The Liveable Life Index: A Guideline on How to Realise Urban Slum Upgrading Based on Local Preferences. Bhubaneswar (India) as an Example

Slum upgrading is a complex process requiring multidisciplinary integration of different stakeholder groups. With a strong focus on the Susta-inable Development Goals, an examination of the slum-upgrading/liveable life nexus suggests that urban areas have to focus on customised upgrading at local level to build environments that reflect locally rooted liveable life perceptions. This paper hypothesises that a community’s perceptions of a liveable life are the most influential indicators, yet they perform weakest in current slum-upgrading strategies. In order to address upgrading challenges, a Liveable Life Index (LLI) is introduced that aims to support in identifying and classifying relevant, locally rooted liveable life components that can be translated into upgrading priorities and strategies at policy level. The established framework and conducted review of the LLI was done in the form of primary research (expert interviews and focus group discussions) in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state Odisha and centre of pilot upgrading projects under the Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission (OLHM). Key findings of the research are that upgrading components considered under the OLHM rarely reflect the full set of realistic local demands. Whereby the OLHM relies on a standardised set of physical upgrading components (sanitation, street paving, etc.), this research sheds light on the importance of location-dependent non-physical upgrading components (socialising, belonging, etc.). In general, the history of slum upgrading confirms that top-down approaches (based on authoritative assumptions) tend to dominate over bottom-up approaches (based on dwellers’ viewpoints). The results show that the intention to create liveable neighbourhoods using the LLI approach can be successful when local participation displays a key determinant in planning approaches. The research findings provide relevant information about participation and its influences on citizen communication and engagement with the goal to improve slum-upgrading processes. Against this background, this paper examines how locally rooted liveable life indicators support sustainable upgrading approaches at policy level.