Navigating the grid in the "world-class city": poverty, gender, and access to services in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Lead Research Organisation: University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Social and Political Science

Abstract

For the past two decades, across South Asia, planners, policy-makers - and property-speculators - have been energetically engaged in efforts to remake cities as 'world class.' Yet these years have seen the deepening of the urban pathologies that such efforts hoped to redress; as a 2016 World Bank report observes, over 130 million people in the region now live in informal urban settlements "characterized by poor construction, insecure tenure and underserviced plots." The poor are not simply left behind in the rush to make the world-class city; rather, our earlier research shows that the forced displacements, that attend world-class citymaking initiatives, often exacerbate problems in accessing urban resources and infrastructural services, particularly for the marginalised.

We have also found that, in managing and mitigating the interruptions and upheavals caused by urban removals and dislocations, innovative forms of urban practice, political engagement and creative collaboration have emerged. These, often in partnership with CBOs and NGOs, can lead to pro-poor urban outcomes. Drawing on the strong collaborative foundations in earlier work on urban housing and infrastructures in Mumbai, Lahore and Colombo, we will focus on the efforts of the urban poor to access vital services (water, transport, communications), while attending to the ways in which these efforts intersect with the dynamics that shape patterns of access to urban land and housing. Our project will ask: under what conditions do the formal and informal communicative channels, personal connections, and 'phatic labour' (Elyachar 2005), by which everyday access to urban grids is enacted, encourage pro-poor outcomes?

We will work closely with local academic partners in this first phase of the project, but we will also mobilize non-academic partners, including arts-based activists and community groups, planners and politicians, in a series of community engagement events in each city. The goal of each event will be to create workable ideas for improving access to services. To this we add strong South-South collaboration: we will hold regional workshops each year in Colombo, which has the advantage of being equally accessible to Pakistani and Indian colleagues, bringing together project partners and stakeholders from all three sites to share their best ideas.

Planned Impact

This project sets out to reduce urban poverty in South Asia by providing workable, context-sensitive, solutions to the problems poor communities encounter in accessing key infrastructural services.Working with partners in three cities - Lahore, Colombo and Mumbai - we will engage community activists as well as policy-makers through a series of workshops and other engagement events through the life of the project. Annual full-team events in Colombo will allow us to share experience of what works across national boundaries.

We will achieve this by working across a strong set of partnerships: with the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS) in Lahore, Law and Society Trust (LST) and Open University (OUSL) in Colombo, and the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA) in Mumbai. Annual workshops in each city will engage with a wide range of interested parties, from community activists, to government planners and local politicians. Full-team workshops in Colombo will allow for discussions of transposable workable solutions across the team, and dissemination to non-academic audiences in Sri Lanka and beyond

The project also has a strong commitment to capacity-building. As well as bringing new skills into local research organizations, we will be running field visits, and mobile studios, with groups of students, many of them the engineers, planners and architects of tomorrow, while also developing teaching materials that can embed firmly in future curricla.
 
Title 'Colombo is our Home - Urban Regeneration and Belonging' 
Description A short animation of the impact of Urban Regeneration evictions on the life of women 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact Social media campaign raising awareness on impacts of relocations on women's everyday lives 
 
Title BEING HERE: Stories of Home 
Description Synopsis: BEING HERE follows the lives of four working-class women and the place they call home - Colombo. The documentary explores the realities of living in a city aspiring for 'world-class' status. The focus on women's narratives reflects on what it means to live a meaningful life in the fault lines of hope and despair. Background Research: The film was inspired by the ethnographic study undertaken in Colombo 2 (Slave Island) by Asha L. Abeyasekera with the assistance of Vraie Balthazaar between 2020-2022, and the research study of a flood prone community in Rajagiriya by Iromi Perera between 2021-2023. Ethics and Politics of Consent and Representation: The film was first previewed by the women and their families in August 2023 before they approved it for public viewing. The stories contained in the film are those the women chose to tell. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, including children and their guardians. One woman chose to withdraw after the film was completed due to her precarious living conditions, i.e., imminent eviction, and the perceived repercussions of being identified by the state. However, she consented to her story being included. We have anonymised all specific details to prevent identification and used an actor to represent her. Maintaining the dignity of the subject was the driving principle of the film. While the objective of the film is to highlight inequality, the film actively resists representations of abjection and hopelessness. Instead, it attempts to represent everyday life from the point of view of the women, specifically how they strive to live meaningful lives amidst precarity. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact The film has been screened nationally, regionally, and internationally. It has inspire discussions on housing justice for the poor. 
 
Title Commissioned Warli Painting 
Description As part of the project, a Warli Painting (a form of tribal art), was commissioned, depicting a pada (adivasi settlement). The project commissioned the painting as a medium of representation of adivasi identity and the place of contemporary issues in everyday life. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact The painting brought a unique perspective to everyday tribal lives in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and how it responds to the city. It was also one of the signature exhibits in the culminating exhibition, educating citizens about art forms practiced by tribal communities. 
 
Title Community Theatre performance 
Description The project worked with youth living in tribal and non tribal settlements in the forest and evolved a theatre performance that foregrounded their issues. This was performed at multiple locations in the forest and during the culminating exhibition at the Kala Ghoda Festival, Mumbai. 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact The performance embodied the everyday truths of living in and around the forest in Mumbai and the struggle to access basic services like water. As opposed to an academic agendas and biases, the issues articulated in the performance were brought forth by the community themselves, who performed in the play. 
 
Title Drawing the edge of the forest 
Description As part of the project, a large drawing was produced that articulated the spatial and cultural condition of the edges of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact The drawing, through its graphic novel-esque form was able to articulate and simplify the complex socio-cultural and spatial relationships that exist at the edges of the city where lines between the forest and the city begin to blur. This accessible representation was able to disseminate the findings of the project to a much broader demographic of people, beyond academia. 
 
Title Exhibition - Forest in the City 
Description The project culminated with an exhibition titled, "Forest in the City" that showcased, through various mediums, the ways in which communities staked a claim to living in the forest in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact The exhibition showcased the learning's from the project and highlighted the discrepancies and conflicts in the idea of the forest in a city. It articulated the nuances in the definitions of a forest and helped break away from the myopic views of what it means to live in a forest in the city. As part of the exhibition, a series of events were organised in collaboration with Pani Haq Samiti at IF:BE, Ballard Estate, Mumbai between the 20th and 27th of January 2024- parallel to the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. They included - 'A Forest of Claims', an exhibition exploring the ways in which the forest and the forest dweller are imagined and the effect on the everyday lives of inhabitants; and 'Conversations in the Clearing', a series of events that hoped to provoke a conversation between stakeholders around questions of identity, rights and culture in the forest. These included lectures, roundtable discussions, art workshops, discussions on the role of architecture and cinema, theatre, music and dance performances 
 
Title Forest in the City - A Virtual Reality Exhibition 
Description A VR Environment was created to showcase the spatial situation of the research and its findings. This was exhibited at the culminating exhibition at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, 2024. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact The Virtual Reality environment contextualised and simplified the research area and inferences by creating an interactive environment which the viewers could navigate themselves. The VR environment made use of multiple ways of storytelling such as animations, immersive films, interactions and 360 degree photos to articulate the research. This made the research extremely approachable and relatable to the general public while piquing significant interest. 
 
Title Hip-hop song and video 
Description The project commissioned a hip-hop song and music video which brought forth a unique perspective on the relationship between indigenous cultures and urbanity. The collaboration was multidisciplinary bringing together musicians, film-makers, activists and community stakeholders. The song has now been released on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime. 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact The song and video bring forth a unique perspective on the relationship between indigenous cultures and urbanity. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2atC7LEQAI
 
Title Perspectives - Drawing the forest 
Description The intent of the drawing was to observe perspectives and ways of representing life in a forest by a non-resident, in this case, an architect. The resultant drawing was contrasted against a Warli painting (traditional tribal art) which embodies the perspective of a modern-day adivasi living in the forest. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact The comparison between the drawing of an adivasi pada (tribal hamlet) by an adivasi youth, the result of another creative product from the project, and that of an architect brought forth some interesting observations about perspectives and presuppositions. 
 
Title Social Media Campaign - 'Colombo is our Home - Urban Regeneration and Belonging' 
Description Social Media Campaign on 'Colombo is our Home - Urban Regeneration and Belonging' by Asha Abeyasekera and Vraie Balthazaar with Thilini Perera (artist). Four stories on the following themes: (i) History of public housing in Colombo; (ii) relocation and impact on daily life; (iii) living space - a comparison of a watte home and high-rise flat; (iv) Disappearing public spaces 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact Impact of Urban Regeneration on Colombo's working-class poor 
 
Description The award supported three teams, based in Lahore, Colombo and Mumbai, each carrying out somewhat different research programmes, focused on poor people's access to grid-based services in urban areas. The teams had quite different disciplinary groundings _ planning and political economy in Lahore, architecture, performance and anthropology in Mumbai, anthropology, engineering and urban activism in Colombo. Much work is still ongoing, especially in dissemination and impact, but significant achievements include many public events with a very broad range of participants - local politicians, bureaucrats, public servants, community groups. As well as more recognizably "academic" outputs, we have a highly successful public exhibition and a 30-minute documentary film which hasbeen shown to audiences across the region. Full details have been reported elsewhere in ResearchFish.

These are our original objectives and some brief idea of how they were met
1. To reduce urban poverty in South Asia by providing workable, context-sensitive, solutions to the problems poor communities encounter in accessing key infrastructural services. We have concentrated on developing tools which will empower local communities to negotiate better access to key services: it is too early to point to robust indicators of poverty reduction (especially in the context of the effects of the global pandemic, compounded by deep economic crisis in Sri Lanka and Pakistan), but we are confident that in the longer term our tools will make a real difference to the lives of those we have worked with, while our wider public work will help policy-makers and public institutions provide better planned support for poor and marginal groups.
2. To create new knowledge of (a) the ways in which poor and marginalised communities access grid-based services in three cities in South Asia; and (b) the old and new barriers to access they continue to encounter. These are documented in the outputs, both those already published and those planned for the immediate future. One key finding is that if we see the main obstacle as broadly "political", the form that takes differs radically between the three settings, and therefore the possibilities for community-based efforts to overcome those obstacles also differ radically.
3. To build an evidence base on the different drivers of inequality in the three different cities, with a particular focus on gender, but with attention also to caste, religious community and age. We have accumulated a heterogeneous archive of evidence, including obvious media such as interview transcripts, but also maps, video, other visual material, and objects of material culture, and are exploring long term solutions to issues of storage and access for future researchers.
4. To collect new evidence on the representational politics of "grid-talk" as a way of understanding and intervening in the city, across different settings. In many ways the question of inequality is also a question of "grid-talk", because how access to services is represented directly impacts on marginal communities' ability to thrive. The evidence iunder point 3 is also evidence for this point.
5. To develop new, creative engagements across academic disciplines (notably anthropology, law, planning and architecture) and between academic and non-academic audiences. This has been highly successful - the Colombo film, for example, was directly inspired by sessions with Mumbai-based film-makers. Our inter-city , inter-disciplinary meetings have been enormously fertile and often quite exciting.
6. To build a model of transnational, regional comparative work as a source of new evidence and new theory on the production and reproduction of urban inequality. This is where we have faced most challenges, in the first years of the project because of pandemic restrictions on travel, then because of political and economic crisis in our hub city Colombo in 2022, and also because of ongoing visa restrictions between India and Pakistan, and also delays in visa processing for some colleagues intending to travel for our one UK meeting. Regular virtual meetings helped meet the early challenges and our final round of regional meetings were enormously successful.
Exploitation Route Our most recent regional meetings were in Lahore and Mumbai in January 2024 and focused in part on plans for future collaborative activity. Some of this can be self-funded but we are also actively looking for follow-on impact support. Specific examples would be bringing the Mumbai exhibition to Colombo, and developing comparative training material based on successful civil society interventions in each city, as well as joint work on a mixed media output on myths of the "world-class" city.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Environment

Healthcare

Government

Democracy and Justice

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

Transport

URL https://navigating-the-grid.org/
 
Description We have taken a very broad and creative approach to impact with activities ranging from the production of a planning toolkit for use by community activists in Colombo, to work with adivasi hiphop artists in Mumbai, as well as more conventional engagements with policy-makers and community groups in all three of our research sites. In 2023 one member of our team was successfully campaigning for election as Mayor of Colombo (until local elections were postponed). These activities have been concentrated in the final year of the award so examples of findings being used are still being documented for future ResearchFish submissions. The cross-border collaborations, and academic-activist collaborations, have been especialy fruitful and we are looking for support to continue these in the immediate future.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Environment,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Policy & public services

 
Description Capacity Building of Community Organisations
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact Members of community organisations and NGOs were trained to use digital tools and online platforms to overcome limitations in accessing government land records and ownership documents. This helped in developing clarity about the nature of ownership of contested lands in the city. They were also trained in contemporary, digital tools for interviews and mapping.
 
Description Capacity Building of communities
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact The project has helped communities overcome some of the logistical hurdles in staking claims under the Forest Rights Act and supported them in processes that allow them to access basic services.
 
Description Exchange with the Walton Cantonment Board, Lahore
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
 
Description Influence on Pedagogy at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, India
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description JVP / NPP Expert Group on Urban Planning and Policy
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
Impact We were able to convince the committee that prepared the initial policy draft that a separate plan is needed for Colombo City within the District Plan of Colombo that will look after the interests of the underserved who consist of more than 50% of the population. The plan included a halt to forced eviction from wattes, a halt to relocate them in high-rises and go for more humane alternatives, identify institutional mechanisms responsible for defending interests of the underserved communities and avenues for representatives of underserved to get involved in decision-making.
 
Description Policy Recommendations for Post COVID-19 Lockdown Relief and Recovery: Low-income families, daily waged workers and vulnerable communities in Colombo district, Women and Media Collective - Iromi Perera and Vraie Balthazaar
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL https://economynext.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Policy-Recommendations-for-Post-COVID-19-Lockdown...
 
Description Workshop: Mapping Change in Lahore's Urbanized Villages
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact The 12 participants of the workshop learnt new spatial skills as a result of this workshop They were taught a wide range of mapping practices and perspectives, the importance of working across disciplinary boundaries, how to rely on mapping for social ethnographies, how to work with communities to document urban change, and the ethics of conducting fieldwork. Most participants had not previously been taught mapping through such a lens.
 
Description International Fellowship
Amount £25,000 (GBP)
Organisation Urban Studies Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 08/2022
 
Description Knowledge Mobilization Award
Amount £8,600 (GBP)
Organisation Urban Studies Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2024 
End 02/2025
 
Title Drone mapping for context study 
Description Photographs and videos were taken using drones to understand the spatial context of the study area. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Photos and videos taken from drone flights helped develop a spatial understanding of the context of the points of interest in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. 360 degree photos from the drone were used extensively to build a Virtual Reality environment for the culminating exhibition. 
 
Title Georeferencing of historical and developmental maps of Mumbai 
Description Historical maps as well as various Development Plans of the city were georeferenced and superimposed using GIS. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The superimposition of various historical and administrative maps helped understand the way definitions and boundaries of the forest have changed over the years. This understanding of change was crucial to the theoretical framework of the project. 
 
Title KRVIA Navigating the Grid GIS database 
Description A consolidated GIS database has also been prepared, and continues to be updated with data from field visits. This database is proposed to be used for publication in digital web-map formats. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Impact still being recorded. 
 
Title Narrative capture using 360 videos 
Description Through the use of 360 degree cameras acquired through the project, various narratives were recorded and later used for multiple outputs. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2024 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The lack of the cameraman's frame or bias in 360 videos enable the viewers to choose what they would like to observe and draw their own inferences. These videos were heavily used in the Virtual Reality exhibit that was part of the culminating exhibition. 
 
Title Tracking of transect walks 
Description GPS tracking tools on the field researchers' mobile devices were used to track the paths taken and points of interest visited in the Sanjay Gandh National Park and Aarey. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2024 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The tool helped in mapping hitherto unmapped localities and paths in the forest and enabled identification of key points of access and settlements. 
 
Title Use of digital mapping methods 
Description Digital mapping methods such as Kobotoolbox and ODK were used to assist in the mapping of access to basic services in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Data collection and geo-location of surveys, interviews and infrastructural points was made easy for ground teams. Data received was standardised and streamlined. 
 
Title Cloud-based field data collection tool 
Description FieldMaps (part of ArcGIS Online) was deployed to enable remote collaboration and data organisation from field surveys. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Inferences from the data collected using FieldMaps was critical to the project. It also enabled coordination between different field researchers. 
 
Title Geospatial database for the project on ArcGIS 
Description A cloud-based, collaborative geospatial database was set up using ArcGIS Online. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The database was used to gather and collate field data from different field researchers over the course of the project. It also enabled the researchers to access and organise the data remotely from any part of the world. 
URL https://krvia.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=8a06942e29a84ad5b3bf5670e2846708
 
Description LUMS School of Education's Computer Literacy Trainings at Rehman School, Harpalke, Lahore 
Organisation Lahore University of Management Sciences
Country Pakistan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution At one of our field sites, Harpalke, our team has primarily been able to access key actors and residents through school owners of a low-fee private school for girls. The owners requested that we assist them in finding a teacher who can teach high school students basic computer literacy as the students there do not know how to use computers. For this purpose, we reached out to, and partnered with staff at the School of Education at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to conduct three workshops on computer literacy. A fourth session was added at the end on the request of teachers who shared that they too could benefit from such training.
Collaborator Contribution Staff from the School of Education - along with our team - conducted three sessions for 53 female students from grades 9 and 10. Students were taught computer basics focusing on the following: how to operate laptops, how to set up an email account, how to use the internet safely and constructively, how to use word/excel. The trainers took care to ensure that they connected the teaching material to real-life situations where this knowledge might come in handy. A fourth session was organized for teachers. Most of the teachers, too, were not proficient in the use of computers, so the last session was a longer one dedicated to teaching them how to use a laptop. They were shown how they could use a computer and online resources to make better lesson plans. They were also introduced to some important web resources on teaching and the curriculum they were teaching in their classes. This session was attended by 6 teachers.
Impact As per this partnership, four sessions on computer literacy were organized, benefitting 53 female students and six teachers at one of our field sites.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Million Houses Project Case Study 
Organisation American University
Department Accountability Research Center
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Abeyasekera, A. L., & Gunasekara, V. (2022). "'Square-rule Paper Engineers': People, Power, and Participation in Sri Lanka's Million Houses Programme." Case Study. Washington DC: Accountability Research Centre (ARC)
Collaborator Contribution Research into NHDA archives and interviews with key policy makers
Impact Case study + comparative papers
Start Year 2020
 
Description Navigating the Grid in Colombo 
Organisation Law & Society Trust
Country Sri Lanka 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The University of Edinburgh provides co-ordination and overall project management for the programme of work which will be carried out by the separate teams in three cities in the subcontinent. Edinburgh's responsibilities include management of the overall budget, oversight of ethical and data management issues, and co-ordination of communications, especially meetings, linking the sub-teams in each location.
Collaborator Contribution LST will host one full-time researcher who will work closely with our local researchers (Abeyasekera, Perera and Witharana), and will run legal rights training programmes (2) with the research team, and capacity-building workshops with People's Alliance on Right to Land (PARL) on urban land rights. They will also co-develop awareness raising materials on land rights with the research team.
Impact Because of pandemic conditions, field research has only started in early 2021. A fuller report will be available in the 2022 submission.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Navigating the Grid in Lahore 
Organisation Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS)
Country Pakistan 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The University of Edinburgh provides co-ordination and overall project management for the programme of work which will be carried out by the separate teams in three cities in the subcontinent. Edinburgh's responsibilities include management of the overall budget, oversight of ethical and data management issues, and co-ordination of communications, especially meetings, linking the sub-teams in each location.
Collaborator Contribution IDEAS will host the three consultants (Sajjid, Javed, Malik) who will co-lead the fieldwork in Lahore, support three full-time researchers, oversee dissemination activities and host annual international workshops (30-50 attendees each), and local workshops and outreach events
Impact Because of pandemic conditions, field research has only started in early 2021. A fuller report will be available in the 2022 submission.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Navigating the Grid in Mumbai 
Organisation Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA)
Country India 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The University of Edinburgh provides co-ordination and overall project management for the programme of work which will be carried out by the separate teams in three cities in the subcontinent. Edinburgh's responsibilities include management of the overall budget, oversight of ethical and data management issues, and co-ordination of communications, especially meetings, linking the sub-teams in each location.
Collaborator Contribution The KRVIA team will lead on our research in India, with a particular focus on the ways in which the very idea of "the grid" serves to illuminate, or mystify, both the understanding of everyday access to services, but also the feasibility of different solutions to identified problems. The Mumbai team will investigate the way in which "grid-talk" is used to frame the problems of the urban poor, and how this constrains the workability of proffered solutions to their problems.
Impact Because of pandemic-related delays, field research only started in early 2021. We anticipate reporting a fuller set of outcomes in our 2022 submission
Start Year 2020
 
Title Virtual Reality environment 
Description A VR Environment was created to showcase the spatial situation of the research and its findings. This was exhibited at the culminating exhibition at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, 2024. The VR environment consisted of a 3D recreation of the geography of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park upon which several digital artefacts such as 360 videos and photos were superimposed to create an interactive experience for the viewers. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2024 
Impact The Virtual Reality environment contextualised and simplified the research area and inferences by creating an interactive environment which the viewers could navigate themselves. The VR environment made use of multiple ways of storytelling such as animations, immersive films, interactions and 360 degree photos to articulate the research. This made the research extremely approachable and relatable to the general public while piquing significant interest. 
 
Description #HerHomeSOS series 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Twitter and Instagram series on #HerHomeSOS during Aragalaya. March - May 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description 'COVID-19 and South Asia: Gendering the Crisis' - University of Warwick, UK. Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development (WICID) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact TBC
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description 'Evictability: Understanding the Nexus of Migration and Urban Displacements' workshop at the University of Malmo 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact June 2022 - Asha Abeyasekera resented a paper (in person) on 'Intimate Evictability' for workshop on 'Evictability: Understanding the Nexus of Migration and Urban Discplacements' at the University of Malmo
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description 'Navigating the Grid in the 'World-Class City' - Findings from Lahore and Colombo' - Event at the Lahore University of Management Sciences 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We organized a public event at the Lahore University of Management Sciences in partnership with the Mahbub ul Haq Research Center at LUMS, and the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences. As part of this event, we screened a film by our colleagues in Sri Lanka, shared findings from our research in Lahore, and organized a discussion with our audience. The event was attended by over 100 people, including professional practitioners, academics, students, and members of the general public. There was significant interest in the topic of discussion - specifically centred on world-class city making across the two sites. Members of the audience also expressed an interest in continuing such conversations in the future as well.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://mhrc.lums.edu.pk/navigating-grid-world-class-city-findings-lahore-and-colombo-0
 
Description 'Tired all the time: Home-schooling, home-working, parenting, and household management.' Open Forum on 'Life at home' during COVID-19'. Centre for Poverty Analysis, Colombo, Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact TBC
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Asha Abayasekera 'SDGs on Gender Equality and Post COVID Challenges.' panel at the 16th National Convention on Women's Studies, Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR) Colombo, Sri Lanka. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Asha Abayasekera was a 'SDGs on Gender Equality and Post COVID Challenges.' panelist at the 16th National Convention on Women's Studies, Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR) Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS) Annual Conference
Title: Colombo: the enduring importance of the "underserved settlement"
Panel: Navigating the grid in the "world-class city": poverty, gender, and access to services in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Chinchecha Pada, Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai Workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact A workshop was conducted with residents of the various tribal villages (pada) at Chinchecha Pada in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai on the 14th of May, 2022. This was the first of a series of workshops and had representation of people from 7 other tribal villages across the city of Mumbai. A total of 22 members from various padas were invited for the workshop, of which 16 attended.

The team prepared a detailed presentation outlining the study, its core intent and possible ways in which it can be of use for all the ground efforts that are being pursued by various other groups and organisations, towards accessing basic necessities for the pada's and their residents. The presentation was made in Marathi by the team.

It was decided that to reach out to the entire community of tribals from the city of Mumbai, it was necessary to conduct several more similar workshops. This idea eventually evolved into a methodology of conducting a combination of FGDs and Personal Interviews at 35 tribal settlements, 8 of which have been conducted.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwKQOKPQl3c
 
Description Community Theatre Workshops, India 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact As part of the Community Theatre the first outreach meeting was conducted at Ambedkar Nagar, Malad East. This meeting was attended by the members of the Local Group 'Samyak' and members from the research team.

The participatory production involves partnerships with two local youth groups: Adiwasi Haqa Sanwardhan Samiti,a group formed by the adivasi (tribal) community living in the Aarey, and Samyak, a group of non-tribal youth living in Ambedkar Nagar, a settlement on the fringe of SGNP that proactively demands the right to basic WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) infrastructure and rehabilitation in permanent housing.

The phasing of the project is as follows:

? Phase 1: Conducting monthly training workshops on script development, performance, music & dance and other technical and non technical elements required for the development and performance of this production.
? Phase 2: Identifying the final team, finalising the script and doing rehearsals for the planned production.
? Phase 3: Planning and organising at least 10 performances across the city.

Currently, the third phase is ongoing and performances are planned in the immediate future. The entire process is also being documented and archived.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Design Impact Vol. 3: South Asia - Design Agency & Climate Change by the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Iromi Perera was a panelist for the Design Impact Vol. 3: South Asia - Design Agency & Climate Change by the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Discussions and intervies on the Representation of the Adivasis in Urban Governance processes, India 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The study aims to look at Adivasi representation in the Panchayati Raj (local self-governance), Urban Local governments (Mumbai, Mira Bhayandar & Thane) & Maharashtra State Assembly and Indian Parliament. It studies the representation of tribal communities in governance processes post independence.

The study unpacks the ways in which the Adivasis engage with local power relations as well as the state and other community groups to make demands for everyday survival and gain access to resources, from a governance perspective.

Primary data is collected through documents and discussions of the Indian Parliament, Maharashtra Assembly, Municipal Corporation Assembly, Panchayat Raj institutions. In-depth interviews were scheduled with Tribal and non-Tribal activists, political and administrative officials, etc. to gain perspectives around participatory spaces and impact.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Dr. Asha L. Abeyasekera, Panelist at South Asia Conference, Wisconsin, Madison 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact South Asia Conference, Wisconsin, Madison
Title: Home and Homemaking in Pandemic Times: Working-class Women's Labour in urban Sri Lanka
Panel: Unseen Labor: Caring for Households and Reputations in Sri Lankan families
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Film Screening of BEING HERE and Guest Lecture at Bartlett Development Planning, UCL 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact MSc Urban Development Planning, Bartlett Development Planning Unit, UCL in February 2024. Screening documentary film Being Here and guest Lecture by Iromi Perera
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Film Screening of BEING HERE and Guest Lecture at TATA Insitute for Social Sciences 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact TATA Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in January 2024. Screening documentary film Being Here and guest Lecture by Iromi Perera
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Focus Group Discussion for WASH Report 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Workshops were conducted to collect information about access to water and sanitation within the neighbourhoods in SGNP and Aarey.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description I.A. Rehman Social Justice and Change Webinar Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In April 2022, IDEAS co-organized a session focusing on dispossession across major urban centers in Lahore with the Mahbul ul Haq Research Centre at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. This was part of the I.A. Rehman Social Justice and Change Webinar Series that aims to honour and commemorate the life of a veteran Pakistani journalist, progressive and rights activist, Mr. I A Rehman.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=351491493616269
 
Description Interaction with community members on field visits 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Through interactions with community members from various tribal and non-tribal settlements during multiple field visits, relationships were established which aided the research project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description Interview ABC Australia on Sri Lankan protests 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Jonathan Spence interview with ABC Australia on Sri Lankan protests, 13/14 July 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Interview BBC World on Sri Lankan protests 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Jonathan Spencer Interview with BBC World on Sri Lankan protests
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Interview France 24 on Sri Lankan protests 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Jonathan Spencer interview with France 24 on Sri Lankan protests, 12 July 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Iromi Perera - "Development Projects: Better Regulations for Better Outcomes" Webinar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Webinar organised by Verite Research on "Development Projects: Better Regulations for Better Outcomes". Iromi Perera was invited to speak on Involuntary Resettlement and strengthening policies in Sri Lanka.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Iromi Perera - Speaker at 'Housing for all in a post-Covid Sri Lanka' Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Event to mark World Habitat Day organised by Shramabhimani Center on the topic 'Housing for all in a post-Covid Sri Lanka'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description KGAF Programme 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The official Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2024 programme listed the project's culminating exhibition under its Urban Design & Architecture vertical. The exhibition witnesses a footfall of nearly 150000 people every year.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://kalaghodaassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/KGAF-Programme-2024_7.pdf
 
Description KRVIA Interviews and meetings with artists, activists, officials and community organizers 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Interviews and meetings with artists, activists, officials and community organizers who are actively involved in the ongoing developments in Aarey and the National Park. These interviews and meetings helped us get a better sense of the historical and contemporary context of the areas and topics included in our study.

Interviews were with the following interlocutors:

? Prakash Bhoir, an artist-activist who has been a leading voice among adivasi (indigenous) communities in Aarey
? Pramila Bhoir, a community organizer who has been an active part of many protest movements (demanding access to essential services) in Aarey.
? Devendra Thakur, an organizer actively advocating for rights for adivasi residents in the National Park, who also maintains a personal archive of official documents and reports.
? Debi Goenka, a conservationist who has been involved in a series of legislative decisions around land use and land allocation in Aarey and the National Park
? Surekha Dalvi, an activist & a Lawyer who has been working extensively with the Adiwasi (tribal community) in Maharashtra. The discussion was about understanding Aarey and National Park land issues in the larger context of other Adivasi land related protests in Maharashtra, in past and present day. Understanding the complexities that are part of Aarey and National Park issue since this land is in the middle of the city making it prime property for real estate development.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Land Rights Workshop for Slave Island Women's Organisation (Kantha Samithiya), Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The Workshop was conducted on the request of our participants in Slave Island who had discussed housing and land rights issues with us. It was intended to understand the various problems, and think about possible interventions. The women planned to form a separate support group on land rights issues, which the Colombo Team would support.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Live streams of Exhibition events 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Various events, including presentations, discussions and performances held during the culminating exhibition at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2024, Mumbai, were streamed live online through KRVIA's youtube channel. This aided in drawing attention to some of the relevant issues engaged with by the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://www.youtube.com/@KRVIAfeeds/streams
 
Description Lovely Villa, Architecture as Autobiography Screening 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Film screening and discussion, Lovely Villa, Architecture as Autobiography, with Rohan Shivkumar (KRVIA, Mumbai) and Ed Hollis (University of Edinburgh)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description NIAS Urban Lecture Series (National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru), Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact August 2022 - Gave a virtual talk on 'Intimate Evictability: Urban Displacement, Familial Violence, and Women's Claim to Home in Urban Sri Lanka' for NIAS Urban Lecture Series (National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description PGCert/MA in Urban Studies, Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Dileepa Witharana has initiated a discussion to see the possibility of launching a special certificate or/and a masters programme on "Urban Studies" within the Sri Lankan university system. We have already met and in the process of meeting relevant academics from the disciples architecture, social studies, legal studies, history, town and country planning, engineering and political science from the Moratuwa University, University of Colombo, The Open University of Sri Lanka, University of Kelaniya and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The programme is expected to be conducted in collaboration with Colombo Urban Lab and with resource persons from other countries in the region. During our visit to Mumbai we have discussed with colleagues at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies who are already pursuing a masters in Urban Studies.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Production and documentation of Hip-Hop video: Swadesi 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A collaboration with Swadesi, a hip-hop crew from Mumbai, consisting of socially conscious rappers, writers, music producers and performers, who engage with questions of destruction of the Aarey forests, development and indigenous identities.

The collaboration offers insights into the ways in which art and social messaging are interwoven to represent claims to the forest and people's rights.

The entire process of production is being documented for a subsequent film.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description Project introduction and discussion at KRVIA 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The research project, intent and methodology were presented to a faculty members at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture & Environmental Studies, Mumbai, followed by discussions and debates.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Project updates through KRVIA Newsletter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The KRVIA newsletter has been used periodically to send out updates about the research project. The newsletter has a wide reach among the architecture fraternity in India and the institute's alumni network as well as professional collaborators.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023,2024
 
Description Project updates through KRVIA's social media handle 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact KRVIA's official instagram handle was used to publish project updates periodically. The page has a formidable following both within the architectural community as well as the general public.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023,2024
URL https://www.instagram.com/k.r.v.i.a?igsh=emNja2VrZXBmdXNt
 
Description Public event to present findings of research on access to services in SGNP and Aarey. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact KRVIA, in collaboration with Kali Billi Productions and Pani Haq Samiti, hosted an event to present the findings of the project with respect to access to basic services in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey. Along with this, activists of Samyak Sangathan in Ambedkar Nagar Vasti of Kurar Village perfomed a street play addressing issues related to accessing water, sanitation, health, education, land and agriculture. The program concluded with a rendition of songs performed by the Ramabai Sanskrutik Manch.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Public panel on protest in Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Public panel on protest in Sri Lanka, University of Edinburgh with Iromi Perera (researcher and activist, founder Colombo Urban Lab), Vraie Cally Balthazaar (feminist researcher and activist, Progressive Women's Collective), Dileepa Witharana (Senior Lecturer, Open University of Sri Lanka), Jonathan Spencer (Edinburgh, chair).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Publishing of stories from tribal settlements in the form of Blog 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The blog traced the stories of tribals in Mumbai for whom everyday customs and traditions have become means of representing one's identities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://navigating-the-grid.org/representing-the-self/
 
Description Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact a 4-page leaflet on "Colombo and 'Other' Colombo" was developed by Dileepa Witharana and distributed among journalists who participated in the screening of the documentary film "Being Here". August 2023
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Study on the access to Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Infrastructure in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Forest, India 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The settlements in and around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park comprise of 4 segments - the adivasis, private land owners, public land owners and the slum dwellers. These human settlements are scattered along the edge of the park and forest and happen to be under the purview of four Municipal corporations namely Mumbai, Thane, Mira - Bhayandar, and Vasai Virar. The people residing in these settlements have been denied basic services due to several reasons like exclusionary policy-making, bureaucracy and lack of coordination.

The study investigates the rationales on which the basic services have been denied and the efforts that have been taken by the people residing in these settlements to meet their basic service needs. With a particular focus on Water and Sanitisation, Hygiene (WASH), the study also engages with issues of land, housing, health and livelihood.

Primary data is being collected through Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and personal interviews. Questionnaires have been evolved to collect data on various aspects and the data is being tabulated and visualised.

In depth Interviews were also conducted with officers from the Forest Department, Health officials, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Member of Parliament (MP), Nagar Sewaks, Pada pramukh, etc.

Secondary data consists of material collected from government documents, notifications, legal precedence, books, papers and journals. Requests under the Right to Information Act are also used.

A comprehensive mapping method has been designed for the study (as articulated in the next section) and is being used to document the settlements.

Of the 35 FGDs planned, 8 have been conducted.

The study is a collaboration between Pani Haq Samiti (PHS), KRVIA, Centre for Promoting Democracy (CPD) and community resource persons.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Transect walks across the Sanjay Gandhi National Park & Aarey, India 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Field visits were conducted by the Research Associates to 84 settlements, both tribal and non-tribal. Walks were planned in the form of transects across the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). On the walks, the RAs relied extensively on ethnographic material and the observations are extensively recorded in the field notes. The walks have also been geo-tracked and archived to assist in team discussions.

Personal interviews were conducted with a wide sample of residents from the settlements in order to get a holistic understanding of nomadic histories, relationships with the forest, forms of community and ownership, etc.

Drawings were prepared for the different conditions observed across the SGNP. The method of using drawing as a tool of analysis helped the team acknowledge and register the nuances of each community. Subsequent iterations of the drawings will make their way into the final exhibition planned as one of the key outcomes of the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Trilingual guidebook and toolkit on Masterplans, Sri Lanka 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Iromi Perera organised a two-day workshop for the district members of the People's Alliance for Right to Land in June 2023. This workshop was on development projects and masterplans - using the lessons learnt from research and advocacy work in Colombo, and how to adapt the tools and strategies for other cities in Sri Lanka. Following on from this, a Trilingual guidebook and toolkit is being developed for launch in March 2024. This follows the flow of the workshop and can be used by communities and activists in Sri Lanka working on development projects and master plans that involve the relocation of communities, informal sector workers, and public space.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Undergraduate Lecture on Utopian Cities 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A UG lecture on 'Utopian Cities' developed by Asha Abeyasekera for the UG (third-year) interdisciplinary module on 'A Feminist World is Possible' at the University of York. The lecture draws on the work done in Colombo and Mumbai.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Women Claim Home: Gendered Dimensions of Urban Regeneration, Forced Displacement, and Activism in Cambodia and Sri Lank 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Discussion between Dr. Asha Abeyasekera and Dr. Saba Joshi (Politics), University of York following screening of Film 'Being Here' as part of 'Women's Studies NOW' seminar series
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023