2. • Ambitions of Research
• Overview of the Area
CONTENTS
• Partners and Participants
• Mapping Shankar Maharaj
• Challenges
• Observations
3. 1. AMBITIONS OF RESEARCH
Aims
• To further understanding of the
feasibility and limitations of
using VGI and Web 2.0
technologies to map slums in
India.
• To further understanding of the
political, social and technical
impediments of participatory
mapping and the ability this
has to empower slum
communities.
4. 1. AMBITIONS OF RESEARCH
Objectives
1. Participatory
Mapping
2. Mapping:
4. what for?
Empowerment,
really? Georeferenced
SMS Reports
3. Project based
on (1) and (2):
Crowdmap
5. 2. OVERVIEW OF THE AREA
Source: Source: Mapbox (TileMill) on
the left and OpenStreetMap on the
right.
1: 54500
12. 3. PARTNERS AND PARTICIPANTS
Partners: Mashal NGO
• MASHAL (Maharashtra Social Housing
and Action League) – founded in 1985.
• NGO based in Pune which works in
partnership with Pune Municipal
Corporation to implement Slum
Rehabilitation Projects.
• Pune Slum Atlas
13. 3. PARTNERS AND PARTICIPANTS
Participants: Shankar Maharaj
• Around 15-20 people came to the
general meetings we had at Shankar
Maharaj.
• 2 people volunteered to map Shankar
Maharaj
• 13 women volunteered to send SMS
reports
14.
15.
16.
17. 4. MAPPING SHANKAR MAHARAJ
1. Initial Phase: Meetings (Mashal and Shankar Maharaj)
2. Mapping:
a. Recording Tracks and POIs
b. OSM
3. Crowdmap and FrontlineSMS
4. Final Phase: SMS Reports
18. 4. MAPPING SHANKAR MAHARAJ
1. Initial Phase: Meetings
2. Mapping:
a. Recording Tracks and POIs
b. OSM
3. Crowdmap and FrontlineSMS
4. Final Phase: SMS Reports
19.
20. 4. MAPPING SHANKAR MAHARAJ
1. Initial Phase: Meetings
2. Mapping:
a. Recording Tracks and POIs
b. OSM
3. Crowdmap and FrontlineSMS
4. Final Phase: SMS Reports
21.
22. 4. MAPPING SHANKAR MAHARAJ
1. Initial Phase: Meetings
2. Mapping:
a. Recording Tracks and POIs
b. OSM
3. Crowdmap and FrontlineSMS
4. Final Phase: SMS Reports
23.
24. 4. MAPPING SHANKAR MAHARAJ
1. Initial Phase: Meetings
2. Mapping:
a. Recording Tracks and POIs
b. OSM
3. Crowdmap and FrontlineSMS
4. Final Phase: SMS Reports
26. 5. CHALLENGES
Technical
• (very) Narrow streets and weak GPS signal
• Tags given with QGIS/JOSM were not recognised after uploading
data to OSM (Potlatch tagging)
• Lack in the range of tags recognised by OSM
• Not enough “resolution” in OSM
• SMS: Language
27.
28. 4. CHALLENGES
Technical
• (very) Narrow streets and weak GPS signal
• Tags given with QGIS/JOSM were not recognised after uploading
data to OSM (Potlatch tagging)
• Lack in the range of tags recognised by OSM
• Not enough “resolution” in OSM
• SMS: Language
29. • 38 POIs were recorded
• 21 show on the OSM map
30. 4. CHALLENGES
Technical
• (very) Narrow streets and weak GPS signal
• Tags given with QGIS/JOSM were not recognised after uploading
data to OSM (Potlatch tagging)
• Lack in the range of tags recognised by OSM
• Not enough “resolution” in OSM
• SMS: Language
31. 4. CHALLENGES
Social
• Language
• Difficult and very time consuming to organise meetings in Shankar
Maharaj
• Difficult to gain the trust of the community
• Maps – what for?
• Who actually benefits from participatory mapping?
32. 4. CHALLENGES
Political
• Opposition from Local Government (PMC)
• Opposition from Area Corporators
• SMS were banned by the National Government due to protests and
riots in Pune and Mumbai
33. 5. OBSERVATIONS
• Digital Divide: Wide access to mobile phones and few people
have computers at their houses.
• Community Participation: Time
• Empowerment does not exist as a concept?
• “Participation is still dependency”
• Data boom – no room for “qualitative” information?
• Participatory Mapping unsustainable?
34. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to especially thank Robin McLaren for sponsoring this
project and for his academic support. I would also like to thank
William Mackaness for his enthusiasm and great support.
Finally, I am extremely grateful to MASHAL and the people of Shankar
Maharaj for welcoming me and allowing me to work with them.
Editor's Notes
Introduce yourself4thyearedinburghuni and thisispart of my dissertationresearch
My firstobjectivewas to map a single slum in Pune withtheparticipation of thecommunityon OSMThesecondwas to “find” a use forthismapthatwouldsomehowenhancetheability of thecommunity to participate in decision-makingprocessesthataffectedthem. Themostimportantissuestheywereinterestedweretheprovision of basicservices (which comes underanschemecalled BSUP, and theissue of slumrehabilitation – which comes underanschemecalled RAY) – Mashal was very keen in trying a new system of direct communication between the slum communities and the PMC and this is when we came up with the idea of georeferenced SMS reportsThethirdobjectivewassimply to run a projectbasedon 1 and 2 objectives to explore whatthereality of participatory mapping was. Finally, my lastobjectivewasgathering data fromtheobjectives 1 to 3, to engage in a criticalanalysis of thecurrentliteratureclaims.
Pune – in thestate of Maharashtra – 150 km southeast of Mumbai – about 3 hoursby carOver 6 millionpeople – so nottoobigShankar Maharaj isone of the 447 slumsregistered in Pune – itison PMC ownedland. Itisabout 30 min byrickshawfromthecity centre.
Shankar MaharajPopulation: 3020 people living in around 800 structures – records say 3600 people66% have been there for more than 10 years. Occupation: 27% unskilled labour and 22% self-employed. Income: between 2500 and 5000 rupees per month. Water access: most of them have water access outside their housesToilets: only common toilets.
Mashal isanarchitect NGO based in Pune – itwasfounded in 1985 bythewife of thecurrent director SaharadMahajan. Mashal worksisvariousprojectsinvolvingslumhousingdevelopment and thisiswhytheywork in partnershipwiththe PMC forsome of theirprojects. Theyhavealsojustfinished (lastnovember) a projectcalled Pune Slum Atlas thisiswhy i wentthere to haveaninternship
Thereasonwhy I didnt use JOSM wasbecausethe GPS data uploadeddirectly to OSM was a bit poor – so used QGIS
Notenoughresolution – thiscreatedan extra difficultywhenusingcrowdmap – crowdmapdoesntgeo-referenceor at least i haventbeenable to findouthow – sms so the receiver has to relyonthesenderdescribingwhere he orsheortheincidentis, butthe receiver knowslessabouttheslumthanthesender and due to thisthe receiver has to relyonthemapbutthemap has verylowresolution so useless.
