Policy research, city development planning, citizen-centric studies, and advocacy for inclusive urban development, housing rights, and pro-poor governance across Maharashtra and beyond.
Research in Service of Communities
MASHAL turns community insights into evidence that shapes inclusive urban policies, strengthens housing rights, and improves city planning.
The intervention includes:
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- City Development Plans, DPRs, and Housing for All Plans
- Urban policy and governance research
- Slum atlases and housing assessments
- Socio-economic and environmental studies
- Climate adaptation research
- Public consultations and advocacy forums
- Housing scheme impact assessments
- Technical consultancy for development agencies
- Documentation of urban poverty and housing rights
Housing Is About More Than Shelter
Urban policies are too often shaped without the voices of those most affected. Slum communities, informal settlers, coastal fishing households, and peri-urban migrants remain invisible in the data that drives planning decisions — and so remain invisible in their outcomes.
Without evidence-based advocacy and rigorous research:
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- City development plans miss the realities of informal settlements
- Housing schemes fail to reach those with the greatest need
- Smart city initiatives exclude the urban poor from their benefits
- Land reclamation and infrastructure projects displace communities without redress
- Environmental and climate risks remain unmapped for the most vulnerable
- Housing rights and social entitlements go unclaimed and unenforced
MASHAL believes research must be purposeful, participatory, and connected to advocacy generating not just knowledge, but change.
From Research to Real-World Impact
MASHAL’s research and advocacy work moves from evidence collection to policy engagement — combining field surveys, participatory studies, technical analysis, and multi-stakeholder platforms to produce outputs that governments, CSR partners, and communities can act on.
The process includes:
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- Primary data collection, household surveys, and community consultations
- GIS-integrated spatial data and socio-economic analysis
- Report preparation — CDPs, DPRs, ESRs, housing assessments, slum atlases
- Citizen perception studies and Smart City Mission evaluations
- Multi-stakeholder forums and participatory advocacy workshops
- Technical support and policy submissions to ULBs and government agencies
- Publication, dissemination, and community-level sensitisation
From city development plans and slum atlases to climate vulnerability studies and Smart City evaluations, MASHAL’s research has shaped urban policy, strengthened housing rights, and ensured that the communities most affected by development have a voice in the decisions that determine their futures.
MASHAL conducted a comprehensive study during 2017–18 to assess the feasibility of utilizing community infrastructure and local institutional mechanisms for strengthening urban health services in Pune city. The study was undertaken in the context of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), recognizing the need for city…
Hasanal and Ravangaon are two remote agrarian villages situated along the Lendi River in Mukhed Taluka of Nanded District, Maharashtra. These villages form part of a drought-prone, economically vulnerable region where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. Despite living with climate risks including erratic rainfall, recurring…
- Palkhi Route Mapping — Alandi & Dehu to Pandharpur
- Field Survey & Route Study
- Waste Collection & Management Study
- 3D Palkhi Route Models
- Documentation of Village & Route Conditions
In 2009, MASHAL undertook a comprehensive Housing Assessment Study for Pune City as a key input to the preparation of the city’s Development Plan. The study was commissioned to provide an evidence-based understanding of the housing sector, assess existing and future housing needs, and support urban planning processes aimed at promoting inclusive and sustainable…
Partner with us to generate evidence, shape policy, and advocate for the communities that
development planning too often overlooks.
