Archive for June, 2007
Learning from Mumbai
For the past three weeks I have been involved in a seminar called “Learning from Mumbai” hosted by the Urban Age and the LSE Cities Programme. Though I had a traumatic arrival via Charles de Gaulle and Luton, the hospitality of Richard Sennett and the wonderful faculty and students at the LSE quickly put me back on my feet.
The past two weeks have been busy in writing, reflecting, and meeting new peers who work on cities within an academic culture where sociology and geography — rather than history and anthropology — approaches are preponderant.
I’ve also met with Matthew Gandy at UCL, who is finishing a film on Mumbai called Liquid Cities, and Keith Hart, who is in his last year at Goldsmith’s College and still in fine form. From Mumbai, Rahul Srivastava has accompanied me on many long walks and conversations in the streets of London about our days together in PUKAR.
Tomorrow is the final presentation, debate and reception for the Urban Age Mumbai seminar. If you happen to be in London, please come to the New London Architecture galleries at 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT to listen and respond to the three themes chosen by the contributors to the project volume on Learning from Mumbai: justice, prosperity, and belonging.
