Tanay A, dissertation, suburban expansion and its impacts

Suburban expansion and its impacts on existing fabrics Case: Dombivali Considering the impacts of new expansions on peripheries as an opportunity to strengthen the existing fabrics.

Tanay H. Ambavane

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Urban Design in Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies 2014

i Declaration I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where others’ ideas and words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all principals of academic honesty and

integrity

and

have

not

misrepresented

or

fabricated

or

falsified

any

idea/data/fact/source in my submission. I understand that any violation of the above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and can also evoke penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been taken when needed.

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Tanay H. Ambavane

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ii Abstract In the process of urbanization, the city expands and newer areas are engulfed into the existing fabric. The areas that undergo expansion are the peripheral conditions that are adjacent to the existing fabric and connected by transit corridors. This demands modification of existing areas as they become vulnerable to the pressures that are exerted by the new development. The thesis is an idea to not only understand the modifications in the existing fabrics but also to consider the impacts of the expansion.

Due to this expansion diverse urban systems of the existing fabric like environmental systems, mobility corridors, market areas, impregnable land uses (industrial areas), and built form change in this process of expansion and can be seen as opportunities to structure the existing areas. The method to understand the impacts is to consider the above urban systems as lenses to study the impacts of the expansion and propose ways to integrate them.

Since the last decade Mumbai has been experiencing a change/shift in job districts.

They are shifting more towards the northern parts of Mumbai which are the suburban areas of Mumbai. This has led to a rise in demand for expansion of the suburbs like Thane, Borivali, Mira road, Dombivali and many others. Dombivali is the case considered for the study of the impacts of expansion. Dombivali is a rising suburb of Mumbai. It has experienced shift of focal areas in different time periods leading to changing urban fabrics. A new proposal for expansion of the suburb is proposed. The idea is to understand the impacts of this new proposal by MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) over the existing urban systems and give proposal to organize these systems. In order to study the impacts on the urban systems, case studies of similar suburbs like Thane that has already gone through the process of expansion are done.

Key words: urban systems, expansion.

iii Contents Certificate Acknowledgement Abstract List of Maps and Figures Chapter 1

Introduction

Chapter 2

Purpose of Study

2.1

Aims and Objectives

2.2

Research Problem

Chapter 3

Research Methodology

3.1

Research Question

3.2

Methodology

Chapter 4

Literature Review

Chapter 5

Site: Dombivali

5.1

Historical Background

5.2

Site Specificities

5.3

Evolution of Dombivali

Chapter 6

Case Study: Thane

6.1

Over view of Thane

6.2

Urban systems in Thane

Chapter 7

Expansion proposal for Dombivali

7.1

Expansion Proposal

7.2

Urban systems in Dombivali

Chapter 8

Site Study

8.1

Main Site

8.2 Annexures

Different Conditions

Bibliography

iv Chapter 1 Introduction

Mumbai is a linear city stretching north-south, with water on three sides of the main city.

The south part of Mumbai which is made of seven islands is considered to be the main district area of Mumbai. Towards the north are the suburbs of Mumbai. These suburbs are primarily connected by a network of railways. Railway plays a crucial role in the shaping of Mumbai and its suburbs. Mumbai is divided into two parts due to railway, western line and central line. Western line stretches from south to north of Mumbai.

Central line stretches from south to the north eastern parts of Mumbai. South Mumbai area is considered to be the job district as well as the major economic area for the city of Mumbai. But since the past decade newer job districts are being formed towards the northern part of Mumbai, like Andheri and Malad on the western line, whereas Ghatkopar and Thane on the central lines of Mumbai. These new job districts lie in the central parts of Mumbai. Due to their locations the accessibility becomes much easier.

This has led to an increase in pressure for expansion on the farther suburbs due to demand for more housing and infrastructure needed to compliment the job districts.

Suburbs like Vasai-Virar and Kalyan-Dombivali contribute to this phenomenon of expansion. Vasai-Virar and Kalyan-Dombivali are upcoming suburbs of Mumbai. They lie to the northern parts of Mumbai and their expansion and development are results of the new job districts. These pressures are changing these suburban agglomerations.

In order to understand the impacts of new development and expansion on the existing fabric, a case of Dombivali a suburb of Mumbai has been considered. Dombivali has its own municipal corporation in collaboration with Kalyan, known as Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC). KDMC is a part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region and is an upcoming suburban area near to Mumbai. What can be observed since the past few years is that the once affordable real estate market of Dombivali is changing to an expensive real estate market. The change can be seen with reference to the shifting of fringe of Mumbai. Initially Dombivali-Kalyan was considered as the fringes for Mumbai and Thane. In today’s context what is changing is that suburbs like Badlapur, Ambernath are considered by the developers to transform them into places for affordable housing.

This has led to the rising real estate price in Dombivali-Kalyan. The scenario was

Mumbai-Thane-Dombivali as places of work, elite housing and affordable housing respectively is now changing as many job opportunities are also emerging in and around Thane. This in turn has changed the sequence as Thane-Dombivali-Badlapur, Ambernath, as places of work, elite housing and affordable housing respectively.

Fig. 1.1 : Expansion Pattern of Mumbai’s Suburbs

The result of this shift of concentration has led to development pressures on Dombivali for new expansion. This has led to the increase of pressure on the existing areas of Dombivali to adapt to the new development. The current trend is to redevelop the old buildings but this will eventually head towards weakening the situation as the infrastructure needed to handle the rising density is not sufficient. The infrastructure is not only necessarily the road network or the basic services it is also the socio-cultural aspect, the character that will get affected. There are proposals to develop the peripheries of Dombivali but the need is to transform the existing setup to a much viable and enhanced urban place. The usual scenario is that the complete concentration is placed upon the new development in sight and the existing areas are unaccounted. This in turn results into making the existing areas difficult to manage with the increased

pressure from the new development. There is an opportunity towards this approach as the projected expansion is aimed for completion in another twenty years. The aim is to take an account of the existing areas which can bear the pressures of the new development.

In the case of Dombivali the existing area is under the pressures of transformation due to new development that will happen on the fringe areas of the suburb. These areas are beyond the Kalyan-Shilphata highway where lands for new development are considered.

These new urban agglomerations are dependent on the existing area for different aspects one of them being the railway station which is a major means of transport and connection with Mumbai. Other aspects like markets, socio-cultural activities which form a part of the existing agglomerations. The existing area is a setup that has been prevailing, transforming and expanding since several decades together. As per other suburbs of Mumbai, Dombivali is also divided into two parts known as West Dombivali and East Dombivali due to the railway line that passes through. The western side of Dombivali is bound by Ulhas creek which acts like a natural boundary for Dombivali on the west. On the east of Dombivali the settlement that sits between the railways and the Kalyan-Shilphata highway. The site considered is on the east side of Dombivali.

Chapter 2 Purpose of Study The main motive of the thesis is to understand how the existing areas tend to react and fuse with the new expansions. A proper structure has to be made for the existing areas so that they can stand the future development and do not become cramped up and negative spaces. The fringe areas are the areas which have the freedom to develop in a completely new manner. On the contrary the existing urban areas are already formed and what needs to be looked into is how they can be regulated to compliment the future growth. This is considering the redevelopments that are happening today. How these new transforming built forms can be fused with the conditions that prevail in the neighbourhood.

The site selected in Dombivali is with an aim to understand the transformations that happen within the urban setup with the change in the urbanization process and analysing what changes can be expected in the future. Incorporating the fringe areas into the urbanized formations is one way to manage the pressures of development. But while expanding the issues of the existing areas should not be neglected as the existing areas play a vital role in taking the pressures of the expansion. Certain issues like the connectivity, ecology, urban form, economy, culture, growth pattern should be given an equivalent justice.

3.1 Aims and Objectives 

To find conditions where the pressures of new development can be seen.



To understand the current condition of the core areas.

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To give guidelines for formulated development.

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To have a development and built form which is not alien to the stake holders and the prevailing conditions.

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To have a guideline set which could be used while having such form of development.

3.2 Research Problem The problem is how the existing fabrics are reacting to the new development through the means of transformation? The diverse conditions that prevail in the existing fabric that needs to be considered while transforming the agglomerations. To analyze and study the way in which such conditions should be approached to make it a systematic development. To study the Spatial Configurations that occur in the system and how they can be fused with future transformations of the existing areas. This would also result in a pattern of development that will take place in the area which would complement the existing pattern.

Chapter 3 Research Methodology 4.1

Research Question a) Main Questions 

What happens to the existing suburban fabrics when new developments happen next to them?



How to deal with planning mechanisms and Spatial Configurations in existing areas by modifying yet without disturbing the original form of the fabric?

b) Subsidiary Questions 

What aspects should be considered while dealing with such integrated situations?



What aims should be considered to make the original urban setting better with the new development?

4.2

Research Method 

Understand the expansion pattern of Mumbai and its suburbs.

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Understanding existing and fringe conditions where the new expansion is proposed.

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Identify the urban systems where the pressures of new development will impact and select the most vulnerable amongst them for study.

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To study the selected area where the pressures are most impactful.

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Select different sites amongst the urban systems on the basis of the diverse conditions that prevail on the sites.

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To do case studies of similar conditions to understand the impacts on the urban systems and what can be done to implement them in the selected sites.

Chapter 4 Literature Review The literature review done for the thesis primarily helps to understand and clarify the ideas and terms related to thesis. Since the study is related to expansion of urban areas and its impacts the literature review is done to understand different forms of the cities as well as the perception of people about the city. The urban areas are defined by its fabric and landscape. The fabric is interwoven in the daily life of the people and is defined by their activity. Across the world many cities have evolved and expanded due to pressures of development. This was a result of revolutions that have happened in the development process of mankind. Revolutions such as industrialization, motor dependency, and other newer modes of transport have led to change in the urban form and its character.

Industrialization has transformed the urban forms of the cities to an extent where the land use even though being impregnable has acted as a magnet to attract people towards the cities and its suburbs.

In order to understand the urban fabric and landscapes the book referred is the modern urban landscape by Edward Relph. The book talks about how the landscapes have changed over the years from agricultural to industrial. How the planning of the urban areas have been influenced by the land uses. The current situation is that the urban form is not looked as a neighbourhood design process but is always considered by the world perspective of the neighbourhood. An influence of the economic process and telecommunications has led to urban form not responsive enough to the available surrounding conditions. Cities in the process of becoming big are lacking in the fundamental understanding of the spatial character of the place. The new landscapes are solids imposed over the fabric and supress the relativity between the existing and the new to a certain extent. “Trying to design or reclaim places is, therefore, rather like trying to make or modify life itself. In this effort, it is wisest to adopt the gentle patient manner of an environmental midwife, while rejecting utterly the machine-driven arrogance of some environmental equivalent to a genetic engineer. By such gentle means places might flourish again, but also the world might become less threatened.� —Edward Relph

This kind of approach is what is needed to make an integrated development. The modern urban landscapes are lacking the approach towards the collective design of the cities. The urban landscape should not be looked as just about streets and built form but should also be looked as the aspects that form the fabric. The environmental systems, the public realm, communal associations all of this reflect the city structure and should be thought at the planning level to make a systematic development. In today’s scenario capitalism and commercialised materialism have led to expansion of cities both upwards and outwards. Replacing the existing urban form with an upward development approach regardless of the infrastructure is what is shaping the cities today. With addition to this approach the expansion of the urbanized areas has led to varying urban forms. By 1940 the automobiles were introduced and had started to shape the city by the form of newer networks which would be the source for connections. These connections gave rise to bigger city formations which was achieved by expanding the cities. The peripheries started getting engulfed into the existing urban areas. The urban landscape began to change due to this expansion. The urban landscape and form were defined and driven by urban morphology. A combination of morphologies defines shape of the form. As described by Henri Lefebvre in Writings in Cities, city is a result of the perception and experience of the people. How they respond to the form and its peculiarities is what defines the city and is unique to one’s perception. Urban form is a reflection of the behaviour of the people who use it. In the book Real Cities by Steve Pile a perspective of people’s perception is considered. According to Pile the reality of cities encompasses the emotional and imaginary elements of urban life, which he feels have been neglected.

Real Cities shows why it is necessary to take seriously the more imaginary, fantastic and emotional aspects of city life. Very imaginary approaches are being considered in this book where perception of people through myths like magic, vampires, dreams, ghosts about the city. People have their imaginations play as vital role in these perceptions.

Once they get involved with the city they start making the city a story. A story that is very specific to every individual or group of individuals and that specificity makes the space very unique. These imaginations can be as vague as a horror city or a cartoon city depending upon how the person looks at it. The author is in the process of identifying such vague perceptions of the city. The intent behind reading this book was to understand the perceived city understanding and to develop the knowledge of how these perceptions are evolved. Henri Lefebvre approaches the topic of city expansion through

the trends of industrialization which has changed the form and given a new planning approach.

Garden Cities 21 by John Ormsbee Simonds describes the patterns of city design and their expansion which is very relative and significant to understand for the purpose of the thesis. The understanding of a neighbourhood through its attributes like togetherness, character are very precisely explained in the book through drawings. The book as a reference has been very useful to understand the cities and the dynamics of it. In the book the author has classified the city into three main parts: center city or CBD-inner city which is bound by traffic way and the center city and the outer city which is beyond the traffic ring and is part of the official city limit. In the case of Dombivali similar formation can be noticed.

Center city: Railway station area Inner city: Beyond railway station area bound by Kalyan-Shilphata highway on east and Ulhas creek on west Outer city: The area beyond Kalyan-Shilphata Highway

Fig. 4 .1: Parts of City, Source: Garden Cities 21

How to integrate these three forms of the city and that the inner city is the most affected one due to the pressures of the center city and outer city. Systematic planning approach

towards the making of the inner city viable to bear the pressures is needed. To understand the approach the book considers the master planning of the urban areas.

The elements of the city like land uses, slopes, transportation, environment, and open spaces are considered as tools to study the urban areas for master planning. How to superimpose an ideal city models over the real city is considered in the book.

Likewise Kevin Lynch has a very unique way to understand the city. Through the lens of legibility, accessibility, orientation Kevin Lynch describes the urban fabric. The book looks at the apparent clarity of "legibility" of the cityscape. By this the author describes the ease with which its parts can be reorganized and can be organized in to a coherent pattern. Just as a printed page, if it is legible, can be visually grasped as a related pattern of recognizable symbols, so a legible city would be one whose districts or landmarks or pathways are easily identifiable and are easily grouped into an over-all pattern. The book City Sense and City Design by Kevin Lynch is helpful during the intervention of the thesis as the analysis of the fabric itself generates solutions. Kevin Lynch used tools like perception of people to understand the city and analyse it. What does the city's form actually mean to the people who live there? What can the city planner do to make the city's image more vivid and memorable to the city dweller? To answer these questions, Lynch, supported by studies of Los Angeles, Boston, and Jersey City, formulates new criterion-image ability-and shows its potential value as a guide for the building and rebuilding of cities. The wide scope of this study leads to an original and vital method for the evaluation of city form.

As a research the book looks into environmental perception of the urban areas. The idea was to plan after understanding how the residents see the place and the environment.

This approach would help to generate data which was useful to analyze the space. The perceptions of people led to the design proposals of these places. “Not only is the city an object which is perceived (and perhaps enjoyed) by millions of people of widely diverse class and character, but it is the product of many builders who are constantly modifying the structure for reasons of their own. While it may be stable in general outlines for some time, it is ever changing in detail. Only partial control can be exercised over its growth and form. There is no final result, only a continuous succession of phases.�— Kevin Lynch

Chapter 5 Site: Dombivali 5.1 Historical Background 1

Dombivali’s history dates back to year 1075 when king Harpal Dev had referred to Dombivali on the stone inscriptions, which was situated in Mahul village, near the Turbhe Port. The stone writings referring to its existence in the years 1396-97 still exist in Dombivli. In the 19th Century farmers cultivated Paddy and sold it in the areas from Kalyan to Mumbai. The Portuguese stationed themselves at several places when they came to Dombivali. The Peshwas also came to Dombivali during 1730. In the past, within Dombivali also, the areas were named on the basis of the inhabitants, e.g., the areas where the THAKURS" (Tribal) lived was called "THAKURLI". The areas where the "PATHARWATS" or "STONE-CUTTERS" lived were known as "PATHARLI" and the area where the "DOMBAS" or the (low caste) lived was called "DOMBIVALI". Dombivali Railway Station was set-up in the year 1887. Dombivli was surrounded by villages like: i) To the East the CHOLE village, ii) To the West is the Airey (Aayre) village, iii) To the South is the Patharli village, iv) And to the North is the Thakurli village. As Dombivli is a recent settlement its history does not date back to a very ancient period. Dombvili came up as a suburb with middle class people with a mix of different cultures. All these cultures are celebrated with an equal enthusiasm in this suburb. Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation was formed in 1983 and is a part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Kalyan-Dombivali is a fringe area for Mumbai city and is well connected by the Suburban Central railway system of Mumbai.

5.2 Site Specificities 2

Dombivli is located about 50 Kms away from the financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay) in the Western state of Maharashtra. Thane, the district and Kalyan the taluka are just minutes away. Covering an area of 6 Sq. Kms, It has been enjoying a population boom with over 800,000 people (Acc. to 1991 census), the name "Concrete Jungle" just happen to justify the problem.

Dombivli came into being as the Gajabandhan Village and the "Old Dombivli", which forms the West flank at present, is embraced by the river Ulhas. And quite rightly about a decade ago, one could still see the Paddy fields in these areas. The East flank has been the golden arm of the Municipal Corporation with the major cut of the budget going towards its development. A plush colony in the extension area of the town, which has

1

http://www.kdmc.gov.in/kdmc - accessed on October 26, 2013

2

http://www.dombivlikar.com/dombrief.htm - accessed on October 28, 2013

been under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Corporation (M.I.D.C), has been a real mother of all plans for the Municipal Corporation.

Dombivli boasts a cosmopolitan population with Maharashtrian’s, Jains, Gujarathis, Kannadigas, Tamilians, Malayalee's and Punjabis and a marginal population of Khojas (The Aga-Khan cult) too. Although there are some indications of the town for about 6 to 7 centuries, Not much is really known... Apart from a Huge open space which the Archeological Survey of India declared as a Pond used by the Peshwa's and the land adjacent to its happened to be a Horse Grazing and training site. A Huge Stone was unearthed by the Archeological Dept. with the encryptions marking the evidence of the same.

Today, Dombivli is well known for rapid Industrial growth with major Dye's, Paints, Chemical and Heavy Metal Factories based in the Industrial Part of the town. Some of the well-known of them are Gharda Chemicals, Vicco Labs, Llyod Steel, Deepak Fertilizers, et al. 80's saw Dombivli growing into a crowded and saturated city due to Industrial development under the plan, which proved advantageous. Dombivli's approachability by road, rail and huge potential in land and manpower increased tremendously. The industries have been developed in two phases so far and new plans have been proposed.

The suburb is divided into two parts: Dombivali west and Dombivali east. The former is residential part of the suburb flanked by the Ulhas creek. Kopar road railway station linking the central railway with vasai road (western railway) is located 5mins from Dombivali station. Dombivali east is the more developed part of the city with commercial, residential and industrial areas. Dombivali has grown from a town of few hundreds to a mega-suburb of Mumbai in demographic terms. The rapid increase in the land prices in the existing area of the city of Mumbai has led to a rapid urbanization of KalyanDombivali. Its close proximity to Mumbai and Thane has made it a place for workers to have an affordable house nearer to their work place. With a population of 1,246,381 (2011 census) Kalyan-Dombivali is considered to be the fast growing suburb of Mumbai.

With this effect of rising population and thus the rising demand for housing has led to rise in real estate prices. With the rise in demand for housing the demand for land to development is also rising. For the specific case of Dombivali the geographical conditions are such that on one side it has the Ulhas creek and on the other side there is the Kalyan-Dombivali state highway both acting as the boundaries of the city and its administration as well. Expansion of the suburb is concentrated on the area beyond the Kalyan-Dombivali state highway.

Dombivali is a new city and is developing in the various aspects like culture, social activities, and real estate opportunities. It is more of a modern middle class settlement with a multicultural mixture. There are various aspects that are interwoven in the city fabric which need to be preserved while transforming the existing area of the suburb.

Since past two Decades Mumbai Metropolitan Region has been experiencing a rise in population in the suburbs on the northern side of Mumbai. On the contrary South

Mumbai is experiencing a drop in population. Highest population rise is in Thane and Navi-Mumbai followed by Kalyan Dombivali. Whereas if we consider the existing density of different parts under Mumbai Metropolitan Region the highest density is in the Mumbai Corporation followed by Kalyan-Dombivali Corporation. Despite of higher rate of population rise in Thane, density of kalyan-Dombivali is higher and this demands for a need to expand the limits to manage the pressures.

The vision plan of 2032 for Mumbai Metropolitan Region aims at developing growth corridors as expansion of the region and to organize the density across the corridors.

Kalyan-Dombivali falls in the corridors of growth and is also a center in the growth pattern.

Fig 5.2.1: Growth rate of Mumbai

Fig 5.2.2: Existing Density Distribution

Metropolitan Region 1991-2011

of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Fig 5.2.3: Development Structure of Mumbai Metropolitan Region

5.3 Evolution of Dombivali 1700 A.D.: Dombivali emerged as a port town with agriculture and fishing as main occupations. During that period the Ulhas creek was used for trading of goods to areas like Thane and Vasai. The settlement was restricted to a small cluster of houses which were owned by either the farm land owners or the fishermen.

1700-1880A.D.: Eventually the steady trade and connectivity to other ports (Thane and Vasai) lead to migration and rise in population of Dombivali. Migrants came to Dombivali to work for the fishermen or the farmers. This required space for accommodation of the new population that came to Dombivali. This developed the typology of chawls in order to accommodate more number of people as against the single house typology in the

earlier times. Till this period the focus of development was directed by the creek and close proximity towards it.

1880-1900 A.D.: The chawl kind of urban form continued till the railway line was introduced and Dombivali station was built. Dombivali station was built in 1887 and made a significant change in the urban form and growth pattern of Dombivali. The focus started shifting from creek which was used for trade and transport towards Railway station. The suburb started growing keeping the station in focus. With the railway line being introduced the working class people started to migrate in more numbers towards Dombivali. This gave rise to vertical built form. The chawls and single houses started to get replaced by G+3, G+4 buildings. Station area became a center for daily activity like commuting, shopping and also culture. This crowd pulling nature of station gave rise to markets near the stations.

1900-1960 A.D.: The fabric started to grow and sue to rising migration the demand for expansion also grew. With the introduction of Kalyan-Shilphata Highway and the Manpada road which acted like a primary connector to the highway. The development started growing along such primary connectors with the highway as highway was alternate means of connection with Mumbai.

1960-Existing: In 1960 Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (M.I.D.C.) established industrial areas in Dombivali. These industries were located near the highway considering the easy connection with the transport corridor. Along with the industries M.I.D.C. also set up residential areas for employees of industries. These industries till today are the boundaries of Dombivali considering that industries are the areas which are usually setup on the edges of the urbanized areas. The industries and the highway form the edge of Dombivali east. In the existing scenario the typology of housing is changing the G+3 or G+4 buildings are getting replaced by high-rise towers changing the form and character of the Suburb.

The new proposal by MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) is beyond this highway. It concentrates on the expansion of the suburb in order to accommodate a larger population owing to the development pressures that Dombivali is experiencing today.

Fig. 5.3.1: Evolution of Dombivali.

Chapter 6 Case Study The literature review helped to consider the cities and understand the various aspects within the city. Aspects are embedded into the fabric and yet at times in the pressure of new development are neglected. The aspects such as environment, built form and the connectivity originate systems in the fabric. These systems are part of the fabric so deeply imbedded that they if either of them transformed leads to the change impact on the fabric. They are related to each other and are soft and hard in nature. One of the reasons for transformation of these systems can be the expansion of the fabric. As described earlier the expansion leaves impacts on the existing conditions and in turn leads to a change in the fabric and affects the urban systems.

In order to understand the urban systems and the impacts over these urban systems due to expansion in Dombivali a similar case needs to be studied. For the suburb of Dombivali such similar case can be Thane a neighboring suburb of Dombivali. Thane is a major suburb of Mumbai and has is also a district as well as a municipal corporation.

Thane over the years has evolved into a mega suburb which provides job opportunities as well as high standard living.

6.1 Over view of Thane Thane is located to the northeast of Mumbai, partly on Salsette Island, and partly on the mainland across Thane Creek. Thane covers an area of 147 km², and is elevated 7 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by hills namely yeoor and parsik. The creek not only provides a natural protection to the place but has also facilitated transport of big and small ships since ancient times. This has also acted as an impetus for the development of local and international trade since the pre-historic times. Besides being the stamping ground of the pre-historic tribes, Thane city has a rich cultural heritage, mythological background, followed by a large number of events of historical importance, archeological collectives that have contributed to the enrichment of the history of Thane city.

Thane is also known as suburb of lakes. The development of thane initially happened with the Ulhas and Thane creek as a means of transport and trading. Thane was ruled

by Portuguese and so was Vasai and the creek served as a means of connections between the two. Thane was a port city and the settlements happened in the vicinity of

the lakes. In 1853 the railway line was first introduced in Thane. After the railways the development got concentrated on the railway station same as the development of Dombivali was governed by the railway station after 1885. Thane grew towards the Yeoor hills on the west. On the east were mostly salt pan areas and marshy lands due to the Thane creek. Later the limit for Thane got restricted to the industries that were setup at the foot hills of Yeoor. Today the new expansion of Thane is happening on the Ghodbundar road which connects Thane with Borivali.

Fig. 6.1.1 : Evolution of Thane

Over the years the development of Thane has resulted in changing the urban systems that prevail in Thane. Thane is a very ecologically sensitive suburb. It has creek, nallah (streams) and lakes in its urban agglomeration. Also the location of Thane which lies close to Mumbai has led to a high level of resident population staying in Thane. With the pressures of development Thane has expanded its limits from time to time resulting in changing urban fabric and leaving impacts on the existing areas.

Today Thane is a suburb with mixed class of people. Thane provides for high elite housing as well as for low cost housing. It’s a metropolitan agglomeration with a new role to play that of job provider. The industries are getting replaced by either I.T. (Information Technology) sector or by residential gated complexes. Thane is becoming a job provider for the suburbs around it. With this rapid development happening in thane various urban systems are changing with the similar pace. The impacts have been happening in Thane since the past decade.

The case study of Thane is use to basically understand the impacts happening on the urban fabric and systems that prevail in Thane. Dombivali is a similar case to thane. The study of the impacts of expansion of Thane over the urban systems will help in predicting the impacts that will happen on the urban systems of Dombivali.

6.2 Urban Systems in Thane The expansion results into impacting urban systems. The urban systems that get impacted are environmental systems, industrial impervious landuses, mobility corridors, old settlements and the market areas within, and the rapid redevelopment. These systems are like the indicators of expansion and its impacts. Thane is considered to identify these urban systems and the impacts that have happened over them due to the expansion. The impacts over each of the urban systems in thane are explained further.

The urban systems identified below are to be used for the case of Dombivali to understand the impacts that may happen in the case of Dombivali when it will go under expansion.

Environmental Systems: Thane being a lake city and settled next to creek has got environmental systems happening in the fabric. With the expansion these environmental systems have got impacted. Often in the process of new development the environment is neglected. The

association with these important systems are either broken or they are reduced. The lakes in Thane have been encroached like in Masunda lake case to have infrastructure.

Some of the lakes are reclaimed to have development happening over them. The nallah (streams) that run from the yeoor hills to the Thane and Ulhas creek run through he urbanized areas. These nallah (streams) have become void with built forms on their edges with no association with the nallah (streams).

Fig. 6.2.1: Environmental Systems in Thane

One such case of environmental system is analyzed to understand the impacts. Along the creek there are marshy lands which act as part of the creek. These marshy lands are basically the creek beds where the excess water can be spread. Such a condition happens especially during rainy seasons when there are heavy rains. Due to the pressures of development these marshy lands are encroached upon. Such a case has been identified in Thane. Vrindavan society was built on the marshy lands of Thane creek. The encroachment leads to impacts on the urban system. During heavy rains the Vrindavan society gets flooded with water. This water is nothing but the excess water that the creek bed cannot hold, is according to the system to be spread in the neighboring marshy areas. These marshy lands next to the creeks have been encroached which leads to flooding during rainy season.

Changing impervious Landuses: IN 1960’S Thane started its industrial sector at the footsteps of yeoor hills. These industrial areas were the exterior parts of Thane and were reserved lands for such impervious landuses. With the rising demand for expansion, transformation of the existing fabric started taking place. In this process the old buildings started to go under redevelopment. With the new typology of high-rises adding to the fabric, the demand for bigger plots increased. High-rises with a clustered gated community typology emerged for the elite class. Such large land parcels were available in the areas where the industries were located. Industries needed bigger areas to function and so were the large plots locked under these impervious landuses. The demand resulted into changing of the landuse of these industries and converted them into residential. Also with the changing/shifting job districts from south to north of Mumbai the industrial land parcels started getting replaced by commercial job centers and malls. This actually opened up theses locked down impregnable landuses and made them part of the fabric. In the case described below similar condition happened. The large industrial plots were converted into residential and commercial uses.

Fig. 6.2.2: Changing Impervious Landuses

Old Settlements (Market Areas): Thane is a historic suburb with old settlements that still prevail in certain places. If not the old built form but the character still can be observed in the fabric. The settlements in Thane grew along the lakes and later they grew with the railway station in vicinity. The market areas formed the integrated part of these settlements. Today even after the old areas slowly getting replaced the markets still prevail in the fabric.

Fig. 6.2.3: Old Settlement Areas (Markets)

Rapid Redevelopment (High-rise Typology): The rising population of Thane is demanding for the transformation of the old built forms.

The general approach towards the pressures is to convert the existing low rise buildings into high rise towers which can accommodate more people. In this process of

redevelopment the neighborhood is often neglected. Also the infrastructure is not considered. The rising density gives rise to rising demands of infrastructure which if not considered during such developments result into chaos.

Fig. 6.2.4: Rapid Redevelopment (High-rise Typology)

Mobility Corridors: Mobility network plays a vital role in the formation of the existing fabric during the process of expansion. The mobility corridors which connect the existing and the expansion areas are the ones which go under transformation.

Fig. 6.2.5: Mobility Corridors

In Thane the Station road and the Gokhale road are the two roads that connect the station areas to the newer development areas. These roads are the most impacted ones due to their daily use. Station road is made by reclaiming the Masunda lake. This is a case of environmental system getting impacted due to the need for infrastructure.

Chapter 7 Expansion Proposal for Dombivali 7.1 Expansion Proposal In order to identify the impacts on the urban systems of Dombivali the primary objective is to understand the MMRDA proposal for expansion of Dombivali. The expansion is proposed beyond the Kalyan-Shilphata highway as there is availability of land parcels in that area. The objective of the proposal is to increase the number of housing considering the pressures of development. Also it aims at reserving large land parcels for specific landuses. These landuses will result in impact on the existing area as the relation between the existing and the proposed in symbiotic in nature.

Fig. 7.1.1: Expansion Proposal for Dombivali by MMRDA

The new development is expected to be completed in 2032. The project includes landuses like industrial, commercial, residential, and public utility. The significant thing about the project is that it is aiming at bigger land parcels of commercial and public utility areas. These land parcels are located strategically near the mobility corridors which connect the highway to the Dombivali station area. This will lead to impacts on these corridors and will be the first ones to be affected. The two primary corridors that connect the new area to the station area are Manpada road and Tilak road. In the proposed plan Manpada road will connect station to the proposed commercial area, whereas Tilak road will connect station area to the proposed public utility area.

Fig. 7.1.2: Proposed Landuse Structure

The intensity of impact on either of these connectors will be dependent on the landuses that they connect to. This leads to the priority areas which need to be looked at. As observed in the fig. 7.1.2 it’s apparent that the Manpada road that connects the commercial area to the station is going to be the most impacted amongst the two connectors. This conclusion is owing to the fact that such a big land parcel of commercial area will attract abundant number of people. On the contrary the Tilak road will be with a less pressure considering the public utility landuse that it connects to.

Fig. 7.1.3: Proposed NetworkStructure

The proposal also has new connections to be developed. These connections are in the form of roads, railways, and also multi-modal transport systems. In the fig. 7.1.3 the new

connectors are shown. One of the proposals is to have a local railway line developed which will connect the central railway line to areas like Panvel. This railway line currently is used for long distance railways. It is estimated that the proposal is to be implemented by end of 2014. This will add to the benefit of the new proposal as the new local railway line will open the opportunity of connection of Dombivali with Navi-Mumbai. This proposal will result into rise in population in Dombivali as it will be a central area which can connect not only to Mumbai but also to Vasai (through Diva-Vasai railway) also to Navi-Mumbai. Also a multi-modal transport corridor is proposed which cuts through the railway line and is passing through the proposed industrial, commercial, and residential areas. This connection will result in changing urban fabric around the corridor. In existing scenario there are agricultural lands and marshy lands near the creek around the multimodal corridor.

The proposal is an opportunity to structure the existing fabrics. Since the proposed area is aimed for completion in 2032, the existing areas have 15-20 years for structuring them to take the pressures of new development. The existing areas should be given consideration while developing newer areas. They are often neglected resulting into unorganized development of the existing areas.

On the basis of the proposed structure of expansion for Dombivali and on the basis of case study of Thane the urban systems are identified which can get impacted. These urban systems are further explained.

7.2 Urban Systems in Dombivali The expansion proposal by MMRDA would generate impacts on the existing areas in Dombivali. The learning’s from case study of Thane will help in identifying the impacts on urban systems in Dombivali. Accordingly the five urban systems are located in Dombivali and their existing conditions are analyzed. The method is similar which was used for Thane. Consider cases for the specific urban system and analyze them. The cases selected represent the urban systems and their existing condition.

Old Settlements (Market Areas): Dombivali emerged as a port town which later on got concentrated onto the railways.

Since 1885 the railway station has played a vital role in shaping of Dombivali suburb.

These markets are located in different areas of Dombivali and form an integrated part of

the neighboring areas. In the selected case of areas around Dombivali station on both the sides east as well as west are occupied by markets. Markets of different type like daily vegetable market, and weekly markets (Monday market) contribute toward the informal market activity. Also there are formal market areas in the form of shops like of garments, clothing, and utensils. These markets are set up in these areas considering the daily flow of people towards the station. The dynamics of markets are changing with the increasing pressures of development. The informal and formal forms of markets have stared behaving together in a synchronized manner. Synchronized manner means that where there are formal activities take place the informality spreads in the area. The built form that changes is not responsive to these changing dynamics of markets and leads to chaotic situations.

Fig. 7.2.1: Old Settlement Areas (Markets)

Environmental Systems: Dombivali has two nallah’s (streams) that run through the suburb and merge into the Ulhas creek. These nallah’s are integrated part of the fabric yet they are neglected.

Fig. 7.2.2: Old Settlement Areas (Markets)

The nallah’s start from the industrial areas of Dombivali and pass through residential parts finally ending into the creek. The industrial wastes are let into these nallah’s and later the domestic wastes are also let into them. This pollutes the nallah’s and is not considered as part of the system making them voids in the whole urban agglomeration.In reality these two nallah’s are part of the environmental system of Dombivali. Towards the location from where these nallah’s start has ground water reserves and they turn into these nallah’s. The primary function of these nallah’s is to take the storm water into the creek. Today due to the effluents let intot the nallah’s the nallah and its edge is not responsive to the surrounding fabric.

Mobility Corridors: The two major spines of Dombivali are Manpada road and Tilak Road. They both connect the station area with the Kalyan-Shilphata highway which further connects to Mumbai and Kalyan. Manpada road runs through the earlier settlements of Dombivali and is used primarily to connect to Mumbai. Tilak road gained its importance after 1960 when the industrial areas and residential areas of MIDC emerged.

Fig. 7.2.3:Mobility Corridors

The residents in MIDC usually prefer Tilak road to connect to Dombivali station.

Otherwise Tilak road is used to connect to Kalyan. Manpada road has distinctive

character throughout, with markets, residential, industrial, cultural things happening on the corridor. The corridors in reality define the character of Dombivali. The reason why they are considered significant in the urban agglomeration of Dombivali is due to their function of connecting the suburb to Mumbai city.

Impervious Landuses: The impervious landuses of Dombivali are the industrial areas. The industrial areas are divided into two phases phase l and phase ll. As the fundamental planning ideology is, that the industrial areas should be located outside the main residential areas of the urban area.

Fig. 7.2.4: Impervious Landuses

Today these landuses are very secluded from the urban fabric. They are not utilized and accessed by everyone. If we consider the proposal by MMRDA the proposed development changes the locational understanding of these industrial pockets. These industrial areas as mentioned earlier were at the edges of the urban fabric but due to the new proposal they will be at the central part of the suburb. This will lead to demand for breaking of this impervious character that these industries have since 1960. In the proposed plan if we observe the area near to industrial phase l is proposed for public utility. Whereas the area near the phase ll is proposed for commercial use. These impervious landuses have big land pockets/plots and have the potential to develop in to landuse that will complement the proposal as well as which will suit the existing neighborhood.

If we consider the phase ll industrial area, the proposed landuse by MMRDA near this industrial area is commercial. Then for instance the redevelopment of the industrial pockets can be divided into different landuses like residential, commercial which can be IT sector, and recreational. Why recreational is because the area will come in the center of the existing settlement and the proposed area and can very well function as a threshold as well as gathering place.

Similarly if we consider the phase ll industrial area, the proposed landuse is public utility by the MMRDA in the new development near the industrial area. In such case the redevelopment policy can be to open up the plots and utilize them for residential and recreational purposes. The proposal will break the edge defining character of the industries as well as the highway. The approach towards the transformation has to be more of a pervious character development rather than impervious.

Rapid Redevelopment (High-rise Typology): With the expansion of Dombivali in process the existing areas are more in demand considering their location and comparatively close proximity to the station area. The pressures have led to change in the typology of the built form. In order to accommodate more density the high-rise typology is introduced. The existing typologies like chawls, G+3, G+4 and even bungalows are going under redevelopment. The demand for housing in Dombivali is increasing and this transformation is an outcome of the demand.

The high-rises are gated communities majorly and in certain cases commercial shops on the ground floor. This typology is not only developing as redevelopment of old built form

but is also coming up in the areas where the land parcels were not explored. These land parcels are mainly agricultural lands. In the case l shown in fig. 7.2.5 redevelopment has happened on the most crowded as well as happening road in Dombivali, the Phadke road. Phadke road in Dombivali is one of the most culturally, economically significant road in Dombivali. The character of the street was defined by the road abutting buildings and the shops on the ground floor edged by the road. With the redevelopment of the old built form two possibilities were explored.

As shown in the section the buildings are right opposite to each other. Different redevelopment concepts were used for these buildings. One of the buildings retained the basic character, of building abutting the road. This kind of approach was similar to the older approach. The only missing understanding was that the earlier built form was low rise whereas the redeveloped built form is high-rise. On the contrary the other building opted for a new concept for redevelopment. Under this concept the building was recessed from the road and first few floors were given for commercial. By recessing the building the shop gained an appreciation space also since the road is cultural hub of Dombivali the space in front of the shop can be used as interaction space. Also podium is proposed for the new building which adds to the visual interaction between the road and the podium level. If the building was not recessed and both the buildings followed the earlier character of road abutting built form then the scenario would have been very different. The high-rise form would have been very difficult to look visually towards the building considering the road width. Also this would have left dark spaces created on the road due to lack of sunlight blocked by these buildings. Such sensitive approach should be considered while designing the new redevelopment projects. An approach which won’t affect the personal association with the place but actually enhance it should be considered during high-rise typology designing.

Fig. 7.2.5: Rapid Redevelopment (High-rise Typology

On the basis of the urban systems study in Dombivali a site has been selected. The site selection criterion was that the site should have all the urban systems embedded within.

The site is a level where the major idea of the thesis is to be demonstrated as a master plan. The other level would be to further zoom into smaller sites in the selected site for the demonstration.