fascinating
Hi,
I’m a french urbanism student in master’s degree at l’Ecole d’Urbanisme de Paris and i’d like to know if we’ll take interns this summer 2017?
Regards,
Kevin Poisson
Yes. We will get in touch. Thanks for your interest!
Hello Matias Echanove & Rahul Srivastrava,
I’m currently doing a post graduate research on related to the production of space in informal settlements in India (Case site is Dharavi). I’m based in Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
I will be visiting Mumbai in the last week of January 2017 and would love to discuss a collaboration with Urbz on my project, especially with regard to groundwork observations.
Do let me know if that is possible. I can send you more details via email if required.
Thank you,
Kritika Sha
Hi Kritika – we will send you a mail. Lets meet when you are in Mumbai for sure. For reference, here are some of our texts on Dharavi, as well as other studies that we supervised:
The Slum Outside, Strelka Press, Moscow 2014
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6iudYjBRaQdb0Ezb0I3X09uMEE
The Village Inside, Village Press, New York 2010
https://www.academia.edu/5994775/The_Village_Inside
Reclaim Growth! (Urban design competition, 2014)
http://urbanlab.org/ReclaimGrowth-URBZ.pdf
The High Rise & The Slum: Speculative Urban Development in Mumbai, OUP, London, 2010
https://www.academia.edu/5994723/The_High_Rise_and_The_Slum_Speculative_Urban_Development_in_Mumbai
An economic zone against all odds, Interview in Volume Mag, New York 2012
https://www.academia.edu/27084075/An_Economic_Zone_Against_All_Odds
Beyond the Informal: Reconceptualizing Mumbai’s urban development, MPI, Goettingen 2013
https://www.academia.edu/5994758/Beyond_the_Informal_Reconceptualizing_Mumbais_urban_development
Taking the Slum Out of ‘Slumdog’, NYT 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/opinion/21srivastava.html
Hands of our Houses, NYT 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/01/opinion/01srivastava.html
Affordable Housing for Mumbai? Within Reach, NDTV 2014
http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/affordable-housing-for-mumbai-within-reach-706021
Bribes for Homes. How a Part of Mumbai Copes, NDTV 2015
http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/bribes-for-homes-how-a-part-of-mumbai-copes-733761
Crowdsourcing the City, Domus, Milan 2012
http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2012/02/13/urbz-crowdsourcing-the-city.html
This is Not A Slum : What the World can Learn from Dharavi, World Policy Journal, 2016
http://wpj.dukejournals.org/content/33/2/19.abstract
You can find more refences here: http://urbanology.org/publications
Do check http://www.urbz.net and http://www.airoots.org, which have many articles about Dharavi and our work there.
You also can find a collection of newspaper articles here. Many of them are related to Dharavi: https://www.flickr.com/photos/urbzoo/sets/72157622709788553/
And thousands of photos of Dharavi are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/urbzoo/collections/72157624767211271/
Last but not least, here are master’s thesis on Dharavi that we have supervised. Most of them are written in Italian, but one of them is written in English by a EPFL masters’ student (Madeleine Bouchez, 2012): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6iudYjBRaQdZFp0bl81UHFYeXM
Hello,
My name is Peter Davis and I am a senior at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee in the US. I am currently a finalist for the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship; a fellowship that provides you with the resources to go abroad for a year pursuing a project pertaining to personal interest and passion. I am hoping to travel to various countries (India, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, and Luxembourg) and look at the different ways societies and individuals view the process of mapping land in a world that is largely codified by GIS and satellite mapping. I was wondering if there is a possibility of partnering with URBZ in Mumbai to volunteer with projects relating to maps and the creation of place-based identity? I would love to be involved with your great inter-disciplinary project.
Thank you,
Peter Davis
Dear Peter,
That sounds like a great research project and we would be happy to help and collaborate with you. We will be in touch.
Myself vinay cleetus, M Phil scholar at TISS, Mumbai. My research topic is about Paanwalas in Mumbai. I would like to know about that Urbanology have any work or information about Paanwalas.
We have video interviews of street vendors in our archives that you could consult. Please visit us at our Mumbai office: https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/urbz/@19.047128,72.852432,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x9193fb7586becc39?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjthp7LnbTOAhXFsI8KHfxGAsUQ_BIIbzAN
Thank You! Informative and pioneering organisation. Is the principle focus Mumbai and urban India?
I have training in Urban Planning from a New York based institution in addition to work in new-age energy strategies and transport planning in urban Southern Africa. Considering the unparalleled acute natural increase of population in Africa and India, with the intersection of climate change policy, renewable energy and urbanisation, I see information and its science as critical to resolving future urban based issues. What can I do with urbanology.org to make things better???
I am doing a summer long project for my Columbia Journalism reporting class on the issues, events, and culture of Bed-Stuy. I would love to speak to any representatives from this website. It’s great.
Many Thanks
Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I am Abhijeet Dubey, a 4th year student of Chitkara School of Planning
and architecture, Chitkara University, Punjab, India. I went through
your website and I’m inspired by the projects undertaken by your firm.
It would be a pleasure to associate with you. I would appreciate if
you have a look at my portfolio and place me for training. I am
currently working on my thesis project i.e affordable housing in
Chandigarh, India and I will be able to join you from July 18, 2016.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
My contact Details are as follows :
email id: abhijeetdubey.ad@gmail.com
mobile no. : +918054124199
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely
Abhijeet Dubey
please check my link :
https://www.behance.net/gallery/36152447/Portfolio_Abhijeet
I Suraj Patel of National Institute Of Technology,3rd year,B.Planning,is keen on an internship opportunity being provided by you.I am very much intrigued to learn about the internship opportunity being provided.I also want to learn about the vacancy available for the internship and I truly believe this opportunity would help me nourish my technical skills in the field of planning after this intern.
Hello, I am a graduate from CEPT University done my Bachelors of Planning programme, I wanted to inquire if you take interns this summer 2016, or if there are any job vacancies. The email given on the website is not working.
Looking forward for your reply. Thank you.
-Jaldhi.
Yes indeed the form on the urbz.net site is not working. We are redeveloping it at the moment, and it is taking more time than expected! But we will email you about your internship. Thanks for your interest.
Hello,
Intrigued by the work conducted by the urbz collective, I’ve sent a message with a CV and letter of motivation to contact–@–urbanology.org last Friday, to inquire about internship possibilities starting mid-June.
The issues your team works on seems to overlap with many of my own interests, and I would be excited to hear back from you regarding potential projects.
Thank you in advance for your consideration, and best wishes,
Raphael Gernath
Hi Raphael, the email is what you wrote without the “-“. The reason we write it like that contact – at – urbanology dot org is because if we just put the full email in normal format it gets picked up by bots that spam us to death! We will email you though! Thanks for your message.
Dear Matias,
Thank you for your reply. I’d anticipated that bots might be lurking, which is why I put the “-” in my comment on the website, but the e-mail I sent to your team contains the correct address so hopefully it should have come through. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any trouble locating it, or need any additional information on my part.
Thanks again for your assistance, and best wishes,
Raphael Gernath
Dear Madam/Sir,
I am writing to share with you some information about the upcoming exhibition
Future Architecture Platform
end of June through end of September 2016
Sala Gianferrari
MAXXI The National Museum of XXI Century Arts
Rome, Italy.
The exhibition will focus on a selection of five among the FA submitted projects, presenting those works we consider best represent the challenges architecture has to face in the present and in the next future.
In this regard, we consider:
No Future
one of the most interesting examples epitomizing the spirit of FA and it is for this reason we would be pleased to show such project in the exhibition.
We are currently collecting information and data in order to learn what could be available to display, so should you be willing to participate and contribute to the exhibition, please specify which of the following items are available and ready to be shipped to Italy:
– model(s)
– sketches
– drawings
– diagrams
– videos
– hi-resolution photographs (feefree and including captions and image credits)
– texts (short descriptions, maximum 150 words)
We hope that will be interested in participating to this initiative and we look forward to your kind reply.
Yours sincerely,
Thanks Alessio, we will email you shortly!
Hi Urbanology, I’d love to volunteer for the work you do. Is there a procedure to follow? How should I go about this?
Please send a letter of motivation with samples of your work to contact — at —- urbanology — dot — org. Thanks!
Hello, I am working at the Visual Arts Gallery, IHC. For our upcoming publication I would like to contact Matias Echanove and Rahul Srivastrava. I have dropped an email at the email given on website. Somehow have not received any reply.
Can you please send their working email address.
Thank you, Dilpreet
Hi Dilpreet – Sorry for the delay getting back to you. Will reply to your mail asap!
Matias & Rahul
Hello
I’m a french architect and teacher in architecture in France (Strasbourg). I’ll be in Mumbai from 5 to 13 of February with a groups of students . We would be very interested in having an appointment with someone who is involved in your institute based in Dahravi.
Kind regards
Emmanuelle
Bonjour,
Nous serions heureux de vous rencontrer. Contactez nous directement à cette adresse: contact — at — urbanology — dot— org.
Meilleures salutations,
Matias & Rahul
Dear Mr. Echanove and Mr. Srivastava,
Deeply curious about your fascinating work, I have just sent you via contact@urbanology.org a cover letter and my cv for potential internship positions.
I thank you and hope to hear from you soon!
Respectfully,
Alice Yaoyao DANG
Good Morning , My name is Leena, I have worked in Mumbai 23 years ago. Subsequently I migrated to Perth. I have worked i community and have a masters in Sociology. I have just finished a undergrad in Landscape Architecture and am really interested in the community driven design possibilities. I am coming to Bombay end Dec early Jan. Is it possible to meet someone to discuss possibilities?? Sincerely Leena
Yes you can contact us at contact —- @ —– urbanology.org
Sorry Matias but the email address has not come through. Regards Leena
Dear Rahul and Matias,
It is absolutely fascinating to read some of your work. I am a PhD student in the department of International Politics in Aberystwyth University in Wales but I am from Bombay. My research is on the borders of South Asia and spatial practices of exclusion in cities. I wanted to speak to you guys, maybe via email or skype or in person? But please can you send me your contact details?
Thanks a ton,
Keep up the great work!
Prithvi
Thanks so much!
Our email is: contact —- @ —– urbanology.org
Hi- I am looking for a person/ expert/ institute working in the field of Malnutrition and maternal health in Dharavi area. Is it possible for you to recommend the same.
Thanks and regards,
Dnyanada
Definitely contact http://www.snehamumbai.org
I am working with a publisher on a textbook – they would like to include an image from airoots/eirut blog- by RahulSrivastave from March 20, 2012- “One City, Many Forms”
Can I have contact information to send a formal request letter? Thank you for your help.
Linda Teegen/The Permissions Group
Please feel free to use any image from our site. Just credit “urbz.net”
Hello
I am looking for this book “Itinerants, the Nomads of Mumbai” but cannot find it anywhere. I am a research scholar and very curious to have this book. Kindly help.
Thanks
Honey
9810632048
We have transmitted your message to the author David de Souza. Good luck with your research!
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a student at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, currently pursuing Master of Architecture and in my first year. I am seeking for a summer internship spanning 8 weeks starting from May second week, as part of our curriculum. I have a keen interest in issues associated with urban morphology and came to know about your organisation while exploring internship options related to the field of slum rehabilitation.
I have five years of work experience which includes my involvement in various planning, urban design projects and research work which have enabled me to understand the intricate relationship between the macro and micro levels of urban framework.
I have sent my CV and portfolio to contact@urbanology.org. Waiting for your response.
Thanks and Regards
Sabyasachi Mohanty
Respected Sir/Madam
I, Parth Bansal, Student of 3 Year Bachelors of Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal would like to apply for the internship in your esteem organization.
The internship need to be of 6 to 7 weeks between 15 May to 10 July, 2015.
I have gone through your website and your projects and I have found them in my line of interest. and hence i am writing to express my interest and enthusiasm for the opportunity to work with your organisation with an assurance of sincere work. I have good communication skill and public speaking and discipline and also knowledge on technical software.
I have also working experience on a project “TOD along Pune Metro” at “Parisar” an NGO at Pune, last summer.
Can you provide me with the information required for the application of internship at your organisation.
I would be highly grateful if you provide me the same.
Inclusive Heritage City Development Plan of Varanasi (PM Modi’s constituency) is the basic frame for Heritage City Planning, where Tradition and modernity interfaces closely. On this line I am seriously to be part of your Urbanology programme.
.. Prof. Rana P.B. Singh
Professor of Cultural Geography & Heritage Planning,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP 221005
Hello,
I am a final year student from Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture (IPSA) – Rajkot. I have sent you a mail on ‘ contact@urbanology.org ‘ regarding my research thesis proposal. I have keenly followed the activities of ‘URBZ’, and having read a lot of articles written by you, i strongly feel that my study could benefit immensely from your guidance, as it talks about a series of issues based on the same lines. I thus request you to please have a look at my proposal and revert accordingly.
Thank you very much.
Awaiting a positive response,
Ronak Gangdev
Hi Urbanology, I’d like to read the rest of your article recently posted on Airoots – ‘Elusive Periphery’ – I don’t see it online from the Moscow forum – would you mind sending me the full text?
Thanks in advance!
Adam
Yes, we’ll send it to you.
kindly keep me updated about the upcoming lectures and exhibitions. willing to attend them. thank you
Hi there,
I am a design student at the Glasgow School of Art. I came across your blog while working on an urban-offgrid project. I am interested in knowing more about Urbanoloy and the work you do.
I am in Mumbai next week and I was wondering if I can come by and visit your office?
Thanks,
Harshada
Hi Harshada,
We are back in Mumbai on the 14th. Will you be around for a little while longer?
Hi Matias,
Thank you or your quick reply.
I am in India till the 22nd of December.
PS: You can get me at harshada.patil025@gmail.com
Hi there,
My name is Josclynne and I’m a Researcher for a social travel series in Singapore. I’m currently trying to locate Mr Bhau Korde for an interview when we come down to Dharavi for filming in early December. Is there any way I can contact him from here?
Hope you can provide me with some assistance.
Thank you again.
Cheers,
Josclynne
josclynne@gmail.com
Dear Josclynne, you can contact Bhau Korde at bhau@urbz.net or by getting in touch with us when you are to Mumbai.
Dear Rahul, dear Matias —
I’m currently writing a pamphlet called “Against the Smart City.” One of the sources I’m citing is an article Benjie de la Peña wrote on the “autocatalytic city” which, in turn, cites you as describing self-organizing processes as the “default mode of urban development.”
I’m unable to find a source for this quote and would love to cite you properly in my work. Would you be so kind as to get in touch and let me know where this characterization first appeared?
Many thanks,
ag
nyc
Hi Adam, it could be either of these: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/wp/WP_13-13_Echanove.pdf ; http://nextcity.org/informalcity/entry/how-architects-and-planners-can-lead-from-behind ; or http://nextcity.org/informalcity/entry/when-tokyo-was-a-slum. Would love to see your pamphlet. Please send it our way!
Hello
I am a student pursuing Masters in Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford ,U.K. Currently, I am working on my dissertation which is concerned with Flexible Housing Innovations in India. The main aim is to analyse the current technological innovations in Flexible Housing and how these could be incorporated for the low income housing in India in order to tackle urban housing shortage.
I would like to request you to take part in an interview that I am conducting as a part of my research. Could you revert back to me via Email to confirm if you would be willing to spare some of your valuable time for the interview? Due to geographical constraints all my interviews will be done via telephone and the conversations will be recorded for further review.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards
Kshitja
Good morning from Liberia,
Read the article in the International Herald Tribune over the weekend and would appreciate some guidance as we have to rebuild a town called Yekepa, in Liberia and at the moment we are not working to a plan. LAMCO Mining abandoned the mine many years ago and ArcelorMital bought the mining rights. In addition to the mining we have to rebuild the Village.
Thank you and take care.
Regards
Deon
We have plenty of abandoned mines in Goa. Some creative thinking about what to do with them is most needed here too. Would be happy to know more about your project.
Hi!
I am a 4th year Architecture student at Rice University in Houston, TX. With my recent interest in urban design, I have spent some time reading up on the urban conditions of Indian cities and Mumbai in particular.
I would like to find out about any short term research projects and opportunities you might have for a month or so as I am here for the summer. I am willing to be a research assistant as well as work on the architectural aspect of urban studies. I would also be interested in shadowing a project.
Please let me know if there are any such opportunities available in Mumbai!
Sincerely,
Tanvi Sharma
We often have volunteers helping with URBZ projects and research. Please check http://urbz.net/.
hi rahul, how are you doing? i had sent you a mail some time back, regarding PUKAR. i need to talk to you for some insights. could you please send me your number or respond to my mail. i would be really grateful
regards,
shalini
Hello,
I am a researcher who is working with National Geographic Channel. I was hoping to get Mr. Rahul Srivastava to talk on a documentary that we are currently making. Would it be possible to get in touch with him somehow? The documentary is about Hirananadani gardens, Powai. We would need Mr. Srivastava to talk about the problems that Mumbai faces as a city.
Do let me know if there is anyway to get in touch with him.
Regards.
i am a graduate who majored in psychology, am so much interested in the urban related issues especially those to do with slums. how can i do my masters in urbanology.
Well, we don’t know any institution that teaches “urbanology”. It is an invented word that we are using to describe our practice. You can join us as a volunteer with URBZ 🙂 see http://urbz.net
Dr. Mr. Echanove and Mr. Srivastrava,
I’m a first-year undergraduate studying Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Oxford. As part of my coursework, I’d like to spend at least three weeks over the summer holidays shadowing an anthropological researcher on a project they’re currently working on. Another former St. Hugh’s student, Ursa Mali, passed the Urbanology project on to me, and mentioned that it might be possible for me to shadow one of you for some time this summer.
I’d love the chance to come shadow and assist in any way I can–I’ve been interested in India for a long time, and academically interested in a lot of issues that are particularly relevant to urban anthropology in India, such as race, gender, and class relations, or small-scale politics and justice. Please let me know if this might be possible, or if there is any more information I can provide.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Anne Meeker
Hi Rahul…Been trying to get in touch with you. George who is now doing his Ph.D. in NUS (Singapore) told me about airoots…Here I am at the Institute of Urbanology. Can I have our email, friend. I am happy for you…I see that you are doing pretty good.
Thanks and Take care,
Nat
Hello, I’m a literary programmer and producer from Australia. I’m taking 6 authors (3 Indian and 3 Australian) around south India by train starting at the end of this month. We’re in Mumbai then Goa from Oct 31-Nov 7. I wonder if we might visit your organisation and learn about your work? Who could I talk to about this? My local number is +919167005869. Looking forward to hearing back. With best wishes, Catriona MItchell
Hello!
I got to know of your work through a friend and went through your website. Your studies are interesting and would like to visit your office sometime and get to know more of your work.
Best Regards,
Kavrey
I recently came across your work via the blog airoots/eirut. I was searching information on google on Koliwada Dharavi and your page came up.
I am fascinated by your work. Thank you for making these extremely rich blogs/websites.
Hi,
I was planning to use Matias Echanove’s Bed-Stuy On The Move in a class I am teaching on Bed-Stuy in the fall, but it seems you have rearranged your site and taken it down. Is there any way I can gain access to that page, or, if not, to the text for my course?
Mary Taylor
thanks for letting me know! I didn’t realize. Will put it back up asap. Very happy to hear you are using it for your class!
Love the minimalist design! Very clear and easy to navigate.CONGRATULATIONS!!
We look forward to hearing from you!