'Mumbai will look like concrete jungle by 2040': Urban designer
What's the story
Mumbai's redevelopment plans could drastically change the city's landscape by 2040, a report by The Times of India has revealed. Architect and urban designer Samir D'Monte presented this alarming projection at a public talk at Bandra Gymkhana. He said that in the 1950s, a typical street in Bandra West had only 10 plots with four cars.
Urban change
D'Monte's shocking projections
However, by the 1990s, the floor space index (FSI) had increased dramatically. The same street now housed 200 apartments and 150 cars. With the new Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, D'Monte predicts that by 2040, this street could have as many as 300 apartments and three times as many cars.
Redevelopment impact
Redevelopment in Bandra West
Bandra West, once a quiet residential area, is now home to luxury towers on narrow roads. Areas like Turner Road and Pali Hill have seen skyscrapers rise 18 to 20 storeys high. Despite these changes, few stakeholders are objecting to the trend, as residents, many of whom are getting larger flats in redeveloped buildings, have largely welcomed the changes. The state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are also benefiting from development charges levied on builders.
Resident worries
Concerns of long-time residents
However, long-time Bandra residents are worried about worsening traffic jams and the lack of trees. They also complain about pollution, water shortages, and rising congestion. D'Monte attributed the pace of redevelopment to financial incentives involved, saying current FSI allocations make rebuilding financially irresistible. He showed renderings of Bandra's streets with towers having stilt parking on narrow roads and questioned if this was the future Mumbai wants.
Architectural critique
Suggestions for improvement
D'Monte also questioned if Mumbai's new DCPR produces architecture suited to human scale. He warned that buildings with stilt parking could create "a dead sea of concrete." He criticized footpath widths across Mumbai, calling them undersized for a city of its scale. He compared this to Vietnam's wider footpaths and how they improve the city's overall experience.