The Dharavi Redevelopment Project will be governed by a unified masterplan that not only covers the core Dharavi Notified Area (DNA) but also extends its development philosophy to all associated resettlement zones located outside the central slum cluster.
According to officials overseeing the project, all land parcels earmarked to house ineligible residents of Dharavi—those not qualifying for in-situ rehabilitation—will have independent, detailed plans. However, each of these masterplans will be intricately aligned with the overarching blueprint for Dharavi. This approach seeks to ensure seamless integration of housing, infrastructure, mobility, and urban services across all geographies, both within and beyond the original slum boundary. The decision marks a shift in how resettlement colonies are designed in India. Historically treated as peripheral outposts, these sites have often lacked connectivity, dignity, or adequate planning. The new strategy aims to reverse that trend by embedding principles of equitable development, sustainable mobility, and walkable urbanism into every parcel developed under the Dharavi umbrella.
“This isn’t just a housing project. It’s an urban transformation exercise that seeks to weave together multiple zones into a cohesive, future-ready city space,” said an official involved in the project’s planning. The goal, the official added, is to deliver not just a roof over people’s heads, but also equitable access to opportunity, mobility, and essential services—without making geography a disadvantage. Dharavi, home to over 10 lakh people, sits on approximately 240 hectares of land in the heart of Mumbai. Hemmed in by railway corridors and expressways, it has long been one of the most sought-after locations for the city’s migrant workforce and informal economy. Its proximity to key rail stations and commercial hubs continues to make it a crucial socio-economic node in the fabric of Mumbai.
The current redevelopment initiative, a decades-long aspiration now moving toward execution, intends to resolve years of unplanned growth, structural insecurity, and lack of urban services in Dharavi. What sets this project apart is not only its scale but also its ambition to redefine urban inclusion through town planning norms that prioritise dignity, sustainability, and connectivity. Officials confirmed that the foundational principle behind the Dharavi masterplan is the creation of walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods across all parcels—be it within the core DNA or beyond. Each zone is being designed to host residential, commercial, and recreational uses within a human-scale environment. This urban morphology is intended to reduce commute times, increase safety, and enhance quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations such as women, children, and the elderly.
One of the project’s core design targets is to ensure that all essential urban amenities—schools, clinics, parks, anganwadis, and commercial centres—are situated within a 400 to 500 metre radius of residences or workplaces. This proximity standard is a key pillar of equitable cities globally and is now being adopted as a norm in Dharavi. Urban planners working on the project say this will not only improve access but also enable safer and more inclusive public spaces. Transportation is another major focus of the redevelopment blueprint. Given Dharavi’s dependence on suburban rail, the masterplan is being designed to knit together new development with existing railway infrastructure. Proposals are already being discussed for extending metro rail connectivity into the rehabilitation zones, with several new bus routes under consideration to ensure last-mile accessibility.
In addition, shared electric mobility is being baked into the design from the outset. Options like electric rickshaws, e-bicycles, e-scooters, and other micro-mobility services are expected to be deployed to reduce carbon emissions and cater to short-distance travel. These solutions not only align with India’s national decarbonisation goals but also resonate with the lived mobility needs of the urban poor, who often rely on affordable and informal transit options. Experts associated with the project have emphasised that this model has the potential to become a benchmark for slum redevelopment across Asia. “The biggest challenge in such projects is not construction—it’s integration. The way we integrate transit, services, livelihood, and social identity across multiple resettlement zones will determine the success of the project,” said an urban development expert advising the planning agency.
Crucially, the masterplan is being framed with a people-first lens, recognising that relocation, if done poorly, can tear apart social fabrics, disrupt informal economies, and strip communities of their identity. By insisting on design parity and shared planning language between the core and peripheral zones, the authorities hope to ensure that no Dharavikar feels alienated or excluded during or after the transition. Environmental sustainability is also being embedded across the redevelopment lifecycle. Green building norms, decentralised waste management systems, energy-efficient housing designs, and rainwater harvesting features are being proposed in the development guidelines. These additions are aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the new neighbourhoods while offering long-term operational cost savings to residents.
While the project has its share of critics and sceptics—particularly around issues of transparency, gentrification, and displacement—its success will depend largely on how well this integrated vision is executed on the ground. As one planning official noted, “We are not just building apartments. We are building an ecosystem where every resident—irrespective of their eligibility status—is part of a larger, connected urban story.” The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, if executed as envisaged, may serve as a beacon for inclusive and sustainable urban renewal in India’s dense, low-income settlements. It promises not just physical transformation, but a broader shift in how cities think about spatial justice, mobility equity, and the right to dignified urban life.
Dharavi Plan to Link All Rehab Zones Seamlessly
