Sulakshana Mahajan

Journal and Conference Publications | Books | Newspaper Articles | Other Writing | Projects | Teaching

Sulakshana Mahajan is a researcher in Urban and Women's issues, with a particular focus on India. She has published several papers, articles and newspaper columns. Her writing appears in both English and Marathi language publications.

She is a visiting lecturer at Sir J. J. School of Art and Architecture and Rachana Sansad's Academy of Architecture in Mumbai.

Journal and Conference Publications

• Mahajan, Sulakshana. "Urban India: Myths and Reality".
  Published version (Marathi): HTML
  
• Dandekar, Hemalata and Mahajan, Sulakshana. "MSRDC and The Mumbai-Pune Expressway: A Sustainable Model for Privatizing Construction of Physical Infrastructure?" Paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly of India. 2001
  Prepublication Draft: HTML | PDF
• Mahajan, Sulakshana. "Ramayan to Globalayan: The Transformation of Nasik" Paper presented at the City, Space and Globalization Conference at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 1998
  Prepublication Draft: HTML (> 500K) | PDF
• Mahajan, Sulakshana. "Mass Rapid Transit System for Thane: Viable Solution for Indian Cities?". Working paper.
  Draft version: HTML
  Slide Presentation (> 1 MB)

Books

• Arthasrushtee: Bhaav AaNi Swabhaav

  Cover Art and Introduction

  Marathi Translation of "The Nature of Economies" by Jane Jacobs

  A book published by Granthali. Send e-mail to mihir at umich dot edu for details.

• Jag Badalal'

  Collected and expanded articles from the weekly column "SankramaN" in the Marathi daily "Mahanagar". Send e-mail to mihir at umich dot edu for details.

Newspaper Articles

In Loksatta (Marathi)

• Megapolis: Karachi [21 May 2006] NEW!
• A Tribute to Jane Jacobs [30 April 2006] NEW!
• Reform the Rent Control Act [21 Sep 2005]
• Escape the thought prison [20 Sep 2005]
• Evolution: The Correct Theory of Life [5 May 2005]
• Static property values responsible for BMC's financial starvation [3 May 2005]
• Overcoming public ignorance of Urban Planning [10 Feb 2005]
• Mumbai circa 2020 | Prepublication draft PDF - translation of an article by Shirish Patel [3 Feb 2005]
• Mumbai "shining" over destroyed homes | Prepublication draft PDF - translation of an article by Shirish Patel [24 Jan 2005]
• Going the Bogota way
• Review article on "The Making and Unmaking of an Industrial Working Class" by Jan Bremen and "Working in the Mill no more" by Jan Bremen and Parthiv Shah
• Down to Earth approach needed for Urban Mumbai
• Mumbai's Intellectual Fall...
• Whose Mumbai is it?
• Information: The Foundation of Economic Literacy
• The Challenge of Economic Literacy
• Book Review: Asphalt Nation by Jane Holtz Kay
• Leave the cities, build new ones..
• Book Review: Self Organization and the City by Juval Portugali
• Two part article on MagLev rail systems
  Part I: What is MagLev? | Part II: MagLev, Vision not Opposition!
• A "straight" alternative to the "Ring" railway
• Transformation of Mumbai: Like Shanghai or Kolkata?
• A mission to Antarctica: conversation with Prof. Medha Dixit
• Book Review: "The Nature of Economies" by Jane Jacobs
• Wiser to support fare hikes for BEST and local trains
• We Mumbai-ites are responsible for Mumbai's plight
• Ring Railway Project (Thane) - Article 1
• Ring Railway Project (Thane) - Article 2
• Development strategy for the City of Mumbai

In other publications (Marathi)

• Interview with Shirish Patel, published in Tarun Bhaarat - Draft PDF (103KB)

Other Writing

• The Rent Control Act: Main culprit in Slumming Mumbai NEW!
• Guest Editor of special issue on Urbanization of Marathi journal "Aajachaa Sudhaarak". Some articles from the issue will be on this website soon.
• Rural and Urban processes. Read a draft of the article on "Rurbanization"
• Planning processes. Read a draft of the article on Planning for Principles
• An article about experiences in the US before and after September 11 appeared in the Feb 2002 issue of "Ruchi". The article is in Marathi, GIF images of the pages are posted here

Projects

• Guest Editor for special issue of "Aajachaa Sudhaarak" (Marathi journal) on Urbanization
• Presently working with the Stree Mukti Sanghatana, Mumbai on waste collection and recycling projects. (details online soon)
  
• The Konkan Project (details online soon)

Teaching