The preservation of culture and connection is innate in the human collective conscience, yet faces a precarious future located in the shadows of urban development and displacement. Rapid urban growth and growing inequality has created a global crisis in housing that increasingly segregates the rich from the poor. On the fringes of society, and in the hidden quarters of the city lies a resilient community, which has occupied the coastal land for centuries – the ‘Kolis’. This traditional urban fishing community has held on to their culture and way of life against such rapid urban growth, yet their future is not secure as they face displacement from development interests.
As part of the Arch Out Loud 2018 competition ‘Reside’, this project aimed to explore the traditional ‘Koliwada’ fishing communities way of life, against the backdrop of the mega-city of Mumbai. It aimed to understand and learn from such resilient communities, which have found an alternative way of living that exists outside of formality. As a self-sufficient and adaptable urban community, what can we learn from Koliwada.
Learning from Koliwada - MA Design thesis - Full PDF
