Examining the informality in urban informal settlements – Evidence from Kapashera

Abstract

Informal settlements have become a defining feature of the urban economy in developing countries. Comprising one-sixth of global population, the number is expected to double in the next decade. Lack of basic amenities, improper building structures, unhealthy and dangerous environmental conditions, unsafe residency rights, poverty and social deprivations are some of the characteristics of these settlements. With a known presence across the globe, informal settlements continue to be an abode that harbor marginal and poor communities despite being literally pushed aside by governments and nation leaders. They continue to be excluded from urban opportunities, policy planning and decision making.This paper, therefore, studies the evolution and characteristics of one such settlement located on the Delhi-Gurgaon border – Kapashera — that provides a home to tens of thousands of migrant workers from Bihar and other northern states. The spatial characteristics of Kapashera highlight the several gaps in the policies pertaining to the space in particular, and informal settlements in general that need urgent attention of the policy makers especially in the light of recent pandemic.