Outsiders in the periphery: studies of the peripheralisation of low income housing in Ahmedabad and Chennai, India

Residents of formal low-income housing on urban peripheries experience multifaceted disconnection, rendering them 'outsiders in the periphery.' This dynamic is driven by three key factors: the lack of resident involvement in housing production due to pre-built units, spatial isolation limiting mobility and socioeconomic opportunities, and substandard infrastructure that hinders place-making. The study, based on mixed-method fieldwork in Ahmedabad and Chennai, challenges conventional narratives around urban peripheralization, which typically focus on high-end or informal settlements. It reveals how formal low-income housing, increasingly constructed on isolated sites, fails to integrate residents socially or spatially, undermining the inclusive potential of affordable urban development.

Coelho, K., Mahadevia, D., & Williams, G. (2020). Outsiders in the periphery: studies of the peripheralisation of low income housing in Ahmedabad and Chennai, India. International Journal of Housing Policy, 22(4), 543–569. https://doi.org/10.1080/19491247.2020.1785660