- published: 03 Apr 2015
- views: 11462
Dharavi (Portuguese spelling Daravi British Anglicised spelling Darravy, Dorrovy) is a slum and administrative ward, over parts of Sion, Bandra, Kurla and Kalina suburbs of Mumbai, India. It is sandwiched between Mahim in the west and Sion in the east, and spread over an area of 175 hectares, or 0.67 square miles (1.7 km2). In 1986, the population was estimated at 530,225, but modern Dharavi has a population of between 600,000 and over 1 million people. Dharavi is one of the largest slums in the world. It used to be the largest slum in Mumbai at one time, but as of 2011, there are four slums in Mumbai larger than Dharavi.
In most large cities, the floor space index (FSI) varies from 5 to 15 in the Central Business District (CBD) to about 0.5, or below, in the suburbs. In Mumbai the permitted FSI is uniform and in 1991 was fixed at 1.33. The regulations that restrict the FSI greatly reduce the floor space available for residence and business. In expensive Mumbai, Dharavi provides a cheap alternative where rents were as low as US$4 per month in 2006. Dharavi exports goods around the world. The total (and largely informal) turnover is estimated to be between US$500 million and over US$650 million per year.
Kevin McCloud (born 8 May 1958) is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs.
He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife (childhood sweetheart) Anna-Charlotte McFadyen ("Char", who runs an online interior decoration business) and their two children, Milo (b. 1998) and Elsie (b. 2001), plus Hugo (b. 1988) and Grace (b. 1991) from McCloud's previous relationship.
Born in Bedfordshire, McCloud and his two brothers, Terence and Graham, were raised in a house his parents had built. McCloud attended Dunstable Grammar School, which became Manshead Upper School, and then studied the history of art and architecture at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is conversant in French and Italian.
After graduating, McCloud trained and worked as a theatre designer, then set up his own lighting design practice and manufacturing business 'McCloud Lighting' - at one point employing 26 people. His work includes the carved and painted rococo-style vegetable ceiling in the food halls at Harrods, many projects in conjunction with J.J. Desmond Interiors and lighting installations at Ely Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, the Savoy Hotel and the Dorchester Hotel. Today he concentrates on television work, journalism and product design, including work for British manufacturers.