The Better Your Neighbourhood Project@88 -Vol 1

Better your Neighbourhood Project Deonar Village Road, Mumbai

An Initiative by Edifice Consultants Pvt Ltd and the Deonar Village Road ALM

Research Report-Vol 1| August ‘15 [Mapping, Data Collection and Analysis]

Edifice Consultants Pvt Ltd Team

Collaborators

Board Members

Vandana Desai, Head-Deonar Road ALM

Ravi Sarangan, Founder-Director Manoj Choudhury, Executive Director

Tukaram Kate, MLA, Shiv Sena

Design and Research Team Mishkat Ahmed, Senior Urban Designer Akhila Suri, Urban Designer Gauri Gore, Architect Student Interns (Surveying and Mapping) Rizvi College of Architecture, Bandra, Mumbai Bhumit Shah Sanjeet Mukadam Unnati Mehta Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture, Navi Mumbai Rahul Nair Meet Chavda Kavya Nair Musavvir Bambot Aarti Raghavan

The document is for generating public participation in area development and hence is being widely distributed. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Edifice Consultants Pvt Ltd.

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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Contents List of Figures

4

Street Experience

34

Introduction

6

Transit Nodes

35

Finding a Voice: Development and Planning Model in Mumbai

7

Peoples Survey: Public Transit

36

The “Bottom-up” Approach

8

Street Elements

37

Research Intent: “Think Big, Start Small”

9

Peoples Survey: Street Elements

38

Project Methodology

10

Tree Cover

39

Linking with the ‘International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning’

11

Footpaths

40

I. Documentation & Mapping

12

Open Spaces and Public Parks

41

Development History and DP Implementation

13

Peoples Survey: Recreation for Residents

42

Site Selection: Why Deonar?

16

Peoples Survey: Safety and Security

43

Identifying Stakeholders & Collaborators

19

Informal Street Activities

44

Issues and Concerns Raised by the ALM

20

Landmarks

45

Data Collection and Documentation Process

21

III. Design Solution Visioning

46

Mapping

22

Case Study-1: Urban Branding

47

Surveying

24

Case Study-2: New Urbanism and Form-Based Codes

49

II. Data Analysis

26

Case Study-3: Urban Design Guidelines

53

Demographic Profile: Employees

27

Case Study-4: Public Participation

54

Demographic Profile: Residents

28

Case Study-5: Reviving Open Spaces

57

Road Network and Access

29

Case Study-6: Socio-Cultural Rejuvenation / Community Activities

58

Site Survey: Traffic Counts

30

Inferences

60

Land use

31

Way Forward

63

Building Use

32

Building Heights

33

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List of Figures Figure 1…Multiple agencies and various departments forming the administration in Mumbai (Source: Vision Mumbai and www.karmayog.org) 7 Figure 2…The bottom-up approach 8 Figure 3…Project Methodology Flowchart 10 Figure 4…Map of administrative wards in Mumbai under MCGM 13 Figure 5…Location of Landmarks within the M Ward (Source: Google Earth) 14 Figure 6…Recent articles on Chembur area (Source: http://articles.economictimes. indiatimes.com) 15 Figure 7…M-East Ward boundaries (Source: www.mcgm.gov.in and www.praja.org)

16 Figure 8…Deonar Dumping Ground (www.indianexpress.com) 16 Figure 9…Development Plan for Greater Mumbai Existing Land Use for M/E Ward (Source: www.mcgm.gov.in) 17 Figure 10…Deonar Village Road - Site Plan and Extent 18 Figure 11…Examples of public collaborative projects 19 Figure 12…Site Location Map 20 Figure 13…Data Collection, Analysis and Documentation Process 21 Figure 14…1993 Development Plan (Source: www.karmayog.org/mumbaidp) 22 Figure 15…2014 Existing Land Use Plan (Source: www.udri.org) 22 Figure 16…Base Map prepared on AutoCAD (Source: Google imagery, Mumbai DP ELU 2014, on-site study and survey) 23 Figure 17…Photo Collages and study area pictures 24 Figure 18…Sample Survey responses 25 Figure 19…Distribution of Male vs Female Employees surveyed 27 Figure 20…Occupation 27 Figure 22…Age Group distribution of Male Employees 27 Figure 21…Place of Origin (Home) of employees in the study area 27 Figure 25…Age group distribution of Female Residents 28 Figure 26…Residence Ownership 28 Figure 23…Distribution of Male vs Female residents surveyed 28 Figure 27…Number of years spent in the neighbourhood 28 Figure 24…Age group distribution of Male Residents 28 Figure 29…Peak Hour Traffic at Govandi Station Junction 29

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure

28…Existing Road Network 30…Peak Hour Traffic at Dattaguru Colony 33…Peak Hour Traffic Variation 34…Modal Split 31…Peak Hour Traffic Variation 32…Modal Split 35…Existing landuse 36…Existing Building Use 37…Existing Building Height Range 38…At Neelkanth Towers 39…At Shah Industrial Estate 40…At Deonar Gaothan 41…At Dattaguru Society 42…Existing Public Transit Nodes 43…Existing Public Utilities 44…Existing Tree cover along the public realm 45…Existing Footpath extents 46…Existing Public Open Spaces 47…Existing Informal Activities along the Road 49…Entry to Telecom Factory 48…Existing Informal Activities along the Road 50…Govandi Post Office 51…Transect Planning 52…A public space in Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C 53…A uniform urban design in Alexandria, VA 54…A cyclist on the quiet streets of Habersham, SC. 55…Regulating Plan, Downtown Ventura, CA 56…Example of Streetlight Standards 57…Facade & Frontyard Setback Definitions 58…Sign Standards, Ventura, CA) 59…Major projects identified in the Plan 60…Example of a Major Project Proposal - Centre Street Plaza 61…Existing Photos of Hercules

29 29 30 30 30 30 31 32 33 34 34 34 34 35 37 39 40 41 44 45 45 45 49 49 50 50 51 52 52 52 53 53 54

4

Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure place Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure

62…Master plan for Central Hercules 55 63…Block plan for Central Hercules 55 64…Building Guidelines 56 65…Illustrative sketches of the proposed development 56 66…Logo developed for the city 56 67…Irla Nala Development and Creation of Open Space 57 68…Vision Juhu - Overall Plan 57 69…Kala Ghoda Precinct 58 70…Images from the Kala Ghoda Festival 59 71…Improvements in amphitheatre and garden benches due to the festival 59 72…New urban programs creating spaces for young people and a sense of 60 73…Community Participation and Workshops 60 74…Open Spaces 61 75…Places for recreation and entertainment 61 78…Basic Amenity provision 62 76…Desired Quality of Street Experience 62 77…New workspace typologies and commerce 62

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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Introduction Edifice Consultants Pvt Ltd is a well-established firm in India since the past 25 years, steadily growing across regions with offices in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Pune besides Mumbai. With a large portfolio of works covering commercial, I.T. and residential projects of varying scales, in 2007 it was time to launch the Urban Design Vertical in the company that could address specific issues and challenges of a Developing Nation.

An important understanding of urbanism emerges from research and focused study. New urban and planning theories through history have been developed by analysing existing settlements, social and cultural values and their impact on the larger society. Many communities have taken the initiative themselves to improve their city; sometimes the people in power have been instrumental in making dramatic changes to the cityscape.

In 2011, the study for the new Development Plan (DP) for Mumbai was begun. The last DP was made in 1993. The DP map defines land reservations and amenities, transportation networks, services and hazard mitigation. Based on an overall vision, a mapping and analysis was carried out that would inform the development for the city. However, once the DP was launched, it received severe criticism from various government, non-government agencies, citizens and activists to such an extent that it had to be scrapped by the Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis (ET Bureau article, April 21, 2015).

Meeting held in the presence of the MCGM DP Team and other organisations working in the city brought to light recommendations that have also inspired this study. It suggested: • Demarcating planning localities for better implementation. These can be mapped based on similarities in history, livelihood pattern, common physical characteristics etc • Carrying out detailed study of these localities to determine the existing conditions.

• Developing specific DCR for these localities, and include a separate DCR for slum areas • Introducing new forms of town planning to evolve for the city Every neighbourhood in Mumbai has layers of history, ethnicity, architecture that make its character, and make it different from large planned greenfield cities. The organic growth of the city has been dictated by changes in local and global economies, real estate politics and policies that will still have an impact in the future; however, a selfsustaining model for each neighbourhood is what will preserve and protect its essence.

In the light of these issues, the team at Edifice decided to address city development from a bottom-up approach, with public participation and collaboration at its core.

Rather than an intellectual exercise, this research hopes to bring out tangible results.

Mumbai, unlike great cities of Europe and the USA, has a very high population (17,564,430 persons) condensed in only 30.5% of the land compared to a population of 21,199,865 spread over 43.6% of land area in New York and a population of 11,419,400 persons spread over 33% of the land area in Paris (Urban Transformation by Peter Bosselmann).

Besides this, the MCGM Preparatory Study Report has projected a 50% increase in population in the city by 2041. The large population, informal settlements and different democratic governing bodies make it difficult to firstly document correct information and secondly, make quick but structured changes to the city fabric.

The DP is all encompassing and addresses macro issues, in the quest of which many micro problems are overlooked with the result that in spite of several DPs in each city, the same issues continue to affect its residents every decade. The Public Stakeholder

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Finding a Voice: Development and Planning Model in Mumbai

Figure 1‌Multiple agencies and various departments forming the administration in Mumbai (Source: Vision Mumbai and www.karmayog.org)

There are multiple planning and administrative agencies in the city which are responsible for the various sectors, such as services provision, housing, power supply, pollution control, roads and railways, law and order etc - all the components that add to the co-ordinated well-being of a metropolitan city. However, the complexity arises when there is requirement to contact any one agency which will take the responsibility of a particular task. The boundaries are unclear and undefined and many times it is dificult to co-ordinate between the agencies.

Within this maze, Citizens and Urban Planners, in collaboration with various experts can come together to identify issues, propose practical solutions and reach a feasible model for implementation since they have the knowledge base and the experience.

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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The “Bottom-up” Approach

Social Infrastructure

Transportation

Urban Form

Safety and Security

Ecology/ Hydrology

Architecture

Heritage

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES (Constitutional, Schemes, Grants)

CITY & STATE VISION

TOP DOWN APPROACH

The bottom up approach is wherein there is a progression from the individual elements to the whole. The individual base elements of the system are first specified in great detail. These elements are then linked together to form larger subsystems, which then in turn are linked, sometimes in many levels, until a complete top-level system is formed. In the planning process this involves the participation of the general public to reach a cohesive and holistic overall vision for the City and State as explained below.

The 74th Amendment to the Indian Constitution was based on a similar premise that the functions such as urban planning, regulation of land use and construction of buildings, provision of urban amenities and facilities such as parks, street lights, public conveniences etc be decentralised to the smallest urban local body, thus encouraging a collaborative approach to city planning.

CITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS (5,10, 15 years)

DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS AND LAWS (construction bye laws)

SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING MODEL

BOTTOM UP APPROACH

MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES (District/Ward/Area level)

Live updates, ground realities, monitoring and maintenance

PUBLIC OPINION (local residents, daily users)

NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT (Revitalization, Preservation, Retrofit)

Figure 2…The bottom-up approach

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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Research Intent: “Think Big, Start Small” Most cities are designed from a vision and policy perspective - Development Plans are one such example. Land use and Road demarcations tend to drown the actual urban fabric and character.

To supplement the Development Plans of large cities that grow over time with layers of history, it is necessary to understand the nature of this development. Besides that, a socio-cultural understanding is also required to interpret the aspirations and needs of local occupants. Unlike countries of the West, India has several layers that comprise a typical city and are sometimes very complex due to the disparity within these multiple layers - heritage, cultures, gender, economics, ecology, colonisation, migration and so on. The growth of a metropolis like Mumbai, Kolkatta or Delhi is an ongoing process.

Governments change, policies change, economies rise and fall and so does the pattern of development. What remains constant is the people occupying the space, attached to their heritage roots and experiencing the daily transformation of their neighbourhood.

Since India is a democracy as well, it becomes crucial to develop policies with the people and for their benefit.

“Think Big, Start Small” defines a new approach in urban design that can help plan complex cities in Developing Countries. It feeds data from the mass to the topmost authorities, presented in an easily comprehensible narrative, identifying issues, challenges and providing pragmatic solutions. The Edifice Team with its vast experience in Urban Design, Architecture and Interior Space Planning can begin creating this interface through a collaborative research exercise. The research would intend to: • Identify the issues and challenges of the citizen • Document data at a micro-level that is beyond the purview of Development Plans.

This data can be shared at the city level to facilitate stronger Government policies • Serve as a Prototype for similar scale and nature of neighbourhoods • Produce practical solutions in accordance with standard practices and local code requirements The research would then have a ripple effect in the city where other areas could also develop a similar model, specific to their needs. This will also bring about a sense of community and ownership within the citizens towards their neighbourhood.

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Project Methodology The first part of the project involved documentation and a mapping exercise. This was essential since there is no prior data available in terms of maps for the locality. The Development Plan Existing Land Use Survey (ELU) itself addresses macro-level land uses, where the street level pedestrian experience, building uses and environment factors amongst many others are not captured. Seeking guidance from the Deonar Road Advanced Locality Management Unit (ALM), a group of active residents along the Deonar Road, the team at Edifice was able to carry out a mapping of the area. Support from the local municipal corporator was also needed in order to carry out a door-todoor survey and get responses from the local residents and office goers in the area. The key questions were targeted to understand the demographic profile of the people, the presence/absence of recreational spaces and the overall street experience.

The Research Methodology described here lists the steps followed in the research to arrive at a design / policy level solution. It is important to understand and analyse each step of the research to create a well-informed, structured final product.

RESEARCH INTENT SITE SELECTION IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS & COLLABORATORS

[Support, Local Knowledge and Permissions]

DATA COLLECTION (MAPPING, SURVEYING, RESEARCH)

[Base Map, Questionnaire]

DATA ANALYSIS

[Diagrams, Graphs, Charts]

IDENTIFYING SOCIO-CULTURAL, ETHNOGRAPHIC ISSUES

IDENTIFYING RELEVANT DESIGN INTERVENTION

ECPL MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES ADVANCED LOCALITY MANAGEMENT GROUP (ALM) EXPERTS (LANDSCAPE, ANTHROPOLOGY, TRAFFIC ETC) FUNDING AGENCY

BUILDING A PROTOTYPE/PILOT PROJECT

DEFINING NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICIES & GUIDELINES

[Creating a Research Hypothesis]

[Implementation Funding Sources, Public Participation, Study of urban policies]

Figure 3…Project Methodology Flowchart

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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Linking with the ‘International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning’ The international guidelines by the UN Habitat are intended to be a universal framework for improving global policies, plans, designs and implementation processes, which will lead to more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories. These guidelines will support the operationalization of two sets of guidelines previously adopted by the Governing Council of the UN-Habitat, through a strong intersectoral and multilevel approach (1) The international guidelines on decentralization and the strengthening of local authorities (2007) and (2) The international guidelines on access to basic services to all (2009) Urban and territorial planning has an inherent and fundamental economic function and is a powerful instrument for reshaping the forms and functions of cities and regions. Taking into account the principle of subsidiarity and the specific governance arrangement of each country, the Guidelines should be used through the multi-scale continuum of spatial planning: • At Supranational and Transboundary Level - multinational regional strategies could help direct investment to address global issues such as climate change and energy efficiency • At National Level - national plans could take advantage of existing and planned economic poles and large infrastructure in order to support, structure and balance the system of towns and cities • At City Region and Metropolitan Level - promoting regional economies of scale and agglomeration, increasing productivity and prosperity, strengthening urban-rural linkages and adaptation to climate change impacts etc • At City and Municipal Level - city development strategies and integrated development plans to prioritize investment decisions and encourage synergies and interactions between separate urban areas. Urban extension and infill, urban upgrading and retrofitting are such examples.

• At Neighbourhood Level - street development and public space plans and layouts could improve urban quality, social cohesion and inclusion and the protection of local resources. Participatory planning, budgeting and involving communities in managaing urban commons could contribute to improved spatial integration and connectivity, human security and resilience, local democracy and social accountability.

Different types of urban and territorial planning methods and practices exist and have been tested in many countries which aim to influence urban forms and functions. the spectrum of planning methods is broad and reflects an evolving continuum within which top-down and bottom-up approaches are combined to various degrees in each context. Whatever the approach, successful implementation requires three enabling components: • Enforceable and Transparent legal framework • Sound and flexible urban planning and design • A financial plan for affordability and cost-effectiveness In the Indian context, the latter two points remain in the hand of local residents and agencies, and hence must be fully explored through a bottom-up approach to achieve results.

The Guidelines were approved in April 2015 which call upon “international financial institutions, development agencies, and UN-Habitat to assist interested member States in using and adapting the Guidelines to their territorial and national contexts, where appropriate, and further developing tools and monitoring indicators.” The recommendations are of a general nature and intend to be an inspiration only.

Governments and partners will be invited to provide direct feedback to the UNHabitat on the implementation of the Guidelines.

The Guidelines discuss the following for National Governments, Local Authorities, Civil Society organisations, Planning professionals and their associations: • Urban Policy and Governance • Sustainable Development • Social Development • Sustained Economic Growth • Environment • Planning • Implementation and Monitoring (Source: www.unhabitat.org)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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I. Documentation & Mapping

Development History and DP Implementation The Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay (now MCGM)is an autonomous Body established under the provisions of the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, to administer the civic affairs of the Bombay City. As per the provisions of the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954, it was necessary for the Municipal Corporation to prepare a Development Plan for Greater Bombay area. Such a plan was therefore prepared which came into force in 1967. This DP was not effective as it did not involve any public participation and relied entirely on the Municipal Corporation to generate resources.

R/Central Ward

Post this, the DP was revised in 1981, 1993 and now in 2014.

The development of Bombay began with the establishment of a port by the East India Company in 1667. Earlier the limit of the Municipal Corporation was confined to the city area only which was the British town. The suburban areas which are now comprised of L,M, N, H, K wards were merged and brought within the jurisdiction in 1950 whereas the extended suburban areas comprising of S, T, P and R wards were merged within the Corporation limit in 1957. The city was divided into administrative wards for the purpose of easy local administration.

Added in 1957

Added in 1950

M-Ward historically was comprised of small villages like Chembur, Borla, Ghatla, Deonar, Wadhavali, Maravali, Trombay, Anik and Mahul. These villages were juxtaposed with large Government industrial establishments such as Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Bharat Refineries, Telecom Factory, Indian Oil Co and Tata Thermal Station under the private sector. The ward houses the Deonar dumping ground where the refuse from the rest of Mumbai is dumped. The Deonar Abbatoir is the largest mechanised slaughter house with exports to the Gulf countries as well. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is the largest institute campus in this ward. Many social welfare institutes such as Beggars Homes, Childrens Homes are also situated in this ward. R. K. Studio is a popular landmark, a remembrance of the legendary actor-producer-director Raj Kapoor. India’s first Atomic research center known as Bhabha Atomic Research Center is also situated on almost one-fourth of the land area of this ward. The Golf Club here is the largest in the city.

Figure 4…Map of administrative wards in Mumbai under MCGM

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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03: DEONAR DUMPING GROUND

04

01 02: SHIVAJI NAGAR

01: DEONAR ABBATOIR

02

05

STUDY AREA 05: GOLF COURSE

03

07: R K STUDIOS 06: TISS

06 04: BARC

Figure 5…Location of Landmarks within the M Ward (Source: Google Earth)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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You are here: Home > Collections > Chembur Due to financial stringency, all the aspects of the DP 1967 could not be implemented.

Hence the final sanctioned DP for M Ward came into force from July 15, 1992. This along with the Development Control Regulations 1991 proposed important changes in the M Ward post its inclusion in 1950: • The FSI was increased from 0.5 to 0.75 for residential development, thereby creating a potential of large scale residential development in the ward • Since M Ward is the southern most ward of the eastern suburbs, the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) generated in this ward could be available in further northern wards of Eastern and Western suburbs. This enabled large chunks of lands reserved for play ground, welfare center, library and Municipal schools available to the Corporation free of cost for public use.

• However, M Ward is not in the receiving zone for TDR and the permissible FSI is less than 1 here as a safety measure from important organisations such as Atomic RELATED ARTICLES Energy and Naval Armanent Depot, R.C.F. and other refineries located in the ward.

'We are here to stay' January 14, 2006 • It was also provided in the DCR that rehabilitation of slum dwellers through owners/ developers/co-operative housing societies will receive FSI uptoCheck out Mumbai suburb property prices and 2.5 under special strategy to... permission of the Municipal Commissioner. Two big slum colonies in M Ward took October 14, 2009 advantage of this to develop projects along the Bombay Panvel Road, which at that A welcome move July 2, 2006 time was identified as the outskirts of the city limit.

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IN­DEPTH COVERAGE 'We are here to stay' Chembur January 14, 2006

Based on this, it is possible to relate to the kind of development in the M Ward today Check out Mumbai suburb property prices and low-rise residential colonies based on the villa / rowhouse model, plenty of public open strategy to... spaces, large slum rehabilitation schemes towards the Vashi toll October 14, 2009 in Mankhurd area.

A welcome move However, with the introduction of the new Development Control Regulations and major July 2, 2006 upgradation in infrastructure in the region, this Ward is no more the outskirts of Mumbai IN­DEPTH COVERAGE but a new gateway to the city.

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Chembur , once a peaceful and serene suburb, has grown into a bustling and active locality. Families who have lived here for decades have seen a tremendous difference , with the bungalows fast fading and giving way to high­rises . The Natekars, for instance, have seen Chembur change over the years.

The family shifted from Parsi Colony, Dadar to Chembur in 1959. Sitting in the family residence, which has stood tall for almost 47 years, Uday Natekar talks endlessly about the past. "My father purchased the plot in 1958 and we moved in a year later. Chembur was then selected for its ample open and green spaces," he TNN Jun 18, 2006, 01.36pm IST recounts. The bungalow is on 10th Road, which in itself is an example of the makeover of the entire suburb.

A changed skyline

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It is home to the Natekar joint family; Uday and Vijay, two brothers and their respective families , which adds Surprisingly, it was quite composed and open," she recalls. The Central Avenue Road that stretches from up to eight members, inhabit the house, along with a pet. The house has an ideal location in Chembur, with Diamond Garden falling perpendicular to the station road was one of the greenest areas at that time, with a all parts of the suburb accessible for the family. In earlier days, the suburb largely had bungalows, and number of trees. Interestingly, though many people have referred to this suburb as 'Gas Chamber' , Chembur buildings came in much later. "Back then, when we moved here, this place was scarcely populated. retained its greenery.

Very few vehicles occupied the streets, which were considerably in good condition ," he says. Open fields Uday is all praise for the town planning done in the 50's and 60's . "Some places were well planned and that and marshy areas dominated Chembur in those times and the entire suburb was enveloped in a green cover. is why Chembur still hasn't lost its charm, especially the Central Avenue road," he asserts. Areas in and "Such open areas and less congestion made me adjust comfortably," says Alka Natekar, his wife, whose around Diamond Garden were fertile lands, where vegetables were cultivated. "It resembled a perfect village, maiden home was at Colaba . "Having grown up in such a cosmopolitan and spacious locality, I dreaded where one could get fresh stuff and I often went there. The whole experience was so refreshing," she recalls. staying in Chembur, it was more of a culture shock.

"Years ago, there was only one provision store, Chandan Store, on the Sion­Trombay road. Though this Surprisingly, it was quite composed and open," she recalls. The Central Avenue Road that stretches from store met all our basic necessities, I had to go to South Mumbai to satisfy our other shopping needs. Now Diamond Garden falling perpendicular to the station road was one of the greenest areas at that time, with a the market offers everything one can think of. One does not need to go out of Chembur to buy anything." number of trees. Interestingly, though many people have referred to this suburb as 'Gas Chamber' , Chembur retained its greenery.

"Vijay Theatre is the oldest and was the only theatre in Chembur in those days. Chembur also boasts of Bombay Presidency Golf Course and Chembur Gymkhana, which are crowd­pullers even today. Among the Uday is all praise for the town planning done in the 50's and 60's . "Some places were well planned and that other recreational facilities, there are a couple of parks and maidans ," he declares. is why Chembur still hasn't lost its charm, especially the Central Avenue road," he asserts. Areas in and around Diamond Garden were fertile lands, where vegetables were cultivated. "It resembled a perfect village, Chembur was also a home to many celebrities like Shobana Samarth and Anil Kapoor. Alka, who is a former where one could get fresh stuff and I often went there. The whole experience was so refreshing," she recalls. teacher of General Education Academy in the vicinity continues, "St . Anthony's Girls' High School was the only English medium school. Now, an increasing number of schools have sprung up like Loretto Convent, St. "Years ago, there was only one provision store, Chandan Store, on the Sion­Trombay road. Though this Gregorious, General Education Academy and O.L.P.S." store met all our basic necessities, I had to go to South Mumbai to satisfy our other shopping needs. Now the market offers everything one can think of. One does not need to go out of Chembur to buy anything."

Their children, Savita and Sandeep, who are now in United States, finished their schooling here. Chembur is also well connected today, unlike in the past. "Living in Chembur has been a wonderful experience for us and "Vijay Theatre is the oldest and was the only theatre in Chembur in those days. Chembur also boasts of most Chemburites would vouch for this," says Uday. The one thing they miss, however, is the peaceful and Bombay Presidency Golf Course and Chembur Gymkhana, which are crowd­pullers even today. Among the tranquil surroundings and open spaces, which are quickly disappearing. other recreational facilities, there are a couple of parks and maidans ," he declares.

Chembur was also a home to many celebrities like Shobana Samarth and Anil Kapoor. Alka, who is a former

teacher of General Education Academy in the vicinity continues, "St . Anthony's Girls' High School was the Figure 6…Recent articles on Chembur area (Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com) only English medium school. Now, an increasing number of schools have sprung up like Loretto Convent, St. Gregorious, General Education Academy and O.L.P.S."

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Their children, Savita and Sandeep, who are now in United States, finished their schooling here. Chembur is also well connected today, unlike in the past. "Living in Chembur has been a wonderful experience for us and most Chemburites would vouch for this," says Uday. The one thing they miss, however, is the peaceful and tranquil surroundings and open spaces, which are quickly disappearing.

15

Site Selection: Why Deonar?

The Mumbai Port under British rule was set up at the southern tip of the island, where the Gateway of India is located today. The city has witnessed growth from the south towards the northern areas in a linear fashion due to the land constraints on three sides.

With the conception of Navi Mumbai as a sister city in the 1970s, the eastern corridor opened up with the Vashi Bridge and a Harbour Line railway connection. However, development in Navi Mumbai remained slow over the years, discouraging more public infrastructure investment in the region and areas under the M Ward continued to be the outskirts of the city housing the Deonar Dumping Ground. In fact, the DP for M Ward came into place only in 1992, while the new area of Vashi was already built.

The ‘Eastern Suburbs’ of Mumbai have not seen much development in the past due to lack of connectivity and stringent Development Control Regulations as discussed earlier. Most development projects in the city have been focused towards the Western Suburbs, with areas like Andheri, Malad, Kandivali, Lower Parel seeing a boost in residences and office spaces with an active socio-cultural life.

2012 onwards, infrastructure development has seen a rise in the Eastern Suburbs with the opening of the Eastern Freeway connecting South Mumbai and Chembur, the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road opening up the western suburbs to the eastern suburbs and the Metro Line 1 from Versova to Ghatkopar. Mumbai’s Wadala and Chembur suburbs and Ulwe in Navi Mumbai are India’s top residential locations to invest in, with property prices in these areas forecast to increase by 133%, 125% and 145%, respectively, in five years, says Knight Frank India (Mumbai’s Wadala, Chembur best for realty investments: report, Live Mint, Nov 20 2012).

Ward Name

Ward Boundaries East

West

North

South

Area (sq km)

Population

M West

R.C Marg,Nirankari Math upto RCF Qtrs, C.G.Road,W.T.Patil Marg,Parallel Road to C.Rly up to Subhash Nagar Nala from Creek Towards E.E.Highway.

Tansa Pipeline

ChemburGhatkopar Somaiya College Nala, Ghatkopar Pumping Station

Upto Arabian Sea

19.50

4,11,893

M East

Octroi Check Naka to Trombay

W.T.Patil Mag, V.N.Purav Marg & R.C.Marg

Deonar Dumping Ground

Payalipada Village,BARC, BPC

32.50

8,07,720

Figure 7…M-East Ward boundaries (Source: www.mcgm.gov.in and www.praja.org)

Chembur, Govandi, Deonar, Mahul and some parts of Wadala fall under the M-ward within the eastern suburbs, consisting of M-East and M-West with the boundaries, population and land areas as shown in adjacent table.

Figure 8…Deonar Dumping Ground (www.indianexpress.com)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

16

M/E – WARD EXISTING LAND USE 2012

M/E - WARD

Key Map M/E -Ward Source: Satellite Image 2006-2007, MCGM

WARD M/E:

•

The ward is bound by Thane Creek on the East, East V.N.Purav Marg on the North, Dattanagar Road, Ramakrishna Chemburkar Marg on the West, BARC and Arabian Sea on the South.

•

The area surveyed in ward M/E is 3308.25 ha which includes Wasi Naka, Shivaji Nagar, Deonar, RCF Colony, BPCL Colony, HPCL Colony and Trombay amongst others.

EXISTING LAND USE DISTRIBUTION Existing Land Use (2012)

Source : Primary Existing Land Use Survey, 2012

Colour Codes

Ward M/E Area in ha.

Area %

Residential

571.12

17.26

Commercial

8.28

0.25

Offices

3.93

0.12

Industrial

264.24

7.99

Natural Areas and Open Spaces

615.92

18.62

Education Amenities

23.31

0.70

Medical Amenities

9.89

0.30

Social Amenities

27.35

0.83

Public Utilities and Facilities

133.13

4.02

Transport and Communication Facilities

243.85

7.37

Urban Villages

17.16

0.52

Primary Activity Unclassified Vacant Land TOTAL

0.60

0.02

1179.50

35.65

209.97

6.35

3308.25

100.00

Note: 1. Colour codes above represent main land uses only, 2. For detailed land use categories and subcategories and their colour codes refer Figure 1: Consolidated Land Use Classification, City Level Report.

Development Plan for Greater Mumbai 2014-2034

1|P a ge

Figure 9…Development Plan for Greater Mumbai Existing Land Use for M/E Ward (Source: www.mcgm.gov.in)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

17

Despite the presence of important institutes, research centers and public spaces in the ward, even today the M-East ward of Mumbai has the lowest Human Development Index among all 24 municipal wards in Mumbai. According to census 2011, 85% of the ward’s population lives in slums and as per the MCGM Preparatory Study Report that amounts to around 4 lakh people in the entire M ward. The M-East ward which forms the Eastern boundary of Mumbai is home for the city’s biggest dumping ground, which receives around 4,000 metric tonne garbage every day. A number of chemical factories and refineries are situated in the same ward, while it has also been used as the hotspot for the resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected people across Mumbai. The overall area available for amenities in M-ward is also much lower than the standard as per the recent MCGM Preparatory Study Report.

WAY EASTERN FR EE

NEELKANTH TOWERS

HA

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DEONAR BUS DEPOT

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GOVANDI ST ATION ROAD

While most academicians, activists and urban enthusiasts focus on the more popular neighbourhoods of the city like Dharavi, Bhendi Bazaar, Fort etc, the team at Edifice decided to venture into areas which require sensitive interventions and are most often at the bottom of the city’s priority list. Govandi-east is where the Edifice office has been located since two decades and hence seemed like a great place to start, along with a personal touch! The Deonar Village Road (identified in the DP as Narayan Gajanan Acharya Marg and Mahalaxmi Mandir Road), approximately a 1 sq km stretch running from the Govandi Station Junction to the Sion-Panvel Highway became our starting point.

GOVANDI RAILWAY STN.

AD

DATTAGURU SOCIETY

RY

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YB UD

BSNL TELECOM FACTORY

T ES

T

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TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

SION

-PAN

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EXPR

ESSW AY HOMI BHABHA CENTRE

N Figure 10…Deonar Village Road - Site Plan and Extent

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0

25 50 100m

18

Identifying Stakeholders & Collaborators As the next step to the research intent, it became important to form local collaborations within the neighbourhood concerned. The success of any project at an urban level always depends on the participation and acceptance of the project by the citizens in the area of impact. Hence the first organisation to approach for a collaboration was the Deonar Road ALM (Advance Locality Management) unit. The ALM is a group of citizen representatives coming together to look into the civic issues of a particular locality.

The other collaboration necessary is with a local government representative/MLA to ease the documentation process and eventual implementation of such a project. Some interesting collaborations in the past that have resulted in great public initiatives/projects in Mumbai are: P.K. Das + Juhu ALM + Design Cell of KRVIA ‘Vision Juhu’ and Irla Naala restoration at JVPD Scheme Vision Juhu is a pragmatic proposal in consultation with many resident groups, elected representatives, government officials, institutes and eminent citizens. It has been prepared professionally and scientifically, to devise a strategy to make Juhu a congenial location to live in. MP Shabana Azmi, the Mumbai Waterfronts Center, ICICI Prudential and JVPD Housing Association Limited have sponsored the research.

EMBARQ + P.K. Das + MCGM + Bandra ALM “Equal Streets” initiative This initiative focuses on giving back equal importance to the pedestrians on the streets.

It converts the stretches on the busy Linking Road and S.V. Road in Mumbai on every Sunday morning into a completely pedestrian activity zone.

Kala Ghoda ALM Kala Ghoda Arts Festival Kala Ghoda ALM formed the Kala Ghoda Association in 1998 which helps in restoration and upgradation of the neighbourhood. Their most popular event is the Arts Festival which enlivens the entire precinct in the 15 day yearly event, attended by several celebrities and politicians.

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 11…Examples of public collaborative projects

19

Issues and Concerns Raised by the ALM Mrs. Vandana Desai and other active members of the Deonar Village Road ALM highlighted the immediate issues and concerns of the local residents; many of which she had been encountering since many years.

GOVANDI RAILWAY STN.

1. Road Conditions: The entire stretch of the Deonar Village Road study area has issues pertaining primarily to safety due to lack of adequate street lighting, no footpaths in some stretches, lack of covered drains. There are also issues related to health and hygiene such as a ground water well near gaothan neglected to become a garbage dump and a breeding ground for mosquitoes. For any neighbourhood, livability is measured on the basis of how safe and clean its environment is.

OU

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NA LL

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GOVANDI STATION ROAD

3. BMC Vacant Plot: The plot located next to the BMC School along the road (Kumud Vidyamandir) is a public parcel which does not have a program planned and hence the ALM plan to utilise the plot effectively as a public amenity like an open library, first aid centre, etc. This is also a priority since they want to prevent any encroachment and already have the support of wealthy residents in the locality.

The issues discussed with the ALM emphasized that the entire area needs to be studied to understand and come up with a holistic solution as any piecemeal intervention may not have the required impact at the neighbourhood level. This led to the inception of a mapping, surveying and documentation process by the Edifice Team that will enable an unbiased, factual understanding of the neighbourhood.

RB

3

2. BMC Garden: The major concern with respect to the garden is the lack of visibility or the knowledge of the existence of it to the citizens. Ignorance of this large green in the neighbourhood has led to its mis-use as well, with some anti-social activities.

4. Highway Junction: The two highway junctions - one at Telecom Factory and the other at Deonar Depot are nightmares for pedestrian crossing. Though the Deonar Depot Junction is beyond the purview of this particular ALM, the issue was highlighted in order to facilitate Ward-level solutions.

HA

2

1

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VIL

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AD

4

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Sriram Arcade (Edifice Consultants) Neelkanth Towers Raikar Chambers BMC Garden Deonar Gaothan Dattaguru Society Raheja Acropolis BSNL Telecom Factory

6 7 RY

DA

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B DY

8 TE

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SION

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U ST

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ESSW AY

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100m

Figure 12…Site Location Map

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

20

Data Collection and Documentation Process

DATA COLLECTION + ANALYSIS TOOLS & PROCESS Facilitated through Student Interns and the local political party workers

SURVEYING

MAPPING

• Preparing a base map of the study area through on-site documentation and observation • Using Google Imagery • Using any existing maps of the study area • Historic data • Mumbai DPs

• Photo documentation • Preparing a Questionnaire to facilitate door-to-door surveys for public opinion on critical issues • Understanding ALM’s requirements • Traffic counts along the study area road to gauge the number of vehicles in peak hours

Analysis through creation of infographics, diagrams, maps, charts and graphs

Holistic DESIGN SOLUTION through an understanding of facts, figures, socio-cultural issues and challenges INTEGRATION WITH LARGER VISION FOR THE CITY (D.P.) NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICIES AND GUIDELINES Figure 13…Data Collection, Analysis and Documentation Process

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

21

Mapping Preparing a Base Map: Existing Google images of the study area and the Development Plans from 1993 as well as the most recent of 2014 formed the basis for the maps. An initial framework was made on these to understand scale and dimensions.

Student interns were sent on site to check this data and verify missing data. Many buildings, plot boundaries, footpaths, trees etc are not perceivable from Google imagery. It is essential to understand land ownership, building use, tree coverage, accesses etc to build an existing image of the urban fabric. Some of the elements covered in the mapping exercise included: • Tree cover • Public spaces • Footpath location • Streetlight location • Location of trees along main roads • Boundary / Compound walls of existing buildings • Public utility boxes • Bus stops, Taxi stands etc • Informal activities along the street Historic Maps: There were no specific historic maps of the neighbourhood.

Figure 14…1993 Development Plan (Source: www.karmayog. org/mumbaidp)

Figure 15…2014 Existing Land Use Plan (Source: www.udri. org)

Mumbai Development Plans: A comparison with the Mumbai Development Plan of 1993 and 2014 was carried out to understand major changes in land use over time. Few observations are:

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

22

• Open spaces have not been encroached unlike many places in the Western Suburbs.

• The major distinction from the proposed 1993 DP to 2014 DP is the absence of DP Roads. The road perpendicular to the Acharya Marg extending upto the SionPanvel Highway near Deonar Bus Depot is a crucial linkage which is not currently existing but is proposed in the 1993 DP. • Within the major I2 (Industrial) Zoning in the neighbourhood as per 1993 DP, few commercial buildings have emerged today. There are also informal settlements visible within the I2 land.

• Also, the 1993 DP denotes many small plots compared to the 2014 DP. • In conclusion, since this area has not seen as much development as other parts of Mumbai over the past decade, in terms of land use it remains more or less consistent with the 1993 plan.

Limitations: The base map is created based on the Google Map and the M-East Ward DP ELU 2014.

Based on the design intervention at a later stage of the research, specific site sections will be prepared and measured drawings of the relevant plots will be carried out with requisite permission. No Total Station Survey / GIS Mapping has been carried out and hence this map is for reference only.

Figure 16…Base Map prepared on AutoCAD (Source: Google imagery, Mumbai DP ELU 2014, on-site study and survey)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

23

Surveying Photo Documentation: Through picture collages and aerial shots, a virtual streetscape of the study area is prepared in order to understand edges, boundaries, ecology etc.

Traffic Study: A traffic count at two important junctions of the Deonar Village Road was carried out to determine the maximum number of vehicles in peak hours (1) morning 10am to 11am and (2) evening 5pm to 6pm. The vehicle count in each direction was carried out at Govandi Station Junction and Dattaguru Colony (near Telecom Factory). The count was distributed as per vehicle type such as 4-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, 2-wheelers, Private Bus, BEST Bus and Bicycles.

ALM’s issues: As mentioned in the earlier section, the ALM has specific concerns about certain areas in the neighbourhood which may require immediate attention. However, these are only representative of a certain group within the study area. The Edifice Team then decided to carry out a larger sample survey within the survey area to receive people’s opinions about various aspects.

Citizen Questionnaire - Issues and Aspirations: Objective & Format: A questionnaire was prepared by the Edifice Team to carry out a door-to-door survey. There were 2 surveys designed for Residents and Employees.

The model followed was a multiple choice questionnaire. The primary questions were developed based on the ALM’s issues, Edifice employees observations having been in the locality for the past decade and personal experience of the working team in the area.

The questions aimed at gathering answers wrt: • Demographic details - gender, age, residence ownership, residence location, occupation etc • Street Experience - public transport nodes, road quality, street furniture etc

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 17…Photo Collages and study area pictures

24

• Neighbourhood Experience - recreational and open space • Safety and Security - safety for women, safety at night etc Test Run: The Questionnaire was first tested within the Edifice employees and ALM members before taking it to a larger sample group in order to ensure that the questions are easy to understand and overall do not exceed 10 minutes time to maintain the interest of the people.

Identifying target group: Major buildings were identified in the study area as per land uses for the survey. It was concluded that receiving responses from around 10% occupants/housing units of each premises would be the base requirement: 1. Residential - Neelkanth Towers (288 apartments), Raheja Acropolis (432 apartments), Deonar House (10 apartments), Deonar Gaothan, Dattaguru Colony (150 homes) 2. Commercial - Raikar Chambers, Sriram Arcade, Sai Samarth, Concept Architecture 3. Retail - Small scale shops mostly at ground level of residential and commercial buildings 4. Industrial - Shah, Vikrant, Telecom Factory 5. Others - Govandi Post Office, Deonar Post Office, Banks, Temples, Johnson and Johnson Diagnostic Center Permissions and Procedures: In order to carry out the door-to-door surveys, permissions were taken in each complex with the help of the local party workers. Edifice survey team members were accordingly allowed to interview the residents or office workers.

In some places, the questionnaires were given to the occupants and collected at a later date. However, the Edifice team faced several objections - some people did not return back the survey after multiple attempts, others gave incomplete responses, and some others refused to allow access into the complex despite of letters from the local corporator requesting co-operation.

In all, we were able to gather around

responses from employees study area.

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

93 responses from residents

and

47

of varying age groups and occupation within the Figure 18…Sample Survey responses

25

II. Data Analysis

Demographic Profile: Employees 36% of the people interviewed are from design and design related fraternity. A large commercial center, Raikar Chambers, located opposite the Govandi PO, did not permit the survey to be carried out.

Majority of the people interviewed are in the 25-45 years age group.

Out of the total 47 persons, only 15 women employees were interviewed who were in the 2545 year age group. 42 persons were married.

Figure 19…Distribution of Male vs Female Employees surveyed

43% of the employees in the study area travel from within Chembur-Deonar-Govandi area and 19% from Navi Mumbai. It hints either towards the kind of commerce here, or the nature of public transport.

Figure 20…Occupation

Figure 22…Age Group distribution of Male Employees

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 21…Place of Origin (Home) of employees in the study area

27

Demographic Profile: Residents

Figure 25…Age group distribution of Female Residents

Figure 23…Distribution of Male vs Female residents surveyed

Figure 24…Age group distribution of Male Residents

The majority of residents surveyed fall in the age group of 25-45 years of age, hinting at a relatively young demography.

80% of the Residents surveyed own the place they live in, which is positive since it indicates more interest of the local people in the betterment of their neighbourhood and promises more involvement. Also, this indicates that their views about the locality have been developed over time.

Figure 26…Residence Ownership

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 27…Number of years spent in the neighbourhood

Most of the people have lived here for more than 10 years which indicates that this neighbourhood is attractive as a residential precinct.

28

Road Network and Access The primary road providing access through the study area is the approximately 15m wide Deonar Village Road. After the Dattaguru Society, this road narrows to around 10m in width where it joins the Sion-Panvel Expressway. The secondary roads are 6m wide with 4.5m wide tertiary roads leading off from it.

From a comparitive study of the 1993 and 2014 DP it is seen that there are certain roads mentioned in 1993 which are still not implemented in the area.

9% Public Roads NEELKANTH TOWERS

BMC GARDEN

GAOTHAN

RAHEJA ACROPOLIS

Figure 29…Peak Hour Traffic at Govandi Station Junction

DATTAGURU SOCIETY

Figure 30…Peak Hour Traffic at Dattaguru Colony

Legend 40m wide Road 15m wide Road 10m wide Road 6m wide Road 4.5m wide Road Existing Roads not mentioned in DP Additional Roads seen only in DP

Figure 28…Existing Road Network

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

TELECOM FACTORY

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

0

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Site Survey: Traffic Counts AT GOVANDI STATION JUNCTION

AT DATTAGURU COLONY

Figure 33…Peak Hour Traffic Variation

Figure 31…Peak Hour Traffic Variation

Figure 34…Modal Split

Figure 32…Modal Split

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Land use The Land use distribution indicates that there is 26% of Industrial Land in the study area which has primarily offices, galas and small shops/restaurants. The largest land area under Industrial is for the Telecom Factory, which is almost defunct in its original function.

There is also 19% of Vacant Land, mostly under Kukreja Builders. Apart from this, the major land use of 25% is under Residential, making it a primarily residential neighbourhood in its essence.

6-7 under construction sites indicate that the study area is currently seeing a development boom. There is also observed a change in land uses from what the 2014 DP has indicated and what is currently in the neighbourhood.

The presence of an Urban Village in the form of a Gaothan is also a unique feature of he study area with a distinct urban form.

NEELKANTH TOWERS

PROPOSED COURTYARD MARRIOTT BMC GARDEN

Legend GAOTHAN

Commercial Industrial Residential Vacant Land

RAHEJA ACROPOLIS

Social Amenities Educational Amenity

DATTAGURU SOCIETY

Informal settlement Urban Village/Gaothan Open Space Medical Amenity

TELECOM FACTORY

Communication Waterbody Under Construction Cemetery Municipal Chowky

Figure 35…Existing landuse

N [Drawing Source: 2014 Development Plan]

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Residential

Vacant Land

Social Amenities

Educational Amenity

Informal settlement

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Communication

Medical Amenity

Open Space

Waterbody

Cemetery

Under Construction

Municipal Chowky

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

0

31

Building Use The building use is primarily Residential. There are also few mixed use buildings that accommodate shops and restaurants of varied services on the ground level. These cater to the Residents and Office employees in the vicinity.

NEELKANTH TOWERS

BMC GARDEN

GAOTHAN

RAHEJA ACROPOLIS Legend Residential Commercial Amenities Mixed Use Industrial Informal Settlement Residential - Building being Demolished Industrial - Vacant Building Residential - Building Under Construction Government building Under Construction

Figure 36…Existing Building Use

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

DATTAGURU SOCIETY

TELECOM FACTORY

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

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Building Heights The overall built form is in the range of two to three storeyed buildings. Newer residential developments are 18-19 floors.

Most commercial buildings are 6-7 floors.

This gives the effect of an overall low-rise development with few tall buildings standing out as landmarks against the vast vacant lands.

Legend G to G+1 storeys G+2 to G+4 storeys G+5 to G+10 storeys G+10 storeys and above

Figure 37…Existing Building Height Range

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

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Street Experience

Figure 38…At Neelkanth Towers

Figure 40…At Deonar Gaothan

Figure 39…At Shah Industrial Estate

Figure 41…At Dattaguru Society

The overall streetscape is framed by trees and low-rise development. Most of the areas have tall and bare compound walls with very little pedestrian activity. (Image Source: www.

WoNoBo.com)

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

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Transit Nodes Several bus stops are located at a 5 minute walking distance (400 meter or quarter mile). Govandi Station is also easily walkable from the BMC Garden.

Rickshaw and Taxi stands are designated near the Station area and are functional.

28%

Residents live within a 10 minute walking distance of a major transit node

5 min walk = 400 m

Legend Train Station Auto stand Taxi stand Bus Stop

Figure 42…Existing Public Transit Nodes

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

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Peoples Survey: Public Transit PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORT: EMPLOYEE SURVEY

PRIMARY MODETO NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSIT: RESIDENT SURVEY

SECONDARY MODE OF TRANSPORT: EMPLOYEE SURVEY

52% say better Bus frequency is required in the area 42% want more bus routes/destinations to ply in the area

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Street Elements The survey brought out people’s requirements wrt street furniture. What we see currently existing in the study area are mostly utility related and not well maintained.

One major issue identified was the irregular placement of many of these street elements on the footpath, obstructing pedestrian movement.

Legend Streetlights Utility boxes - 20 nos.

Trash cans - 4 nos.

Commemorative flags or foundation stone - 4 nos.

Defunct electric pole - 10 nos.

Postbox - 2 nos.

Pedestrian Railing

Figure 43…Existing Public Utilities

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

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Peoples Survey: Street Elements STREET FURNITURE: EMPLOYEE SURVEY

15% GARBAGE BINS

11% SHADE

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;15

STREET FURNITURE: RESIDENT SURVEY

11% PUBLIC TOILETS

9% STREETLIGHTS

18% GARBAGE BINS

13% PUBLIC TOILETS

10% SHADE

9% PUBLIC WATER FOUNTAINS

38

Tree Cover

N Figure 44…Existing Tree cover along the public realm

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[Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

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Footpaths The footpaths provided are discontinuous in nature, affecting the walking experience of the people using this stretch frequently.

EASE OF WALKING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: EMPLOYEE SURVEY

EASE OF WALKING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: RESIDENT SURVEY

50%

Approximately of the Residents and Employees surveyed claim that the streets are unaccessible for the Elderly and the Physically Challenged

Legend Existing footpath

N Figure 45…Existing Footpath extents

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

[Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

0

25

50

100m

40

Open Spaces and Public Parks The primary open space available in this locality is the BMC garden, known as Shri Dattaram G.Patil Garden.

BMC Garden

Community garden for Dattaguru Society residents

64% of the Residents have never visited the BMC Garden 73% Residents are dissatisfied with the Recreation Spaces in the area 46%

of the Residents want more parks in the area and Community Hall

33% want a

Legend Existing open spaces

Figure 46…Existing Public Open Spaces

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N [Drawing Source: 2014 Development Plan]

0

25

50

100m

41

Peoples Survey: Recreation for Residents PLACES FOR WORKOUT/GYM

PLACES FOR EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES: RECREATION AND GROCERY SHOPPING

Maximum number of people travel beyond the DeonarChembur area for exercising

PLACES FOR CELEBRATING FESTIVALS

High number of people celebrate festivals in the neighbourhood probably due to presence of Gaothan and Dattaguru Colony

N 0

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125

250

500m

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Peoples Survey: Safety and Security EMPLOYEE SURVEY

RESIDENTS SURVEY

Ease of Crossing Streets

Ease of Crossing Streets

How safe is the area?

How safe is the area?

Solutions to improve Safety

Solutions to improve Safety

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Informal Street Activities This map suggests that the majority of the activities take place along denser developments. Three nodes of activity are seen - at the beginning of the Deonar Village Road, at the intersection in front of Shah Industrial Estate and, in front of the Gaothan.

These activities occupy space on either sides of the road and on the pavement (wherever present). Small scale shops are identified as small commercial units attached to a main building, without any official permit.

NEELKANTH TOWERS

BMC GARDEN

GAOTHAN

Legend Phone booth Community tap Cobbler/Barber Fruti/Vegetable/Fish Vendor Chai tapri/Pani puri wala Unused hawker stands Garage Cow worshipping Street temple Informal potter workshop Political boards Seating/Newspaper stands Small scale shops

Figure 47…Existing Informal Activities along the Road

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

RAHEJA ACROPOLIS

DATTAGURU SOCIETY

TELECOM FACTORY

N [Drawing Source: Site Documentation]

0

25

50

100m

44

Landmarks Popular landmarks in the area for the users are Govandi Station, Jain Temple and Telecom factory.

30%

Around of employees use Govandi Post Office as a landmark to give directions in the area, whereas 16% use Neelkanth towers and 14% use the Jain temple for the same.

44%

On the other hand, of the residents surveyed use the Telecom factory as a landmark. Around 24% use the Govandi station and 10% use the Jain mandir as a landmark.

Figure 49…Entry to Telecom Factory

11% GOVANDI RAILWAY 24% STATION

GOVANDI POST OFFICE

30%

JAIN TEMPLE

14% 10%

NEELKANTH TOWERS 16%

Figure 50…Govandi Post Office

TELECOM FACTORY

44% 10%

Legend Landmarks for Employees Landmarks for Residents

Figure 48…Existing Informal Activities along the Road

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N [Drawing Source: Questionnaire]

0

25

50

100m

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III. Design Solution Visioning

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Case Study-1: Urban Branding Urban branding is a new approach towards the urban development of sustainable cities.

It is the process by which unique physical features of the city are defined, and come to encapsulate the essence of the place. It consists of two main elements: • Place making, a process that makes the place specifically advantageous or attractive • Place marketing, an effort to promote the place/city specific advantage Objectives of Urban Branding: • ‘‘Develop new ways of communicating city image to the rest of the region, or to the world as a whole, which is considered as media generated image’’

[Source: M. Helmy, Urban Branding Strategy and the Emerging Arab Cityscape: The Image of the Gulf city, PhD Study, Stuttgart University, Stuttgart, 2008]

• “Achieve competitive advantages regionally and internationally.” [Source: R.M.Rehan, Urban Branding as an Effective Sustainability Tool in Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Egypt, 2013]

• “Strengthen the reputation of the city and its corporate identity that improves its economical importance’’ [Source: M. Helmy, Urban Branding Strategy and the Emerging Arab Cityscape: The Image of the Gulf city, PhD Study, Stuttgart University, Stuttgart, 2008]

Stuttgart, Germany Stuttgart is the sixth-largest city in Germany. The branding vision for Stuttgart is to promote the city as an excellent place to live and visit; the city is the essence of success.

Many branding sub-strategies have been developed; these embrace all aspects of sustainable development. Many major features of the city have been branded; these include urban projects, city life per se, events and cultural activities, and signature architectural features.

[Source: R.M.Rehan, Urban Branding as an Effective Sustainability Tool in Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Egypt, 2013]

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Urban Branding Strategies in Stuttgart

Branding Urban Projects

Branding City Life

The principal idea is to change the traditional face of Stuttgart, to match the rapid development of the city. The transforming projects are branded as continuous cultural events. For example: The ‘Stuttgart 21’ is one of the largest urban renewal projects in Germany

The branding of Stuttgart city life features various events and cultural activities. These are transformative tools rendering the urban image always new and active. Many international events and regional festivals take place in Stuttgart.

Media-Generated Image The urban image of Stuttgart is featured in postcards, advertising campaigns, TV reports, movies, documentaries, city publications, and websites.

Signature Architecture

Logos Stuttgart logo is a black horse standing on its hind legs on a yellow background, it suggests speed and power, and shows that the city enters the future with a strong economic base.

Mercedes-Benz Museum

by Ben van Berkel

Slogans

Porsche-Museum by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects of Vienna

Stuttgart Christmas Market

Stuttgart Spring Market

Historical Buildings

“Stuttgart is more” - Tourism “The new heart of Europe” - City “Where business meets the future” - Business “The creative power of Germany” - For foreign investments Opera House

Websites

For Maps: http://www.justgermany.org/germany/stuttgart/stuttgart-maps.asp For Photos: http://www.justgermany.org/germany/stuttgart/photos/

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

New Palace

Residence Castle

City Form

Public Space: Park: Landmarks: Palace Square U-shaped park Stiftskirche, TV tower

Modern Streets: King Street

[Source: R.M.Rehan, Urban Branding as an Effective Sustainability Tool in Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Egypt, 2013]

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Case Study-2: New Urbanism and Form-Based Codes New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes walkable neighborhoods containing a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s against the typical American suburb planning, and has gradually influenced many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use strategies.

It encompasses principles such as traditional neighborhood design and transit-oriented development. It is also related to regionalism, environmentalism, and smart growth.

Principles of New Urbanism 1. Walkability • Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work • Pedestrian friendly street design • Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

Figure 51…Transect Planning

2. Connectivity • Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking • A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys • High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable 3. Mixed-Use and Diversity • A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighbourhoods, within blocks, and within buildings • Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races 4. Mixed Housing • A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity 5. Quality Architecture and Urban Design • Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 52…A public space in Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C

[Source: New Urbanism; http://www.newurbanism.org/]

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6. Traditional Neighbourhood Structure • Discernible centre and edge • Public space at centre • Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art • Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk • Transect planning: Highest densities at town centre; progressively less dense towards the edge. This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate building and street types for each area along the continuum.

7. Increased Density • More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live.

• New Urbanism design principles are applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities 8. Smart Transportation • A network of high-quality trains connecting cities, towns, and neighbourhoods together • Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, roller blades, scooters, and walking

Figure 53…A uniform urban design in Alexandria, VA

Figure 54…A cyclist on the quiet streets of Habersham, SC. [Source: What is New Urbanism?; http://www.cnu.org/resources/what-new-urbanism]

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Form-Based Codes The Form-Based Codes Institute defines form-based codes as “[a] method of regulating development to achieve a specific urban form. Form-based codes create a predictable public realm by controlling physical form primarily, and land uses secondarily.” Formbased codes go beyond conventional zoning by addressing the relationship of the building to the street scape and the proper relationship between buildings in order to define a desired urban form.

The codes are adapted to fit the unique characteristics of a community and intended to require that new development fit within the context of the existing community and reinforce a unique sense of place. Form-based codes provide for development that is compact, mixed use, and pedestrian friendly to create livable neighborhoods and healthy vibrant communities.

Key Elements Regulating Plan: A Regulating Plan shows the locations where different building form standards apply, based on clear community intentions regarding the physical character of the area being coded.

Figure 55…Regulating Plan, Downtown Ventura, CA

Building Form Standards: Building Form Standards control the configuration, features and functions (such as height, massing, setback, parking and use) of buildings that define and shape the public realm.

Public Space Standards: Usually taken from a Regulating Plan, these standards set specifications for the elements within the public realm such as sidewalks, travel lanes, street trees, street furniture, bike lanes and utilities.

[Source: Form-based Codes; http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/mod-fbc.html]

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Street scape Standards: Street scape Standards are generally viewed as a subset of the broader Public Space Standards. These include streets, alleyways, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and street furniture etc.

Architectural Design Standards: These regulations control external architectural materials and quality. Importantly, they do not usually dictate architectural style, but rather address design on a number of broader levels to establish a matrix of standards and guidelines that will allow projects to develop over time in a consistent scale and character.

Figure 56…Example of Streetlight Standards

Sign Standards The standards provide basic parameters for creative signs that may be as varied and different as the businesses they represent. The standards determine the allowable type, size, location, material, design and maintenance requirements for signage on commercial and residential developments.

Figure 57…Facade & Frontyard Setback Definitions

Figure 58…Sign Standards, Ventura, CA)

[Source: Form-based Codes; http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/mod-fbc.html]

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Case Study-3: Urban Design Guidelines City of Berkeley’s Downtown Streets & Open Space Improvement Plan The Street & Open Space Improvement Plan (SOSIP) presents a shared vision for the future of Downtown Berkeley’s public realm. To make this shared vision a reality, the SOSIP presents strategies and implementing actions. These were developed during a year-long process guided by a multi- Commission “Subcommittee,” and with the direct involvement of Berkeley citizens, UC Berkeley, individual Commissions, and staff from several City departments.

The following goals for the Plan were listed: 1. Place-making 2. Public Life 3. Health and Comfort 4. Access 5. Sustainability Opportunities for major public improvements were identified through ‘Major Projects’ in specific locations. The SOSIP also makes recommendations for enhancements throughout Downtown, not just in locations where major projects are possible. These recommendations were made under the following headers: 1. Pedestrian Environments 2. Bicycle Network and Facilities 3. Street Trees and Landscaping 4. Furnishings and Other Street Elements 5. Public Art 6. Signage and Wayfinding 7. Lighting 8. Watershed Management and Green Infrastructure The SOSIP also contains recommendations to promote its implementation and the on-going maintenance of Downtown spaces, including the identification of nearterm priorities to address limited funding opportunities. A SOSIP Financing Strategy considers costs associated with capital improvements and on-going maintenance, and makes recommendations for financial resources to address these costs.

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Figure 59…Major projects identified in the Plan

Figure 60…Example of a Major Project Proposal - Centre Street Plaza [Source: Downtown Streets & Open Space Improvement Plan, City of Berkeley, 2012]

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Case Study-4: Public Participation Hercules, Contra Costa County, California Solving the City’s Financial and Growth Crisis In the years following the 1995 update of its General Plan, Hercules struggled to find a way forward. Vacant land was rezoned from industrial use to commercial/residential, but only home building developers showed active interest. In this way, the development in Hercules remained market-driven and at the mercy of the San Francisco Bay Area’s weak regional planning.

In 1998, the Hercules City Council resolved to find a solution to the financial crisis and the development and planning crisis that was the root cause. The Planning Commission was deeply concerned about preserving the essential qualities that distinguished Hercules from other cities in the County. Something had to be done fast to bring commercial development – retail, offices, hotel, entertainment, services – but it had to be the “right” kind.

Challenges and Opportunities for the City From its incorporation in 1900 until the 1970s, Hercules was a modest but prosperous company town, organised around one of the world’s largest dynamite manufacturing plants. However in 1970 the plant closed and in the 1990s development fees from new home building ran out. The city was also suffering from conventional American suburban pattern of development, which by strict segregation of land uses made Hercules only a bedroom town.

Yet, Hercules possessed assets. One important asset was a large vacant area of 426 acres in the centre of the city, ready for development. In 1998, Hercules’s survival was challenged by the need to grow a missing commercial core, without attracting the usual suburban strip malls and big-box stores so that their prized quality of life is maintained.

New Urbanism The Planning Commission had more than 20 proposals in 1998 for the vacant central Hercules parcels and was overwhelmed. However, there was no overall framework to assess the quality of proposals, or even to understand their impact on the city. What then was meant by “good urban design”? The Planning Commission took their time to hear speakers on the topic, sought out workshops and presentations and read books

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Figure 61…Existing Photos of Hercules

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on current trends in urban design. They concluded to go ahead with a set of principles calling for “the New Urbanism”. These principles at the level of the neighbourhood and town seemed to speak directly to the challenges faced by Hercules. Design matters after all and more development does not necessarily mean less quality.

Zoning by itself was realised to be a crude classification system that strictly segregates land uses. People depend highly on automobiles to visit places needed every day in the various part of the city. Since World War II, development in suburban America has been governed mostly by mere zoning with Urban Design as an afterthought. Good urban design principles are what New Urbanism is about!

Charette Process After months of gathering information, the professional planning team for the city visited Hercules for an intense, week long design effort called a “Charette”. The essential features of the Central Hercules Plan were created in that week. The public was encouraged to visit the studio all day long and the night! Citizens could meet and being their concerns to a team of nationally recognised planners, architects, economists, illustrators and other experts. The following steps were carried out towards building the next version of Hercules:

Figure 62…Master plan for Central Hercules

Town Meeting – the purpose of the meeting was to introduce the community to the charette process and introduce the principles of urban design Expert Analysis – the Planning Team received professional research and analysis on the housing, retail, commercial and transportation conditions existing in Hercules.

Regional Tour – the Planning Team joined City staff and leaders for a day long tour of best-loved buildings and streets in the northern Bay region.

Kickoff Session - citizens joined the planning team and learned how to be “Citizen Planners”.

“Hands on” Session – nearly 200 citizen planners aided by 20 professional design facilitators drew their vision of Hercules. Ideas shared with neighbours and the Planning

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 63…Block plan for Central Hercules

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Team became an important part of the planning process. The Key Points were recorded; then the maps and notes on large boards were transported to the temporary design studio in the city.

Design Studio – the Planning Team with all their research and understanding of the current conditions and possible futures got underway with meetings, sketches and drawings in the design studio. The studio was open to the public at all times. Citizens could see the plan taking shape, participate in meetings and make comments at any time.

Interim Results Presentation – the Planning Team presented the results of the week long intensive work. Key stakeholders and City leaders were on hand to share and celebrate this historic event.

Figure 64…Building Guidelines

After the on-site Charette in 2000, the Planning Team returned to their offices to finish work on the documents needed to implement the Central Hercules Plan. The documents formed the regulatory armature for the next generation of development and became the common tools to be used by Developers, City Staff, City policy makers and citizens.

They comprise of a “typological urban design code” commonly referred to as “formbased codes”. Hercules was the first city in California to enact such a code!

Figure 65…Illustrative sketches of the proposed development

Figure 66…Logo developed for the city

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Case Study-5: Reviving Open Spaces Vision Juhu: Expanding Public Spaces in Mumbai Vision Juhu is a public interest project aimed at comprehensive development of the entire neighbourhood of Juhu. Here, citizens joined hands with professionals (architects and planners) to document and plan their region. It is in collaboration with the Design Cell of Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Insitute for Architecture, P K Das and Associates and the Mumbai Waterfront’s Centre. Several public meetings were held to encourage participatory planning and development in the neighbourhood.

Current Nala Condition

Vision Juhu includes conserving reserved open spaces and creating new ones, pedestrianization, significant solutions to flooding in Juhu, development of the Irla nala, improvement in transport infrastructure by skillfully integrating proposed the Metro rail and re-planning traffic flow, opening up of several accesses to the beach, appraisal of social amenities like educational and health facilities and making them accessible to all, improvement in the standard of living in slums and gaothans, provision of space and security to hawkers and including them in mainstream development plans and networking this public realm.

Proposed view of Nala after development

Figure 67…Irla Nala Development and Creation of Open Space

Along with this, a governance, participation and maintenance model was also proposed to ensure the complete implementation of the project.

Figure 68…Vision Juhu - Overall Plan

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Case Study-6: Socio-Cultural Rejuvenation / Community Activities Kala Ghoda Arts Festival by Kala Ghoda Association The Kala Ghoda precinct in South Mumbai can be roughly defined as the area that stretches from the NGMA at the Southern end of Mahatma Gandhi Road, up to the Mumbai University at the northern end, flanked by the Oval Maidan to the west and the Lion Gate to the east. The area is a hub of cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries and libraries. The area also has a strong visual image, reinforced by historic buildings, perhaps the finest concentrated collection of heritage structures in the city.

To this could be added an additional mass of outdoor pavement galleries on Rampart Row and potential exhibition space within the covered arcades to make the Kala Ghoda area a veritable ‘Urban Museum’.

In order to give full opportunity to this potential as well as to physically improve the area, cultural institutions and art galleries in this area came together to form the Kala Ghoda Association in 1998 and have been since working toward the conservation of this area. This association has prioritized its conservation tasks and organizes an art festival annually, in February (the first Saturday till the next Sunday, for nine days) in order to bring attention to the area’s art and architectural heritage. The Association recognized that the largest emerging user as well as interest in the area, is art-related.

Furthermore, the Association recognized and anticipated the need to connect this powerful contemporary use and function to the physical improvement process. That is, really to use this function and its potential, to generate goodwill as well as financial support, and act as the contemporary engine to drive the conservation and physical improvement of the area.

Figure 69…Kala Ghoda Precinct

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Objectives: • To create a synergy between the existing components and functions in the Kala Ghoda area and therefore, to create a unique function of an Art District for the city.

• To animate and make possible the use of interstitial spaces in the area such as pavements, the parking lot, side alleys, quadrangles in the buildings, etc., to not only bring art into the public realm, but also, through use, effect the introduction of the spaces into the public realm.

• To create an infrastructure in the area to make possible and encourage cultural and art-related events, making Kala Ghoda Art District a landmark in Mumbai • To liaise with city authorities to create an appropriate context for the improvement of the precinct in the form of improved lighting in the public areas, and other such improvements that might make it a more efficient and humane environment.

The festival has had an impact on the physical conditions of the precinct, in terms of upgradation of its infrastructure such as: • The David Sassoon Library building and the illumination of its exteriors.

• The pay and park has been re-tiled as have been the streets and pavements on Rampart Row • An amphitheatre has been built over a storage space • The Horniman Circle garden has been upgraded. The garden fencing, garden benches and the gardeners’ shed have been restored • The Police Chowki on Rampart Row has been restored by the Association in 2015

Better your Neighbourhood Project at Deonar, Mumbai Research Report | August ‘15

Figure 70…Images from the Kala Ghoda Festival

Figure 71…Improvements in amphitheatre and garden benches due to the festival

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Inferences Based on the analysis of the study area discussed in this Report, there are certain aspects that stand out and will give clues to generate a holistic vision for the neighbourhood: LACK OF SENSE OF PLACE & IMAGEABILITY As one walks through the Deonar Village Road, there is a strange sense of “placelessness”.

Some prominent neighbourhoods in Mumbai like Powai, Five Gardens, Hindu Colony, Shivaji Park, Nepean Sea Road, Bandra have a distinct sense of place created through the presence of prominent architecture, landscape, sculpture or streetscape. Presence of gated communities in the study area, disorganised vehicular movement and an overall large land area under Industrial use add to the dismal and deserted feel of the place.

Most people in the survey have found the neighbourhood ‘Slightly Unsafe’ after dark (45% Office goers and 34% Residents) with an urgent need for more police and street lighting on the streets. A well thought out Urban Branding and Placemaking Strategy will be essential to emphasize the inherent character of the neighbourhood and build on it.

Building guidelines, street design etc should all revolve around this core principle.

PLACE FOR YOUNG OFFICE GOERS AND RESIDENTS The maximum people interviewed are in the 25-45 years age group in both the Residents and Employees surveys. This indicates a young population living and working in the area. However the survey also brings out the complete lack of recreational spaces.

Most office goers have “no answer” about any places of recreation here or have “never” visited any places in the vicinity during breaks. Also, majority of the residents travel to an area outside 1.5 km for fun and recreation. All this points to an evident lack of recreational amenities in the study area.

Figure 72…New urban programs creating spaces for young people and a sense of place

SENSE OF OWNERSHIP 80% of the Residents own their homes. It will be interesting to study the commercial space rental trends and ownership in the study area as well as a next step. Majority of the residents surveyed have lived in the area for more than 10 years. This increases the opportunity to set up a public participatory model and give the onus of maintenance to the community.

Figure 73…Community Participation and Workshops

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NO PUBLIC SPACES The BMC Garden is the only prominent open space in the study area and 64% of the Residents surveyed have “NEVER” visited the garden! This survey supported the ALMs observation of the same. Apart from this, no other public open space is observed.

33% of the surveyed residents have mentioned need for a Community Hall and 46% for parks.

DISPARITY IN LAND USES The ‘Urban Development Plans Formulation and Implementation Regulations (UDPFI), 1995’ suggests certain land use distribution under Small Town category. These cater to a population of less than 50,000 in plain areas. The following is a comparison of what is recommended by UDPFI and what is observed in the study area: Land use Residential Commercial Industrial Public and Semi-Public Recreational Transport and Communication Agriculture and water bodies

% of developed area as % of developed area per UDPFI observed 45-50 25, Gaothan is 2% additional 2-3 2 8-10 26 6-8 4 12-14 5% open spaces 10-12 9% roads, 3% under ‘Communication’ for Telecom Factory balance 1% Naala

Figure 74…Open Spaces

Figure 75…Places for recreation and entertainment

19% of the land area is vacant and 3% is under construction, some of which has unspecified building use currently. The table above highlights the low residential development in the area and lack of recreational spaces as per standard norms which is an important aspect to be taken ahead in the next stage of the project.

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PRESERVATION OF THE URBAN VILLAGE Gaothans should be integrated within the urban fabric as they create a strong identity for the neighbourhood as well. These are the original residents of the place and must be a part of any development.

OVERALL POOR STREET EXPERIENCE Like most suburban and peri-urban parts of Mumbai, the study area also suffers from low maintenance and disrepair. Most of the survey sample has said that ease of crossing the street is “Poor”, indicating the need for better vehicle and traffic management on the stretch. A deeper study is required on the same.

Figure 78…Basic Amenity provision

DESIGN RELATED COMMERCE 36% (majority) of the employed persons in the study area work in Design and Design related field. It is also observed that there are several architecture and related firms in the Chembur-Deonar-Govandi area. Does this emerge from a certain quality of space?

Is it an outcome of the low rentals (comparatively) in the area, both in the residential and commercial space renting market? Is there a chance to create a lively design-based community that will have an impact on the overall environment of the area?

These analysis and conclusions set the tone for the next steps of the project and highlight various areas for exploration. What is the character of the place that should be preserved and promoted? What are the micro-level interventions that can be made? What is the desirable recreation in the area? And, how can the community and neighbourhood move towards a self-sustaining model?

Figure 76…Desired Quality of Street Experience

Figure 77…New workspace typologies and commerce

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Way Forward 1. Identify a holistic design solution for the neighbourhood, through strategies for community activities, architecture, landscape and infrastructure. Study of other “model” neighbourhoods in the city and in India can be carried out as precedents.

2. Present the research and ideas to the ALM support.

and local MLA - for approval and

3. Identify sources of funding for the remaining research and design - this is required in order to facilitate community participation workshops, events etc.

4. Identify academic institutes / researchers / experts / NGOs for

collaboration

and guidance.

5. Identify a pilot project for initial implementation. Calculate investment costs for the same and decide phasing of the implementation accordingly.

6. This pilot project initiative will be facilitated through various

community

participation workshops where the citizens views combined with the Edifice Team’s design expertise will be the basis for practical solutions to everyday issues in the neighbourhood.

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