2. Expressions

2. Expressions

“every place is given its character by certain patterns of events that keep happening there, the more living patterns the more it comes to life as an entirety, the more it grows” (Alexander, 1979)

In India, historically water is an utmost significant source for the communities as their religious, social & economic activities were truly dependent on the banks of the water. Wateredges are expressions of both social and cultural richness of cities. Whereas some cities, palaces, forts, and capitals were planned along banks. Most of these cities developed a distinct identity with their wateredge, guided by geography, climate, local resources & history. Wateredges are dynamic places by nature. As an edge environment, the overlap of different users and dramatically different conditions make for enormous amounts of complexity also in the non-human realm, wateredges are the interface of the aquatic and the terrestrial, the site of complex intertidal communities.as related to human history and use, wateredges have a long history. Once the site of initial settlements and exploration, the edges have long served as transportation corridors and ports, occupational hubs, travel centres, recreation venues, and much, much more.

The demands made on these wateredges vary for each individual function, whereby the length of experience, experienced on the water’s edge plays an important role.

Mumbai was selected to study the structure of the wateredge in relation to city, to understand the pattern in context to its historical, physical, sociocultural and religious aspects of the city since Mumbai’s greatest assets is its coastline and the waterbodies which forms a series of unique and picturesque edges. Not only that the edges of Mumbai are a clear reflection of the hierarchy of occupations, livings, beliefs, economic differences etc. Its accessibility, combined with its versatility, is commensurate with the sanctity of space. The city of Mumbai is full of diversity which is very well observed on its wateredges. Though there exists a strong capitalist division in the society, the citizens’ care for their waterfronts in their own ways.

4.1 Living on the edges

The liveability experience of the wateredge. Human habitation on wateredges existed since the Stone Age, People have always settled on the wateredges to take advantage of the amenities the water gives, with a sense of seclusion that the permanent view of the water offers. Mumbai being a peninsula, living on its wateredge becomes a symbol of both, in offering better accessibility and appreciation of water the panoramic waterscape generates indirect experiences

Natural edge (worli koliwada) Built edge ( worli sea face high-rise buildings )

Open space multifunctional spaces Character of the space is defined by people Physical interaction with water Unplanned High risk of natural calamities Less infrastructural facilities restricted open space defined functional spaces character of the space is defined by the function

Visual interaction with water

well planned low risk of natural calamities

better infrastructural facilities

Figure 11 / Illustration of the liveability – Worli koliwada vs Worli high rise buildings / Source- Author

4.2 Celebrating through wateredges

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water, water is a fundamental attraction in all cultures” (Eiseley, 2020)

The experience of the sacred wateredges of banganga

In India water has influenced and shaped the pattern of the belief systems, the divinity of water has been mentioned in all religions. India has 4% of the world’s water resources which is one of the reasons why Hinduism embraces water into their worship. Personal involvement with the kund of banganga portrays a sense of memory. Every elemet,structure and houses on the edges has its own story and ritualistic activities that takes place. A framework of architectural fabric on its wateredges have been made over time changing it in their permanent outlook. The overlay of people’s activities, permanent or transitional are seen occupy the edges that support these sacred experience. The built form reflects the community’s culture,habit and values thus the shaping of the expression of these sacred wateredge (banganga) goes hand in hand with its communal ritualistic activities. Rituals as a system narrates the historical legends strongly in people’s minds.There is an effort to convert these associations into built form,the temples,maths,samadhi,deepstambhas are built to inculcate legends and festivals.therefore banganga today also stands as a festive event hub for the community. These built form have come about as a response to religious, spiritual and social needs where the wateredges have become places of human congregation.

Figure 12 / / Illustration of Banganga tank / Source- Author

4.3 Edges as recreational spaces

The importance of the interactive recreational wateredge lies in its potential as a magnet to attract activity, a visual pleasure, an activity node, and a place for leisure and entertainment facilities to all user groups.Architect Charles Correa’s take on wateredges as recreational spaces is “…merely increasing maidans (open spaces) is not necessarily the solution; for they are not used by the entire populace, but only by certain age groups for cricket, football and other such games. No little toddler of two or three years would dare to play here nor does one see middle-aged couples using them for evening strolls. On the other hand, the pavements along the seafront in Bombay-which incidentally do not show up in the statistics are the great community spaces of our city. Obviously we should generate many more such promenades. They are the heart of the social life of the tropical temperate zones.” (Correa, n.d.) for the millions who live in the crowded city, the wateredges are the only major open/recreational, whether it is Bandra Bandstand, Marine Drive, Haji Ali, Chowpatty, Worli Sea Face, Dadar Beach, Carter Road, Juhu Beach or Versova. The wateredges are Mumbai’s most significant and popular recreational spaces and for the city to have a breathing void. The experience of the user on the recreational wateredge depends upon the two aspects 1) the physically interactive wateredge 2) the functionally interactive wateredge which directly impacts on the activity patterns. The physical formation of the wateredge for public uses, which is characterised by ‘built’ and ‘natural’ and the functional aspects (walking, eatery, cycling ) of recreational edge provides contrasting (polarity) flow and congregation of people that generates vital recreational ambience on the wateredge.

Figure 13 / Illustration of built wateredge vs. unbuilt wateredge / Source- Author

4.4 Transportation corridor

Historically, one of the most fundamental roles of the wateredge was as a transport hub for people and freight on a small and large-scale. (Kostof, 1992) Regarded “waterways as one of the various street patterns”. Like the function of the street in urban space, waterways form important cycling, walking, jogging and connection routes to other destinations using both the edges of the waterway and the water itself. In many respects, wateredge as transportation corridor became a tool for communicating and sharing social activities Because of the natural setting, “waterways provide a powerful focus for people and communities in urban and rural areas. Waterways have enormous potential as a catalyst for bringing people together”. (Waterways, 2005) Wateredge is an aesthetically enhanced street type compared to ones inland, using a watercourse as transportation - river, canals, and coastline - provides a high quality urban passage for users that created an inseparable link port and city relationships (water and human settlements) Konvits explains the relationship between port and city in a poetic way: “The relationship between ports and cities readily lends itself to contrasts. Ships suggest mobility cities, the fixed and immobile structures of civilisation. Ships disperse goods and people; cities concentrate them” (Konvits, 1994). The advantages of water transportation are cost effectiveness, energy efficiency and environment friendliness. All important locations and heritage buildings can be linked by both roadways & waterways. Therefore many of the Mumbai’s urban wateredges took on a port character with warehouses, docks, ferry terminal etc.

Figure 14 / Illustration of transportation edges as streets and nodes / Source- Author

4.5 Occupational edges

Water resources have played an important role in making Mumbai grow and expand their economic/working activities the impact of it are tangible on the wateredges. The city's Koli fishing community continued with its traditional occupation of fishing where sea bed area is valuable for fishermen because it acts as the breeding ground for many local fish species while some parts of the edges can be seen dominated by the industries (oil) to release its effluents directly into the waterbodies. The edges are also predominantly occupied by marshalling yards and oil companies with their oil installations, oil tanks, and filling points. The presence of these installations is due to their proximity of oil refineries and the terminals on the fringes of the island city. Comparative study on Traditional occupation of fishing vs industries on the wateredges

Figure 15 / Illustration Traditional occupation of fishing vs. industries on the wateredges / Source - Author

4.6 Inference

All types of vessels need to be encouraged to meet all sections of the society on the wateredges.

“Cities also want a waterfront that serves more than one purpose they want it to be a place to work and to live, as well as a place to play. In other words, they want a place that contributes to the quality of life in all of its aspects economic, social, and cultural”. (Timur, Urban Waterfront Regenerations, 2013)

The edges caters to every aspects for human lifestyle to dwell in, to play in, to socialize, to work and to reflect the notions/beliefs and thus from the above chapter we understand that how these functions lead to the formation of the different identities of each wateredge which guides the behaviour and influences the user using the edge. for ex- The creation of the recreational wateredge with an open character provides users with the freedom to flow, congregate and exchange with each other, and, as a result, a cultural ambience is developed. In a sense, visioning the wateredge space as a recreational area through its physical arrangement provides a place where community interaction can take place. In addition, these recreational edges integrate with the water to create a strong sense of place which reflects a particular identity Human activities have diverse patterns that are quite hard to predict. When they are related to the natural and man-made urban environment, the activity patterns become more complex. It is, however, generally accepted that human activities are the expression of internal needs and a reflection of the paradigm of the time. In social science and psychology, there is an attempt to examine the mental states of human beings on the basis of their activity patterns, which is called ‘behaviourism’ when we study people we study what forms them, how do they relate to a place, how do they give a meaning to place,why is identity important for place and for the people,the reasoning thus guiding the built place they live in. Based on this examination the following chapter explores place attachment dimension in understanding the relationship between the users and the Mumbai’s wateredge. How do the users regard the wateredge? What influence does the wateredge have on the user’s experience of the place? Do users psychologically attached to the wateredge as a major node in the city? The objectives of the study are to examine users' attachment to Mumbai’s waterdges and its influencing factors. The movement towards sustainable development together with ideas about making all parts of the city interesting, identified and lively indicate the adoption of a policy of mixed uses for urban areas as said by J.c. moughtin

Function Aim Unbuilt vs. Built Achieved

Living Edge permanent view and Resources Worli koliwada vs. Worli sea face high-rise buildings Identity

Function Aim Unbuilt vs. Built Achieved

Recreational Edge Leisure and breathing void Juhu beach vs. marine line promenade Identity

Function Aim

Sacred Edge Divinity of water

Example Achieved

Banganga tank Identity

Function Aim

Transportati on Edge Transportati on Victoria Docks Identity

Example Achieved

Function Aim Example Achieved

Occupation al Edge Occupation Fishing edge vs. Industries Identity concern sustainable development

CHAPTER 3

I d e n t i t y