Sheela Patel pt 1 – Informality, Migration, and the Right to the City
Sheela Patel, founder of SPARC and a leading voice on urban informality, shares how decades of work with migrant communities in Mumbai shaped her understanding of survival, resilience, and the structural barriers facing the urban poor. She discusses the politics of displacement, the failures of city planning, and why informal settlements should be seen as solutions rather than problems.
Urban design and development Community engagement Inclusion Social renewal and societal change Human-centered design Quality of life and well-beingSheela Patel pt 2 – Collective Power, Feminism, and Changing the Rules
What does real empowerment look like? Sheela Patel explains how grassroots women’s networks have transformed not only their own communities but also the way governments and institutions engage with the urban poor. She reflects on how solidarity, rather than charity, leads to lasting change and how redefining leadership can challenge entrenched power structures.
Community engagement Inclusion Social renewal and societal change Human-centered design Technology integration Local and regional solutionsSheela Patel pt 3 – The New European Bauhaus and the Global South
Why is a community organiser from Mumbai advising the EU on architecture and design? Sheela Patel discusses her role on the New European Bauhaus high-level roundtable and how European policies influence—and sometimes harm—communities in the Global South. She challenges Europe to rethink its sustainability goals in a way that accounts for global responsibility rather than just local impact.
Sustainability New European Bauhaus Urban design and development Inclusion Lifecycle thinking and long-term planning European collaboration and policySheela Patel pt 4 – Roof Over Our Heads: Housing, Digital Tools, and Climate Resilience
What does it mean to build for survival? Sheela Patel explores how extreme weather, poverty, and exclusion are forcing communities to innovate with whatever materials they have. She discusses the Roof Over Our Heads initiative, the role of digital tools in community learning, and how grassroots knowledge can shape more inclusive housing solutions.
Urban design and development Community engagement Digitalization and innovation Climate change and adaptation Local and regional solutions Co-creation and participatory designSheela Patel pt 5 – Jugaad, Waste, and Lessons for Europe from the Global South
What can European cities learn from the resourcefulness of informal settlements? Sheela Patel explains Jugaad—the Indian concept of frugal innovation—and how it applies to housing, infrastructure, and urban resilience. She challenges the Western obsession with high-tech solutions and argues for a shift in mindset towards making better use of what we already have.
Inclusion Cultural heritage and diversity Social renewal and societal change Sustainability European collaboration and policy Knowledge sharing and dissemination