Jose de la Torre

Acupunctural Renewal - Urban Housing Mumbai

In processes of urban renewal, Social Space produced by the inhabitants of existing communities is often overlooked. This project makes a claim for the recognition of Social Space and further develops strategies for making the built form adaptable and open to the continual production and reproduction of it. System theory and Open City planning are used to create a tool set for an acupunctural open urban plan that deals in the in-between of the purely physical urban environment and the social dynamics it holds. This system of acupunctural interventions is tested in two specific areas of the city. It has been developed in detail, showing both the plan’s flexibility and responsiveness to different pre-existing conditions, and its potential for being expanded and replicated across a variety of urban contexts. The Open Plan is therefore able to tackle the larger issue of Mumbai’s deficit of affordable housing.

More information

• Master thesis 'Acupunctural Renewal'