Disconnected cities

Condoms. Odors. Untouchables…

…Perhaps the first words that come to your mind when I say “prostitutes”.

My banal pictures of sex workers took a turn when I interned with Population Services International, a leading non-profit organization that addresses health problems of vulnerable population in numerous developing countries.

My peers and I visited numerous brothels in Mumbai’s red light district to spread HIV/AIDS awareness amongst sex workers. There were women who were old and young, married and single, frustrated and accommodating - the only common thread was their profession.

Over the 1 month, I got thinking about the design of public space. Kamathipura, Asia’s largest red light district is situated in the midst of ‘downtown’ Mumbai. Yet, when you enter the area, it feels completely isolated from the rest of the city. And majority of the population tries to avoid passing the area at all costs. As if it’s the plague.

How do we interact with our surroundings? I’m sure all of us have areas here in New York that we prefer not to pass through – Harlem, the Bronx, certain areas of Brooklyn perhaps?

 Or perhaps some of us live in areas we hardly venture out of. A friend of mine lives in the theatre district. And treats it like an ‘all for one’ stop. Restaurants, nightlife spots and drug stores are all at walking distance. To top it off, she even walks to her Bryant Park school building. Conveniences win over spending time travelling to other areas, so her knowledge of New York City is more or less limited to what lies in her walking radius.

What is our relationship with our neighborhoods? And what responsibility do we hold to ensure communication between different populations. And further- do we have a moral duty, as informed and well-to-do citizens to reach out to vulnerable populations and appease their situations?