What Mumbai's slums do right, and why we should emulate them

Sometimes to understand our own cities and community development practices it is helpful to understand a radically different setting. In the slums of Mumbai one thing is immediately evident: the Indian understanding of “slum” and the American one are radically different. Unlike the hyperghettos of the United States—spaces that are depopulated, run down, and crime-ridden—Mumbai’s slums are often safe and bustling hives of activity.