Juhu

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EXPANDING

E X PA N D I N G P U B L I C S PA C E S V I S I O N J U H U
PUBLIC
Vision Juhu

Contacts

Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture


Principal- Anirudh Paul, Tel: 26700918, 26200923 Email: [email protected]

P K Das and Associates - Planners, Architects & Designers


SPACES
Architect-activist - P K Das, Tel: 24312404, 24308877. Email: [email protected]

Mumbai Waterfronts Centre


Honorary Secretary - Darryl D’Monte, Tel: 26427088. Email: [email protected]
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Vision Juhu
Expanding Public Spaces
in Mumbai

Collaborators
Research and Design Cell: Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture (KRIVA)
P K Das and Associates - Planners, Architects, Designers
The Mumbai Waterfronts Centre
In consultation with the Residents of Juhu
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Several meetings were held to discuss the plan, methodology and research data of
‘Vision Juhu’. Many individuals and representatives of citizen organisations have
attended them. Our idea now is to further this plan through wider public support in
order to influence the government and decision-making authorities.

Participants

JVPD Housing Association Limited


Gulmohar Area Society's Welfare Group (GASWG)
Juhu Scheme Residents Association
Gaothan Area Residents Association of Juhu (GARAJ)
Juhu Residents Association
Irla Residents Association
Nagriksatta
Rotary Club of Juhu
Eminent Citizens

Research and Design Cell :


Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture (KRIVA)

Jeet Data
Namrata Kapoor
Probuddha Mukhopadhya
Siddharth Nadkarny
Tara Paulose
Neha Sabnis
Aditya Sawant
Nisha Nair
Deval Shah
Rohan Rathore

Benita Menezes - Head, KRIVA Design Cell

Megha Gupta - P K Das and Associates

Special thanks to Rafeeq Ellias for his support


and suggestions.

Production: P.K. Das & Associates


Editor: Nandini Bhaskaran
Design: Manjiri Kelaskar
Printing: Synergy Creations, Mumbai

Sponsors

ICICI Prudential - Research Support


JVPD Housing Association Limited
The Mumbai Waterfronts Centre
P K Das and Associates

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 the publisher.

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Section I

Contents
The Way Ahead.............................................................................................5

Mumbai Wards..............................................................................................7

Juhu Landmarks............................................................................................8

Vision Mumbai.............................................................................................9

Development Plan of Juhu (1991) ................................................................11

Vision Juhu.................................................................................................12

Objectives...................................................................................................16

Methodology of the study............................................................................17

Land Development history of Juhu...............................................................18

Vision Plan Highlights................................................................................20

• Development of Public Space............................................................20

• Irla Nala Development and Creation of Public Space...........................21

• Conservation of Juhu Beach and its Connectivity................................22

• Locating the Metro Rail...................................................................23

• Roads Network and One-ways..........................................................23

• Integration of Social Amenities and Institutions.................................24

• Improvement of Amenities in Slums & conservation of Goathans.........25

• The Final Blueprint.........................................................................26

Juhugiri. Pyar Se - a campaign poster............................................................27

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The Way Ahead


We feel the need to prepare redevelopment plans for Mumbai because of
absolute failure in planning by the government. Deteriorating quality of life, growth of
the informal sector, degradation and deprivation of open spaces, destruction of the
environment and the abuse of the ecological assets including waterfronts have
rendered our city into a regrettable state. Also the high cost of urban transportation,
lack of housing for a majority of the people, inadequate and costly amenities, fragile
services, overwhelming real estate thrust, colonization of land and arbitrary decisions
in urban development make Mumbai an arduous city to live in. Several earlier
attempts at redevelopment, unfortunately, have frequently been fragmented,
disparate, contradictory and almost always reactionary.
In response to crises and adversities, the government and development agencies
have only looked at ways to exploit the real estate potential of the city. Real estate
turnover, in fact, has been the single largest thrust of Mumbai’s development even at
the cost of social amenities, basic infrastructure appraisal and loss of open spaces.
Historically too, the politics of the city has been influenced and even controlled
by real estate agenda, for example, the Backbay Reclamation, destruction of
mangroves, land filling of creeks and mud-flats, dumping along the coastline and
unruly changes in land use and Development Control (D.C.) regulations which work
against the public good.
A city where property values are among the highest in the world in spite of
the growth, the shortfall in housing, amenities and all other social needs has, not
surprisingly, only increased. Tragically, today over 75% of the city’s population is
employed in the informal sector. Simultaneously, lack of planning coupled with
self-interest is only leading to slumming of our metropolis. Clearly, this is no way
ahead in our efforts to improve the quality of life in the city.
There is a need for comprehensive planning with the thrust being on protecting
and enhancing public spaces. We need to integrate open spaces for leisure, recreation,
social and cultural activity. We need to include and improve several amenities like

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education, health, markets, roadside stalls and hawkers, thus expanding our notion of
the public realm. This expansion of the public realm will help enrich the quality of
life and environmental conditions in both our natural and built surroundings.
In terms of physical planning, our aim is to develop contiguous open spaces
by interconnecting various facets of areas open to the public. This would develop a
green spine throughout our city and its various localities, nourishing community life,
neighbourhood engagements and participation. With public space being the main
planning criteria, we aim to bring about a social change i.e. promote collective
culture and root out alienation and a false sense of individual gratification promoted
by the market. By achieving intensive levels of citizens’ participation we wish to
influence governments to devise comprehensive plans and integrate disparate
developments. The ‘open and clear forever’ public space policy will truly symbolize
our democratic aspirations. This is a significant way to rebuild Mumbai as a humane
and environmentally sustainable city, clearly enhancing the quality and dignity
of public life.
In order to Re-Vision Mumbai and democratize its public space, we present
‘Vision Juhu --- Expanding Public Spaces in Mumbai’ as a pilot project.

P K Das Anirudh Paul


Architect and Activist Principal- KRVIA

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MUMBAI

24 WARDS IN ALL

Area: 437 sq.kms


Population (2001 Census):
11.9 million
Density (2001 Census):
27,209 people/sq.km
Reserved Open Space:
73.79 sq.km
Ratio of Open Space:
1.1 sq.m/person

Mumbai (Wards)

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Moragaon
Andheri
Station

Gulmohar

Gaothan

JVPD

JUHU
Mithibai College
PART OF K WEST WARD
Nehru Nagar Vile
Area: 3.86 sq.kms (Slums)
Population Parle
Station
(estimated for 2008):
2,20,000
Density
(estimated for 2008):
56,995 people/sq.km
Juhu Aerodrome
Reserved open space:
0.27 sq.km (2,70,825 sq.m)
Juhu Tara Rd

Ratio of open space


(estimated for 2008):
1.23 sq.m/person
Western Express
Highway
S.V. Rd

Taragaon

Juhu Landmarks

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Vision Mumbai
eri Mumbai is one of the largest urban agglomerations, the financial
n
capital of India and a global metropolis in the making. According to
the World Bank, it is now the most crowded metropolis in the world.
The city resembles a giant magnet attracting people from all walks
of life and embraces its each visitor unconditionally.
Home to 16 million people today, this city with an area of
437 sq.km is unquestionably a victim of unaffordable housing,
high-cost transport, domination by real estate interests and land
grab, resulting in lack of open space and absence of comprehensive
planning. This has led to disparate and anarchic growth for the
entire city. There is hardly any need to conclude that Mumbai is in
need of urgent socioeconomic and physical restructuring.
The government in 1991 last amended the Development Plan
(DP) for Mumbai. Previous Development Plans, which came into
being since the 1960s, were rejected as they lacked ‘public participation’
and depended completely on the ruling bodies to generate funds.
(‘Foreword --- Know Your Ward by BMC ’) The current DP
(1991-2001) too has no guidance for public involvement and clearly
champions the interests of private developers. In 2008, there is no
Highway

plan for the city; the various governing bodies work independently
of each other and no collective effort is visible for what is being
grandiosely termed as ‘the Mumbai Makeover’. Even though huge
investments for better city infrastructure are now being contemplated,
citizens remain spectators to the occurrence around them and are
often at the receiving end of such projects while more and more people
are losing opportunity and access to high-cost developments.
Our passive approach towards city ‘upgradation’ clearly needs
to change. It is time to work proactively along with the various

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government organizations to find solutions to daily problems relating


to the city’s infrastructure. Mumbai has evolved by itself and every
area has typical challenges. Each neighbourhood has its own unique
set of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, best understood by
the people who live and have an interest in it. Allowing citizens to
utilize this awareness of their neighbourhood will result in a vision
best suited to them and to this city. ‘Neighbourhood Planning’
keeping larger, city issues in mind is the way ahead. It will empower
local residents and make them responsible for their area
development. This will truly be our Vision, our desired future for
our surroundings and our city.
To set a precedent for Mumbai, we initiate Vision Juhu as
the pilot project. By involving members of every section of society,
government organizations and experts from the urban planning
sector, we aim to re-envisage how the neighbourhood of Juhu can be
alternatively planned.

Open space ratio comparison


between major cities of the world in 2000

LONDON: NEW YORK:


31.68 sq.m/person 26.4 sq.m/person

CHICAGO: TOKYO: MUMBAI:


17.6 sq.m/person 3.96 sq.m/person 1.1 sq.m/person

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REFERENCES
1. Municipal, Primary School
2. Private, Primary School
3. Secondary School
4. College
5. Hospital/Sanatorium
6. Municipal Hospital
7. Government Hospital
8. Municipal/Private Maternity Home
9. Municipal Health Centre/Clinic
10. Municipal Dispensary
11. Maternity Hospital
12. Municipal Office/Town Duty Office
13. Government Office
14. Public Sanitary Convenience
15. Library
16. Public Hall/Students Hostel
17. Open Air Theatre
18. Welfare Centre
19. Fire Brigade Station/Printing Press
20. Post Office/Post And Telegraph Office
21. Police Station
22. Cattle Pound
23. Telephone Exchange/Service Centre
24. Police Quarters/Railway Reservation
25. Municipal Chowky
26. Gymnasium
27. Municipal/Private/Rental Market
28. Municipal Open Market
29. Cinema Theatre
30. Drama Theatre
31. Shopping Centre
32. Municipal Wholesale Market
33. Children's Theatre And Museum
34. Industrial Estate/Fishing Industries
35. Service Industrial Estate/Rly Bldg
36. Municipal Laundary/Workshop/Store
37. Municipal/Private/Dhobi Ghat
38. Godown/Wholesale/Cold Storage
39. Sewage Purification Works
40. Reservoir
41. Cemetery/Cremation Ground
42. Pumping Station
43. Sanitary Refuse Shed
44. Refuse Transport Station
45. B.E.S.T Bus Depot/Station
46. Receiving Station
47. Parking Lot/Petrol Pump
48. Car Pound
49. Municipal Road Depot
50. Municipal Transport Garage
51. Truck Terminal
52. Park
53. Play Ground
54. Recreation Ground
55. Garden
56. Swimming Pool
57. Fish Drying Ground
58. Housing For Dishoused
59. Public Housing/Dhobi Housing
60. Municipal Housing
61. Government Housing
62. Residential Zone
63. Commercial Zone
64. Service Industrial Zone
65. General Industrial Zone
66. Special Industrial Zone
67. Urban Renewal Scheme
68. T P Scheme/Airport Boundary
69. No Development Zone
70. Shopline
71. District Centre/Commercial Complex
72. Existing Road
73. Proposed Road
74. Road To Be Widened
75. Retention Activity
76. Existing Amenity
77. Height Restriction Boundary
78. Special Planning Authority Boundary
79. Village Boundary N
80. Ward Boundary
81. Boundary Of Array Milk Colony
82. Boundary Of Film City

Development Plan of Juhu 1991


Growth recorded in 1999 has not been in accordance with the development plan of 1991-2001
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Vision Juhu
Juhu is a residential suburb in the western part of Mumbai and
has an iconic image in the minds of millions of Indians where many
of their favourite film stars live and an area with exclusive and
premium real estate. The name is also synonymous with one of the
most popular public spaces, the Juhu Beach. This dual identity of
Juhu as a glamorous neighbourhood while also an accessible leisure
destination for visitors sets up the matrix within which the demo-
cratic planning process can be initiated and ‘Vision Mumbai’ can
make the first move.
A rich history of inhabitation stretching back at least four hundred
years has ensured Juhu is home to different communities --- fisherfolk
and agriculturists, industrialists, businessmen and professionals,
middle class families as well as economically disadvantaged ones.
Juhu has amongst the largest density of educational institutions in
the city, a number of religious attractions and is the centre for public
festivals like Ganeshotsav, Chhat Pooja and Navratri; bringing in a

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large floating population for which the


suburb becomes a cultural hub. Many
frictions and desires of this amalgam of
residential and visitor communities in
Juhu are reflected in the public spaces in
this area. Hence, our central objective is
to expand these spaces by creating their
network and interlinking them. Public space would thus include
playgrounds, parks, market squares, waterfronts, creeks, mangroves,
mudflats, public amenities and institutions and transportation. Thus
the crux of Vision Juhu revolves around public spaces and the
public realm of the neighbourhood.
The citizens of Juhu have been active in issues related to their
existence. A number of ALMs (Advanced Locality Management
groups) have been formed by residents in Juhu, undertaking the
responsibility of providing many civic and social amenities at the
local level. A hard battle was fought in the courts of law to free Juhu
beach from encroachments and redevelop it, by citizen organizations
and architect P K Das who had prepared the beach redevelopment
plan. When the courts finally approved its implementation, MPs
Shabana Azmi and Hema Malini contributed through the MP LAD
fund. A first of its kind, the citizens of this area also elected
an independent candidate Adolf D’Souza as their BMC
corporator through collective consensus. A network of Area Sabha
Representatives, working with the corporator, has also been active to
address local issues at smaller levels within the ward.
Organizations representing the interests and desires of the inhabitants
of historical settlements like Gaothans and Koliwadas have been
instrumental in increasing awareness about the issues facing these

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unique parts of the neighbourhood. Slum communities have


also organized themselves efficiently to address the issues
before them.
This existing democratic pattern in the
area was the inspiration for the Design Cell
at KRVIA, one of the premier architecture
and planning schools in the city based in
Juhu, and architect and activist P K Das, a
resident of Juhu and chairperson of the
Mumbai Waterfronts Centre, to come up
Initiatives by citizens to with an area development plan. Vision Juhu
improve governance
mechanisms at the ward level. is a pragmatic proposal in consultation with
many resident groups, elected representatives, government officials and
eminent citizens. It has been prepared professionally and scientifically,
to devise a strategy to make Juhu a congenial location to live in.
Vision Juhu has evolved, keeping the larger issues of Mumbai
in mind. It includes conserving reserved open spaces and creating
new ones, pedestrianization, significant solutions to flooding in
Juhu, development of the Irla nala, improvement in transport

Development of the Irla nala is crucial to prevent flooding in Juhu

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Conserving reserved playgrounds and re-developing them is an important part of ‘Vision Juhu’

infrastructure by skilfully integrating the proposed 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.
It aims to protect the natural environment and the best features
of the built environment, increase commercial viability, encourage
tourist and leisure facilities, protect and support communities,
create social inclusion, provide people with a voice in landscapes of
rapid change and design urban places and spaces for people.
A firm partnership between the people of
Juhu and the government can help bring
about simple, pragmatic solutions to complex
problems. With support from all its stakeholders,
Vision Juhu can be a resounding success within a
limited span of time.

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Objectives
• Involve all stakeholders and initiate participation at neighbourhood
level to address the city level development plan.

• Expand the notion of the public space and understand the lived public
realm.

• Better utilization of public spaces including reserved green spaces,


beach, footpaths thus creating recreational facilities and trouble-free
pedestrian routes.

• Development of the Irla nala, turning it into a greenbelt, using it to


address flooding problems and protecting the natural environment.

• Improving the transport infrastructure bearing in mind the proposal for


the new Metro rail.

• Enriching and upgrading access to market areas and institutions to


encourage leisure facilities and kinship in the neighbourhood.

• Opening up lesser-known accesses to Juhu beach for maximum


utilization of this public space and protect it from encroachments.

• Inclusion of the informal sector --- the slums, in mainstream planning


and creating a better living environment for them and saving the
traditional Gaothan areas from characterless development.

• Improvising public amenities and networking them with public spaces


to enhance community development.

• Networking the public realm by connecting the various layers such as


infrastructure, environmental system and public spaces to improve the
experience for the public in the city.

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Methodology of the Study


• ‘Vision Juhu’ has been prepared with a social and scientific bend and a
thorough professional study has been undertaken to identify the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the region.

• People from all walks of life that have stakes and common interest in
the area were identified on the basis of various historical, social and
economic criteria and the boundaries within which these stakeholders lie
were identified.

• Interviews were conducted with the stakeholders to determine the usage


of the public space and public realm and concerned maps and charts were
created.

• Conflicts and dependencies across certain spaces that are spoken about
by more than one stakeholder were identified and understood.

• Areas that form crucial part of public usage but not identified by the
stakeholders were then introduced to understand their implications on
the public realm.

• The research also involved studying cases from across the globe, relevant
to our area and taking the positives from various innovative solutions
adopted in the developed and the developing world.

• This layered study with detailed analysis was then assimilated into a
proposal.

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Land Development History of Juhu

SURVEY MAP OF BOMBAY, 1921 SURVEY MAP OF BOMBAY, 1933 ROAD MAP OF BOMBAY, 1969
Three gaothans- Tara, Juhu and Mora (Gundaoli) Juhu Gaothan and St. Joseph's Church are seen Shows most identifiable features of juhu, including
exist along with farmland and large tracts of mud- clearly. Juhu Aerodrome land is identified. Isolated road layouts, JVPD Scheme and Gulmohar Road.
flats. Airport Authority of India's wireless station
development is seen growing along the stretch of The edges along the beach show hotels and resi-
land is acquired. Bungalows along the beach have
Juhu Beach. Theosophical Society is established. dential development. Some educational institu-
already been established. Natural drainage lines
pass through the mudflats. Most of the area is still marsh and farmland. tions appear as well.
1800s
1700s

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

Early 1600s 1920 1930 1945 1961


The areas around Juhu and Tara By the late 1930s the With the formation of Greater Mithibai College is established. Utpal
Fishing villages of Mora municipality of Vile Parle had Bombay in 1945, the areas of Sanghvi School and Jamnabai Narsee
had developed sufficiently to
and Tara are established absorbed the smaller bodies Juhu, Tara and Mora came School are established by the early
warrant their own local govern-
on mudflats on the around it. Then with the forma- directly under the Bombay 1970s. Many more educational institu-
ment and municipal councils.
northern and southern tion of Greater Bombay in Municipal Corporation. tions come up subsequently, leading to
They formed part of the so called
ends of the suburb 1945, the areas came directly the suburb having the highest density of
Suburban District.
under the Bombay Municipal educational institutions in the city
Early 1700s 1969
1925 Corporation.
JVPD Scheme and Gulmohar Road, one of the last planned layouts in
The agricultural settlement of Juhu Development took off near Juhu Tara
gaothan is founded, along with Juhu villages by the late 1920s with the
1966 Mumbai are established. Many of the HIG plots in the JVPD scheme
area are purchased by film actors of Mumbai's film industry, earning
Church. The residents carry out extension of the Western Trunk The first large the suburb the misplaced moniker of 'Beverley Hills of Mumbai'
agriculture and related activities in Route to Jogeshwari. hotels in Juhu,
small fertile patches of land adjoin- King's Hotel and Hotel Horizon are established.
ing the beach stretch. 1928 1980s
The growth in MIG and HIG
Late 1800s By the 1930s Juhu had become a 1975 population and a shortage of hous-
recreational centre. The richer classes of
Jamshedji Tata purchased land in Bombay used the area for sports, bathing ing leads to the formation of slums
ISKCON is established in Juhu, adding another in the suburb along the drainage
Juhu and built a bungalow. and motoring. Weekend cottages and tourist attraction to the suburb.
He planned to develop 1930 bungalows mushroomed around this time. channels and on the edges of the
1200 acres (5 km²) in Juhu Airport Authority of India owned
Tara. This was to yield 500 Juhu Aerodrome, serving Mumbai, was India’s first civil aviation airport opening in 1928 as the land. The residents of the slums
plots of 4,000 m² each and then Vile Parle Flying Club. It served as the city’s sole airport till the one at Santacruz took are primarily service providers to
a seaside resort. the suburb's population.
over in 1958.

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1980

1990

2000

1991 1992
Coastal Regulation Zone law is enacted Changes in Development
by the Central government, covering a Control Regulations accom-
large part of Juhu's coastline and panying the Mumbai
adjoining land. Stringent built form Development Plan of 1991
guidelines are placed on properties allows the transfer of devel-
near the sea. opment rights (TDR) from
one part of the city to anoth-
er. The low FSI consuming,
low rise, low density parts of
1995 JVPD and Gulmohar Road
Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) is
set up and formulates rehousing
see another construction
boom.
N
schemes for slumdwellers inviting pri-
vate capital to take part in the process.
Many slums undergo redevelopment
under the SRA's aegis.

2000
A plan to restore Juhu Beach was prepared by architect P K Das
and published by INTACH. With extensive support from local MPs,
activists and the judiciary, the plan was sanctioned in 2004, grad-
ually giving residents the idea of preparing 'Vision Juhu.'

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Vision Plan Highlights


Development of Public Space
• Conserving and redeveloping reserved open spaces
• Creating new open spaces for the public

The current reserved open


space in Juhu is 2,70,825 sq. m.
out of which 2,03,119 sq. m is
unavailable for public use due to
misuse, land grab, encroachments,
etc. We aim to free, protect and rede-
velop the current reserved open space
through citizen activism, government
and corporate support. We also propose
to redefine the term Public Space. By
including and networking the beach,
the neglected mangroves and the
encroached space along the nala,
reclaiming restricted playgrounds,
developing edges of large open lands
(aerodrome) and footpaths and improv-
ing open spaces near markets and insti-
tutions, bus stops and railway stations,
the potential open space in Juhu would
increase manifold.

*PG - Playing Ground


*RG - Reserved Ground

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Irla Nala Development and Creation of Public Space


• Creating greenbelt along nala’s edges
• Addressing flooding issues

Irla Nala dominates the geography


of Juhu and runs approximately 7.5
kms, meeting the Arabian Sea at two
points. The BRIMSTOWAD project by
the BMC is under way which will create
approximately 20 feet of open space on
either side of the nala. The authorities
propose to use this as a carriageway for
service vehicles and maintenance machinery.
Instead, we propose to install a self-cleaning
system, develop it as a pedestrian route and
link it with other public spaces in Juhu.
The new porous greenbelt thus created will
measure approximately 10 kms and serve as
a flood plain during monsoons.

Proposed pedestrian pathway along the Irla Nala

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Conservation of Juhu Beach and its Connectivity


• Include Juhu beach in Mumbai’s reserved spaces
• Opening up lesser-known accesses from Juhu Tara Road
• Integrating the beach with the neighbourhood of Juhu

Juhu Beach is one of the major tourist attractions


of the city. It invites a lot of people who come
for relaxation and recreation from everywhere in
the city. In the Development Plan the beach has not
been considered as a public space, leaving unclear
who is responsible for its maintenance. Also there is a
lack of access to the entire stretch of beach because of
which it gets underutilized.
Conservation of Juhu beach is extremely important,
as it is a crucial open space in the city. As a result of a
long and hard fought battle in the courts of law, Juhu
beach today is free of encroachments from builders,
industrialists and even gangsters. Citizen activists, to
save and restore the beach, had filed several public
interest litigations and it is our duty now to conserve
this stretch of public space. The best way to protect
the entire four km beach is by maximum and equal
utilization of all its entry and exit points.
Currently, the stretch near Santacruz police station
is the most crowded because of an easier access point.
This stretch also has the maximum number of facilities
for the people, resulting in high amount of public
activity. There are eight access points to Juhu beach
from Juhu Tara Road. They all need to be opened up,
strengthened and artistically designed to encourage
public movement. This would activate the entire
stretch of beach and make it a better public place. We
also aim to link these accesses to the internal public
spaces thus forming a larger network of public spaces.

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Locating the Metro Rail


• Proposing underground metro rail
• Shifting proposed placements of Metro stations and integrating them with open spaces

Roads network and one-ways


• Utilizing internal, low traffic density roads as pedestrian pathways and one-ways

MMRDA has proposed the


Charkop --- Mankhurd Metro Rail,
which will pass through the Juhu
region. Two elevated Metro
stations are proposed in Juhu along
10 th Road and VM Road, the rail
further proceeding to Bandra along
Linking Road. These roads have high
vehicular density and bustling markets.
Our proposal’s objective is to integrate
the Metro route and the stations in particular,
with the public space network, thus providing
easy access and dispersal of the crowd. We
propose an underground metro rail, as the
population density in the area will steeply rise
in the near future. Also one station should be
situated near Kaifi Azmi Udyan, having
entrances and exits from the green patch along
the nala and the other behind the busy market
complex near the aerodrome land.

Roads network and one-ways


By proposing one-way streets through
extensive traffic studies, we propose to generate
dedicated pedestrian paths to include walking
and cycling in the transportation network.

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Integration of Social Amenities and Institutions


• Integrating them with the public space network

With 40 schools, colleges,


hospitals and hotels within its
3.86 sq. km, Juhu probably has
the highest number of institutions
compared to any other region in
Mumbai. Our aim is to connect all the
scattered institutions with the public
spaces network. Thus students and other
users can easily walk to their institutions
and utilize the open spaces more.

Ecole Mondiale (International School)

24
Improvement of amenities in Slums and conservation of Gaothans
• Including them in the redevelopment plans for the city

We propose to integrate the slums


with the redevelopment plan by
enhancing infrastructure and social
amenities within the slums and connecting
these areas with the public space network.
The proposed green patch near Nehru Nagar
and Shivaji Nagar will give these slums safer
access to public amenities.

Section II
Study and Analysis
High density street in Nehru Nagar
Gaothans
The three gaothans in Juhu (Moragaon,
Taragaon and Juhu Gaothan) are a vital part
of the area’s history and its important to protect
their characteristic development. We propose to
improve social amenities within the gaothans
and guard its built environment by including
it in the redevelopment plans for the area.

A typical street in a Gaothan dotted with grottos

25
The Final Blueprint - Draft proposal for public discussion
• Expanding Public Space in Juhu

In this plan we have created


a contiguous public space by
integrating open spaces: parks,
playgrounds, Irla nala, Juhu beach,
social amenities, various institutions,
market places, proposed Metro Rail, roads
and pedestrian pathways, slums and
gaothans. Thus a distinct network of public
spaces, which would enormously contribute
to the community life, enhance accessibility
and participation in the region and achieve
higher democratic values, marks ‘Vision Juhu’.

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Contents

Identifying Present Stakeholders..................................................................32

Evolving the Vision.....................................................................................36

• Development of Public Space ...........................................................37

• Irla Nala Development and Creation of Public Space .........................50

• Locating Metro Rail ........................................................................55

• Roads Network and One-ways .........................................................55

• Integration of Social Amenities and Institutions ................................58

• Improvement of Amenities in Slums & conservation of Goathans .......62

Governance, Participation and Maintenance Model ......................................66

Appendix ....................................................................................................68

• Population Growth and Public Space Ratio ......................................69

• Case Study For Nala- The Living Water Garden, China .....................74

• Case Study For Nala- Emerald Necklace, Boston, USA ......................74

• Case Study For Nala- Chonggyechun River System, South Korea ........75

• Case Study For Transport- Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain ..................76

• Case Study For Transport- Big Dig, USA ..........................................77

List of Figures.............................................................................................78

Bibliography ...............................................................................................78

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JUHU
STAKEHOLDERS

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Identifying Present Stakeholders


With evidence dating back to 17th century, the suburb of Juhu
has seen many periods and patterns of settlements. With migrations
into this suburb, each group of inhabitants adapted to the existing
built form and added to the culture and economy of the area.
Today, due to different historical experiences, each of the residential
stakeholders face unique sets of problems and difficulties in the
present infrastructure.
In order to conduct the study effectively, it was necessary to
identify and delineate the larger groups of residential stakeholders
in the area. On the basis of history, time of settlement, culture and
economy, five main groups of stakeholders were identified as follows:
1. The Fishing Villages
2. The Gaothans
3. The Beachfront Developments
4. JVPD and Gulmohar Road Residents
5. The Slums

The Fishing Villages:


Moragaon, located on the northern edge of Juhu and Taragaon
(Koliwadas) located at the southern edge of the study area are
among the first communities, which set base in Juhu. These closely
knit communities show some amount of fishing activity even
today. As the settlements lie close to the natural drainage lines and

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the sea, they are first to be affected by floods and heavy rainfall.
Due to encroachments and haphazard developments, the living
conditions here have deteriorated to significant levels.

The Gaothans
The Juhu Gaothan was set up around 18th century and their
prime activity was agriculture. The compact typology of the
settlement resulted in the formation of unique public spaces but
redevelopment within the region
has caused some of these spaces to
get eliminated or lie unused.

The Beachfront
Developments
Around the 1920 s, weekend
bungalows and small eateries started
developing along the beachfront
due to the popularity of the suburb
as a holiday spot. In 1940s, with the
absorption of the suburb within the
municipal limits of Bombay, small
apartment buildings emerged. In the

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1960s and 1970s, independent


apartment buildings started
mushrooming along the
beachfront. They incorporated
recreational spaces within
themselves. Some buildings
formed larger units by enclosing
private roads shared by a few
buildings. The formulation of
the Coastal regulation laws and
the densities encountered due
to a floating population access-
ing the beach, are the issues
confronting these stakeholders.

JVPD and Gulmohar


Road Residents
The Juhu-Vile Parle
Development Scheme was
planned in the 1970s, which
incorporated high income
housing in the JVPD layout
and middle income housing
apartments (MHADA plots) in the Gulmohar road layout. JVPD
composed of single owner bungalow plots with 14 co-operative
societies formed as agglomerations of bungalows. Both areas are
affected by TDR and redevelopment, which have converted these
low-rise, low-density areas into high-rise, medium-density areas.
The changes in typology and density have caused deterioration of
all infrastructure and amenities, including public space.

Slums
As there was a lack of
low income housing in the area,
slums began to emerge around
the late 1970s. These areas are
characterized by low public
amenities and inferior infra-
structure. Some of these slums
are located on airport land,
which makes them practically
ineligible for state government
formulated slum redevelopment
schemes, thus resulting in no
plans for their development.

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Evolving the vision


juhu bookfinal-final.qxp 4/23/2009 8:08 PM Page 37

Development of Public Space


• Conserving and redeveloping reserved open spaces
• Creating new open spaces for the public

Out of the total area of 3.86 sq


km that Juhu occupies, 0.27 sq km
is reserved as open space. Today,
Juhu residents enjoy 2.1 sq m of open
space per person as compared to an
average Mumbaikar who struggles
within 1.1 sq m. But we need to be
cautioned as unscrupulous politicians
and builders are eyeing these spaces
too and tactfully encroaching upon
them. In 1991, the average open space
in JVPD was 10.5 sq m/per person.
The open space in Mumbai is rapidly
declining and hence we propose to
protect and conserve our reserved
spaces and develop them for public
use. Also by demanding approximately
5-6 m wide stretch of land along
the edge of the Juhu Aerodrome, we
propose to create a new open space
and a pedestrian pathway for the public.

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Reserved public spaces are the spaces set aside by the government
for social, cultural and recreational uses of the masses. It is a
place where anyone has a right to come without being excluded
because of economic or social conditions. The state norms assert
that 4 acres of open space should be provided per 1000 people. But
beleaguered Mumbaikars have only a meagre 0.03 acres of open
space per 1000 people.
Reserved open space occupies only 7% of Juhu’s total area.
Research reveals that broadly
Agency Parks Free Enc. Neg. Res. Potential Area 75% of the formally marked
Government 7 3 0 3 1 67.156 sq.m open space in Juhu is ‘locked’
School 4 2 0 0 2 9,851 sq.m
space. We do not have access to
this 75% of open space for the
Citizen groups 6 5 0 0 1 7,523 sq.m
following reasons:
Private trusts 2 2 0 0 0 0
Commercial 9 1 5 1 2 35,536 sq.m 1. Encroachments --- 36%
Slums 0 0 6 0 0 32,240 sq.m Reserved open spaces are
Private owners 0 0 3 0 0 9,085 sq.m encroached upon by certain
Parking (under agencies for purposes other
2 0 2 0 0 41,728 sq.m
airport authority than public recreation.
Total 2,03,119 sq.m Examples: Slum rehabilitation
Tb.1 scheme near Rutumbura
College, Club Millennium, Ruia Gardens.

2. Restrictions on use --- 10%


Reserved open spaces are restricted for public use due to misuse
of caretaker policy,
Examples: Hasmukh R Playground (caretaker basis to Utpal
Sanghvi School) Ground attached to Tilak Udyan (caretaker basis
to Arya Vidya Mandir)

3. Neglect --- 24%


Reserved open spaces are not in use due to little or no maintenance

Ground used by Vidyanidhi School Vidyanidhi Circle

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and lie in a complete state of abandonment. In most cases, land


belongs to the BMC. Examples: Pushpa Narsee Park, Ground
behind Gagandeep

4. Privatization --- 5%
Reserved open spaces are allotted for private gardens and the
public is absolutely not allowed to enter.

STATE OF RESERVED PUBLIC SPACES IN JUHU

Law allows us to reclaim this 75% of formally reserved open


space and to ‘unlock’ this space, citizen activism is crucial. The
remaining 25% of reserved public space is free for public use.
Examples: Bhaidas Patel Udyan (Jamnabai Narsee PG), Krishna
Rao Maidan (Iskcon), Kaifi Azmee Park.
The 25% of free open space in Juhu is mostly under the
supervision of citizen groups. Citizen bodies and various trusts
maintain 60% of these grounds, which suggest that involvement of
the citizens is probably the best way to ensure proper public use.
Under the ‘encroached’ open space (36%) category, 40% of the
area is maintained by the Airport Authority as a parking lot and
30% is encroached by slum rehabilitation schemes.
Under the ‘restricted’ open space (10%) category, 86% area is
owned and maintained by the BMC out of which, schools under

Juhu Gymkhana Ground Bhaidas Patel Udyan

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the caretaker policy, maintain 34% area. The policy however


states that, the ground, though maintained by the school, should
allow public entry and use under ‘a disciplined manner’.
The research further studies the utilization of these reserved
public spaces with respect to gender and tries to comprehend
their functionality. Figure 2 (page 42) indicates the relationship
between the percentage distribution of males and females and
the formal space in question. From the overview it is observed
that the percentage of male distribution exceeds that of the
female distribution.
According to the UDPFI guidelines, 12% of total plot area
should be reserved for formal open spaces. However, in Juhu,
only 7% of the plot area is reserved so.
Our study shows that Juhu has a little over 200,000 square

P.A. Mhatre Playground

Tilak Udyan

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Cluttered Andheri Station Underutilized bus depot


metres of potential open space. The bulk of it --- 67,200 square
metres is in government hands, 36,000 square metres in
commercial hands, 32,000 square metres with slums and 41,000
square metres with the Juhu Aerodrome. This adds up to the
equivalent of three Oval Maidans and 22 Wankhede Stadiums.
By redefining public spaces, identifying potential new open
spaces and using them appropriately, the total public space in
Juhu comes to approximately 13,75,000 sq. m. (fig.5).
Our study expands the definition of public spaces. ‘The lived
public realm’ comprises sites like markets, infrastructural nodes,
pre-courts of amenities, etc. These squares and courts, if well
developed and maintained, have the potential to be counted as
public space. For instance, the flower market just outside Dadar
station bustles with commuters, the busiest public space within the
precinct. The main ticket counter at Andheri station opens into a

Congested Dadar flower market

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Gender-wise Use of Reserved


Public Space

Fig.3
Fig.2
Males Females

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Activity-wise Use of
Reserved Public Grounds

Percentage use of
reserved public
space for walking,
children’s activities,
gymming, sports,
trees and seating
arrangements. Each
inner circle in the
above diagram
represents 10% of
the total space
available in every
ground.

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Crammed pedestrian pathway

large public court with several retail counters and eateries. Bus
depots typically occupy a huge footprint and are not used
throughout the day. Nearer Juhu, the pavements outside colleges
serve as informal meeting places for young people to congregate,
in the absence of formal spaces, which all educational institutions
ought to provide. The land along Irla nala, currently a dumping
ground, can be developed into a greenbelt and pedestrian pathway.

Abused space near Irla nala

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Also, the reserved


open spaces count does
not include the sprawling
beach of Juhu, even
though it is the most
exploited public space
in the area. Hence it is
deprived of the benefits
of the ‘reserved spaces’
and is being misused
by people with vested
interests. Bits of this
Juhu beach were taken
over by private owners
who turned them into
gardens and temples
with the hope that Conflicting market space
their encroachments would go unnoticed. Architect P.K. Das,
local MPs Shabana Azmi and Hema Malini have been responsible
for the recently restored
Area beachfront, a public project
Space Available funded by the MP’s Local Area
(sq. m)
Development Fund. We aim
Reserved Public to include the beach in the
2,70,825
Open Space
reserved public space category
Juhu Beach 3,24,486 for its protection.
Edges Of After conducting interviews
41,354
Institutions with all stakeholders who use
Markets 17,189 or aspire to use the reserved
Public Space spaces or the lived public
989
Within Slums realm in Juhu, the estimation
Bus Depot 14,448 is that there are 270,000
square metres of reserved
Edges Of Large
17,968 public open space available
Open Lands
excluding 325,000 sq.m of
Misused Collective
4,89,588 beach, 41,000 sq. m at the
Realm - Mangroves
edge of institutions, 17,200
Misused Collective
sq. m in public markets, near-
Realm - Nallas /
Tb.2 2,01,124
Garbage Dumps ly 1,000 sq. m within slums,
15,000 sq. m within bus
Total 13,77,971
depots, 18,000 sq. m at the
edges of large open lands
(ex. Juhu Aerodrome), 490,000 sq. m in the form of mangroves
and another 200,000 sq. m similarly misused in nalas and
garbage dumps.

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Some of these potential spaces can be identified as follows:

Edges of the Institutions


Juhu has one of the highest number of institutions in the city.
Cooper hospital, a major public health facility in the city is also
located here. The floating population visiting these institutions
creates a specific pattern of movement along the routes which connect
Juhu to major transport nodes like Andheri Station, Vile Parle
Station and Juhu Circle. The areas around these institutions become
active public spaces. Hawkers and food stalls have set up shop near
these institutions to cater to the floating population. But since
adequate public spaces are not designed around these institutions,
these activities take place on the road, which causes inconvenience to
people. Such use of the footpath is seen as illegal but these activities are

Public Space (Pavements) near Mithibai Junction

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an important part of
the lived public realm
and have to be protect-
ed. Hence, it is impor-
tant to plan areas
where such public
activities can take
place near much
frequented institutions.

Bus Depots:
Juhu has three bus
depots, which serve as
infrastructural amenities,
Commercial hustle on the footpath
but there are still some
differences in terms of their usage. Their location and the communities
accessing these bus stops gives each of them a different typology.
JVPD Bus Depot is located at the junction of two busy vehicular
routes namely Gulmohar Road and Link Road and sees heavy traffic
each day of the week. It has many routes leading to Andheri
Station, which makes it a hub for students and office goers in
the morning and evening. Shops activate the edges of the bus
depot. It acquires a desolate look in the afternoons. It has a garden,
which is not very visible, and which is mainly used by the BEST
employees. Juhu Bus Depot has a couple of routes that bring in
people who want to visit Juhu Beach. A part of this depot is used
as parking space by the hotels that dot its edges. The depot is
empty most of the day and seems surreal when compared to the
activity on the beach just a few paces away. Only three bus routes
run through this area, adding few routes from the railway
stations and future metro station would activate this depot more.
Due to its location it can also be imagined as a transport
interchange as it will help address traffic problems near the beach.

Juhu Bus Depot

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Juhu Church Bus Depot lies close to a wide range of activities ranging
from a busy market to a school and a church with a large parish.
The food stall and newspaper kiosks keep the place active
throughout the day but its existing built form is not very efficient
for transport movement.

Slums
Nehru Nagar Main Road
It has a main road as a central spine, which becomes the main
activity space of the area. Transport, recreation and commercial
activity are centred along this main road. The main road in Nehru
Nagar is connected to each by-lane, which contains co-operative
housing societies. The
back road, which is
perpendicular to these
by lanes, is the airport
edge with slums spread
over it.

Fishing Village-
Moragaon
Moragaon has two
kinds of public spaces;
the capillary road
running through the
village and the nodes
of congregation. The
different communities
The central spine of Nehru Nagar of Moragaon, namely
the Kolis, the
Maharashtrians and the
Gujaratis have their
own nodes for
get-togethers and to
celebrate festivals and
functions. The capillary
streets serve as an exten-
sion to the cramped
houses. The houses in
Moragoan have shared
services. The water taps
in the area are located
in these streets. So
washing clothes, filling
water and cleaning
Public amenities in Moragaon

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vegetables are common


activities seen in these
streets. The houses here
have otlas and verandahs.
These become places for
people to sit and meet
passersby. The streets
end in nodes of open
space. These spaces are
marked with amenities
like toilets, a stage,
community offices, etc.
These amenities add
value to the space.
People in Moragaon Public square in Moragaon

have not been very


supportive of this study
as they fear that the land
they use for drying fish
will be taken up to
build a garden. They
have been victims of
encroachment earlier by
the Ruias and had to
fight hard to get their
land back. Hence they
have not allowed us to
continue our study here.
A public place for worship in Gaothan
The Juhu Gaothan
The land use plan shows residential quarters lined with shops.
The East Indian community dominates this area and most people
here are related to each other. The arterial roads become places for
shops and markets while the inner roads become quieter pedestrian
pathways. The Gaothan streets are dotted with grottos. These
become places for people to pray. The verandahs encourage
interaction with the neighbours and people passing by. The
internal pedestrian streets are safe for children to play and cycle.
Some of these are used to dry clothes, spices, or have a garden patch.
The quadrangle is the space used by the people to congregate for
prayers and monthly gaothan meetings are also held here.
Thus, if these spaces are developed and well looked after, we
can expand public space in the entire neighbourhood of Juhu and
with a little re-imagination, reserved open space can increase to
3.36 sq. m per person from the current 2.1 sq. m.

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Irla Nala Development and Creation of Public Space


• Creating greenbelt along nala's edges
• Addressing flooding issues

Current condition of the nala and its surroundings

The Irla Nala meets the Sea at two points.

Proposed view of the nala after development

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Nala Stakeholders

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The Irla nala is presently being used as a backyard and a place


to dump waste. Impermeable compound walls, squatters and raised
ground levels block the smooth flow of the drain. It is subject to
encroachment, hence indiscernible at some places and its obstruction
is one of the reasons for flooding in the low-lying areas of Juhu.

Fig.4. The natural slope of the surface drainage is blocked by impermeable


compound walls, squatters and raised ground levels

We visualize the nala as an important spine connecting throughout


Juhu, especially the educational institutes and hence, propose to develop
it as a greenbelt, useful for pedestrians and cyclists. Our design would
also ensure that it serves as a flood plain during monsoons and
prevent scenarios witnessed during the 26th July 2005 deluge.
Our study examines Irla nala’s potential to hold excessive rainfall,
such as the downpour Mumbai witnessed in July 2005. On 26th
July 2005, the rainfall recorded was upto 150 mm/hr. Hence the
maximum expected volume of water to be drained by the Irla nala is
3,233,100 cu.m. The current capacity of the nala is 10,14,970 cu.m.
Under the ongoing BRIMSTOWAD the nala will acquire a potential
area of 2,02,994 sq m.
Thus if a 6 m stretch along the nala can be leveled and paved, it
will allow permeability and enhance the ground water table. Also
the walls can be constructed out of permeable material. The

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retaining walls can be made Diagrammatic representation of the self-cleaning


of material such as stone, etc. system for the nala.
The height of compound
walls can also be lowered, so
as to allow the excess surface
runoff to flow into the nala
instead of causing water-
logging. The foundations
shouldn’t be very deep as
it affects the natural
absorption of the soil.
Vegetation on this stretch
will prevent soil erosion. A
self-cleaning system can be
installed to clean the filth
from the nala. The existing
institutions, communities,
reserved public spaces can
open out into this 6 m
stretch; which then functions
as an extension of the public
space. During monsoons
this area would serve as a
flood plain. Fig.5 Ref. from Hindustan Times article ‘A drain that cleans itself’
Thus the nala is creatively dated April 15, 2008 by Sayli U. Mankikar

and resourcefully used as public space and also provides for an


important natural ecological system in the area.
Global case studies reveal that the above plan can be successfully
put to practice in a relatively small duration of time. The Living
Water Garden, a six-acre park on the Funan river in Chengdu, China
installed a water treatment plant for chemical contaminants in its
river and turned it into a vibrant education centre, a wildlife refuge
and a wonderful space for people to congregate. (Appendix page 74:
detailed study on the Living Water Garden, China)
South Korea too has done this with a drain in the centre of Seoul.
By programming its edge, it has transformed the drain into an active
urban public space. Similarly, Boston and Brooklyn have the Emerald

Fig.6. Paved surface will allow permeability

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Fig.7

Proposed Pedestrian Pathway behind Mithibai college

Necklace, a 1,100-acre (4.5 sq.km) chain of parks linked by parkways


and waterways. (Appendix page 74-75: detailed study on the Seoul
drain, S. Korea and the Emerald Necklace, USA)
Irla Nala runs approximately 7.5 kms and a greenbelt on both
sides would result in roughly 10 kms of public space. This patch
would also link up various amenities and institutions in the region,
making them easily accessible by foot. The green space will also see
use by fitness freaks, mothers and toddlers, bystanders, etc enriching
the community spirit in the neighbourhood.

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Locating the Metro Rail


• Proposing Underground Metro rail • Shifting proposed placements of Metro stations

Roads network and one-ways


• Utilizing internal, low traffic density roads as pedestrian pathways

Proposed
Transport Pattern

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Research shows a disparity in the movement patterns in the


planned and unplanned areas of Juhu. The roads in the planned
areas suffer from underutilization, while the roads in the unplanned
areas show high variation in use and activity. At the same time, the
beach and various institutions in the area which are a magnet for
a floating population do not seem to have been considered while
determining traffic movements.
There are two main vehicular roads in the region: Juhu Tara Road
--- 10th Road---New Link Road stretch and the S.V. Road---Gulmohar
road---New Link road stretch. While the latter shows road widths and
routes that can manage the high traffic density, the former shows roads
first used in the early 1900s that fall drastically short of the required
widths to manage the high traffic density. Near the major institutions
and market areas, the roads show high traffic density again. High
pedestrian density is seen along the roads leading from the railway
stations and along the beach. Most of the internal roads in the JVPD
and Gulmohar Road areas seem over designed for traffic, considering
the number of residents they serve. At the same time, the high volume
of parking along these roads creates a problem for the pedestrians.
The eagerly awaited Metro rail will serve the Juhu region too.
Three stations along the Charkop --- Mankhurd Metro Rail line are
relevant to this study area. The drawings and images provided by the
MMRDA seem to indicate that the stations have been literally
dropped on top of the roads, without considering the impact that the
placement of the stations will have on the existing fabric. At the same
time, having an elevated rail track running along these high vehicular
density roads will severely impact the already thick traffic movement
in the area. Residents of Juhu, Khar and Bandra have come together
and raised objections to this plan. They have submitted an alternative

A graphic representation of the


MMRDA-proposed overground Metro Station
on the Charkop-Mankhurd Metro Route that
will further clutter Juhu

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proposal for an underground metro for their sector, to the MMRDA


for consultation.
Our proposal considers these various aspects of the traffic and
pedestrian movement in the area and tries to re-imagine various forms
of movement as part of a larger unified network
Opening up the D.P. road within the airport land connecting 10th
Road to S.V. Road at Khira Nagar or a tunnel that runs below this land
will solve the high vehicular densities along the narrow and crowded
Juhu Tara Road. It will also help to efficiently manage the floating
population that accesses Juhu beach and the hotels along it.
At the same time, certain access roads to the beach can be made
one-way or pedestrian only to accommodate the throngs of people
that access the beach along the weekends. A parallel road to the beach
can be made pedestrian friendly to distribute the floating population.
We propose to create two wide pedestrian pathways along the nala
and the edge of the airport land that work in conjunction with
railway station pedestrian access routes. Skywalks can be constructed
to tie up Vile Parle station to the greenbelt along the airport edge,
while some roads near Juhu Lane can be pedestrianised and led into
the greenbelt along the nala. The pedestrianisation can be extended to
internal roads in JVPD and Gulmohar Road, where a system of
alternate one way roads can allow half the road to be pedestrianised
and begin to accommodate other activities as well, such as a hawker’s
plaza, children’s play areas and street parking.
The basis for the larger transport network being set, the
underground Metro stations can be planned accordingly. JVPD
Metro station can be placed along the proposed greenbelt near
Kaifi Azmi Udyan, where it forms a smaller network of accesses to
institutions in the area. The Juhu Metro station can be placed within
the airport land; lining the pedestrian pathway created within and
allowing easier and more efficiently planned pedestrian access to the
beach. A 4.5-metre-wide pedestrian strip within the airport area can
link presently inaccessible public areas. The Vile Parle Metro station
can be placed at the junction of the skywalk from Vile Parle railway
station and the greenbelt along the airport edge on S.V. road.
This transport plan has derived some inspiration from
internationally acclaimed Boston’s Big Dig, said to be the most
complex urban highway and tunnel project in US history and Las
Ramblas in Barcelona, which has pedestrianised the centre of a
popular boulevard, making it an iconic space in this Spanish city.
(Appendix page 76-77: detailed study on the Boston’s Big Dig and
the Las Ramblas, Spain)
Our transport-networking proposal promises to reduce congestion
near new metro stations and manage vehicular traffic density and the
walking populace in a more efficient manner.

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Integration of Social Amenities and Institutions


• Integrating them with public space network

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A Academic Institutions

Schools
Income-wise distribution of amenities
1. Vrajlal Parekh Vidyanidhi High School
in Juhu
2. Arya Vidya Mandir
3 RIMS International High School Fig.8. Academic Institutions: Schools
4. R.N Shah High School
5. Utpal Sanghvi School
6. Jamnabai Narsee School
7. Ecole Mondiale
8. St. Joseph School
9. Maneckji Cooper School
10. Kamla Dharamshi Shruti School
11. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Mission School Fig.9. Health Amenities: Hospitals
12. Billabong School

Colleges
1. Mithibai College of Arts
2. Jeetendra College of Science and Law
3. Rutumbara College
4. D.J. Sanghvi College
5. Amrutben Jeevanlal College of Commerce and Economics
6. Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics
7. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
8. Kamla Raheja College of Architecture
9. Malini Kishore Sanghvi College of Commerce and
Economics
10. Bhakti Vedanta Institute
11. SNDT (Women’s University)

B Religious Institutions

1. Iskcon Temple
2. Mukteshwar Devalaya (Gandhigram Road)
3. St. Josephs Church
4. Holy Cross Church, Juhu Koliwada
5. Mahalaxmi Temple

C Amenities

Hospitals
1. Arogyanidhi Hospital
2. Cooper Hospital
3. Criticare Hospital, Gulmohar road
4. Lotus Hospital

Hotels
1. J W Marriot
2. Hotel Sun-n-Sand
3. Holiday Inn
4. Tulip Star
5. Ramada Plaza Palm Grove
6. Sea Princess
7. Ramee Guestline Hotel
8. Horizon Hotel
Institutions near Vidyanidhi Circle

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Juhu has one of the highest densities of institutions in any area in


Mumbai. It has around 23 schools and colleges and around 17
religious institutions, hospitals and hotels. Mumbai’s major public
health facility, the Cooper hospital, religious places like the Isckon
temple and cultural centres like Prithvi Theatre are located in Juhu.
These institutions bring in a lot of floating population into the area
from different parts of the city and therefore see a lot of movement of
people along specific routes, which connect Juhu to the major
transport nodes like Andheri Station, Vile Parle Station and Juhu circle.
Research shows that the areas around these institutions become
active public spaces. Hawkers and food stalls have come up
near these institutions to cater to the floating population. But since
adequate public spaces are not designed around these institutions,
these activities take place on the road, which causes inconvenience

Imagining the nala as a public space spine connecting the different institutes

to the people. Footpaths and roads are thus being used for different
purposes, seen as illegal by our civic authorities. But these public
activities that take place around these institutions are an important
part of the lived public realm and should be protected. Also to
practically solve the issue of hawkers, they have to be included in
the plans as they too are citizens and stakeholders of Juhu. And for
this, it is important to plan areas where such public activities could
take place around these institution buildings.

Example1: Mithibai College


Mithibai College, one of the earliest educational institutions in the

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area attracts students


from other parts of the
city. Catering to the large
student population of
Mithibai and N.M.
College, a lot of hawkers
have set up their stalls
on the footpaths around
the college buildings
because of which the area
becomes a very active
public space. Also there
is heavy pedestrian traffic
connecting these colleges Proposed Pedestrian Route behind Mithibai College
to Vile Parle station.
The Irla nala flows in
the Juhu precinct along
a lot of institutional
buildings. The proposed
greenbelt along the nala
can be used to connect
these institutions to the
major nodes of transport
like railway stations, bus
depots etc, encouraging
pedestrian movements
along these routes. Thus
the floating population
Proposed Pedestrian Route near Vidyanidhi Circle
that these institutions
attract can be channelised along the nala thus giving a better
commuting experience and decongesting the existing roads on
which these activities take place.

Example2: Vidyanidhi circle


The area around the Vidyanidhi circle has a number of institutional
buildings and maidans that are closed within their own margins.
These maidans and the institutional edges can be opened up to
form a larger public plaza which then could be connected to the
green spaces along the nala, forming part of a larger public space
network. The institutions can also be used to develop maintenance
models for protecting the reserved public spaces in the precinct.
This integration of institutes and social amenities with the
larger public space network will ensure safety of our young
population, encourage walking and cycling and provide a superior
commuting experience.

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Improvement of amenities in Slums and


conservation of Gaothans
• Including them in the redevelopment plans for the city

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Nehrunagar has a main road as a central spine, which becomes the main activity space of the area.
Infrastructure, recreation and commercial activity is centred along this main road

Activities in Nehru Nagar

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The slums provide service for the higher income residential


and commercial areas. Hence the slums have to be recognized as an
important stakeholder and be integrated into the social and
economic framework of the region. Currently, the slums get a very
small part of the public amenities because most of the amenities are
planned for the higher income groups.
Juhu has a few slum pockets, Nehrunagar being the most
obvious one. To integrate the slum population into the larger
fabric of the area, social amenities have to be made more accessible
to this stratum of society. One way of achieving this ‘slum to
neighbourhood plan’ would be to design educational, health and
other amenities for the slums along the proposed network of
public spaces. Services along the nala and airport edge will address
the demand for amenities infrastructure for the slums.
Successful stories about redevelopment of slums have been
heard and seen in various parts of the world. The key ingredient
has been active participation from the slum dwellers themselves in
urban planning and progressive support from the government and
private organizations.

Example: The Favelas in Brazil


The Inter-American Development Bank funded this US$180
million ‘slum to neighborhood’ project in 1995 in which it sought
to integrate existing favelas into the fabric of the city through
infrastructure upgrading and increase in the services. The project
involved 253,000 residents from 73 communities.
The secret to the
success of this large
project was a committed
and flexible city govern-
ment and the use of intra
and extra-institutional
partnerships with NGOs,
the private sector,
churches, and the general
population. Community
members were made
to feel comfortable by
the use of grass-roots
level infrastructure
upgrading experts as
project managers who could work easily with both the government
and the locals.
It sought to ameliorate the effects of poverty through a
combination of infrastructure investments, improvement in the

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coverage and quality of social services, regulatory changes, and


incentives and assistance for land legalization.

What worked and why?


A devoted and adaptable city government was very important to
the triumph of this project. Policy changes had to be implemented
to make this work. In this project, it was the first time that the
full apparatus of the city government had been made available
to resolve the problems of residents of favelas and irregular
subdivisions.
This programme supported existing city programme for
implementation of the low-income urban settlement policy,
increasing their scope and improving their effectiveness. Also
important was the use of programme managers coming from
grass-roots infrastructure upgrading efforts in Rio de Janeiro. They
knew the technical aspects of upgrading and the community as
well. They could act as an efficient middle person between the
communities and the government.

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Governance, Participation And Maintenance Model

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Vision Juhu expects the citizens to play an active role in the


upkeep and maintenance of the public realm. The maintenance
model is made up of many smaller interventions, each of which is
executed and sustained by different stakeholders, who are largely
members of the public. At the same time, to protect the interests
of the maximum number of people, we propose that all
maintenance models incorporate two or more stakeholders.
The first step to turn this project into a reality is the acceptance
of the ‘Vision Juhu’ plan by elected representatives, citizens,
planners and architects. This then needs to be incorporated by the
authorities into the 2011 development plan for the city. A
monitoring body needs to be formed consisting of elected
representatives, citizen groups and professionals to ensure
its successful implementation.
Various parts of the Vision then need to be separately executed.
For example, for developing reserved open spaces, the issue
needs to be raised through citizen activism and BMC support and
the locked up spaces need to be freed. Professionals then conduct a
study and independent agencies prepare plans to determine a
programme for the freed up reserved spaces. Two or more
stakeholders should then be appointed as the maintenance body
for the site.
Finance models then need to be determined to execute the plans
and the monitoring body needs to ensure the equitable and desired
distribution of the programme. Similarly, models for pedestrianizing
and reorganizing traffic movement, reactivating the entire stretch
of Juhu beach and locating the metro rail infrastructure have
been charted out as below. Each dot in the chart signifies the
involvement of the concerned body at that particular stage.

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Appendix
juhu bookfinal-final.qxp 4/23/2009 8:13 PM Page 69

Population Growth and Public Space Ratio

According to the 1991 census, Juhu’s population was 10,543


and open space per person was 10.51 sq. m. To calculate the area’s
population in 2008 and the subsequent open space per person, a
scientific study was conducted.
Research shows that the population of the study area increased
100% between 1971 and 1981, and then again doubled between
1981 and 1991. These could be understood as the effects of
developments such as JVPD and Gulmohar Road coming up and
the saturation of development along the coast.
However, data from the 2001 census is not detailed to an extent
where one can analyze the impact of laws such as the Transfer of
Development Rights (TDR) regulation or the Coastal Regulation

An area on which TDR seems to have the maximum impact


was chosen and three samples picked within it

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The built form of the area has shown a tremendous increase due to
the doubling of FSI as a result of the loading of TDR

Zone (CRZ) regulation, both of which took effect in 1992 or the


setting up of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority in 1995. For this
reason, the growth in population was understood through sample
studies after gauging the impact of these laws and acts within
the study area.
The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) byelaw constrains
development within a 200-metre belt measured from the high tide
line along the sea, or the first parallel road to the high tide line.
Also, the development in this zone has been taking place for at least
60 years and new developments are rare. This constrains development
within most of the study area, as indicated in the drawing. The
population growth here would be minimal, almost negligent.
The Slum Rehabilitation Authority sets 1995 as the cutoff date
for considering slum dwellers as legal tenants of their land. Unless

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JVPD 1991: 10.51 sq.m/person JVPD 2008: 3.36 sq.m/person

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the cutoff date is revised to 2000, the impact on population growth


percentages would not be too high. However, the population
densities in the slum settlements are high enough to consider any
growth in population high enough to impact the total population
in the area. In the absence of any population data even from
previous census counts, it is difficult to judge the impact of the
slum population on the public realm.
The Transfer of Development Rights regulation allows FSI in
some areas in the city to be increased; provided an equivalent area
in another part of the city is kept undeveloped. This has resulted in
a bonanza for builders who have utilized SRA schemes with high
FSI to over-develop parts of the city where the sale price for this
land is higher, thereby earning large profits. To consider the impact
of TDR, the area of JVPD has been considered where the impact

Open Space Ratio Comparison

of TDR is maximum, owing to the low FSI consumption in the


area and the ease with which single owner plots can be converted
to buildings.
Three samples within JVPD were selected and were analyzed on
the basis of the built form change and population growth.
The average built up for every lane in JVPD seems to have gone up
at least twice, considering that FSI is doubled. Earlier, each plot
averaged 2.83 families. However, the change in the housing
typology has meant that the number of families per plot has gone
up to 10 in some cases. Considering that the number of people per
family is constant at around 4, the population of JVPD has gone
up by at least three times. The impact on the public space is
equally severe, with public space per person in JVPD having
reduced from 10.51 sq.m. per person to 3.36 sq.m. per person.

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Case Studies
juhu bookfinal-final.qxp 4/23/2009 8:13 PM Page 74

The Living Water Garden --- Chengdu, China


The living water garden, a 5.9 acre park on the Funan river,
encircles the centre of Chengdu, China, a city of nine million.
Besides being a water treatment plant for chemically polluted
water, more invisible and persistent than waste water, it is also a
giant sculpture in the shape of a fish that contains a multitude
of smaller sculptures, a living environmental education centre, a
refuge for wildlife and plants and a wonderful recreational place
for the people.

People can walk


everywhere in the
park, delighting in the
many birds, butterflies
and dragonflies that
have taken up
residence there and
observing how the
once dead river
became alive again.
The final stage of
waste treatment is an
addition to every
community instead of
a hidden, strange
exercise. Its wetland
attracts wildlife and is
a place for study. It has
made the city thrilling
on a human scale.

The Emerald Necklace --- Boston, USA


The Emerald Necklace conservancy was established in 1996
to support and build upon public sector initiatives. A non-profit

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organization, this public private partnership is composed of


community, business, government and institutional representatives,
residential neighbours, representatives of necklace-related
associations and interested citizens.
The parks are almost contiguous with one another and are
irregularly shaped, according to whatever land was available at
the time of each park area’s foundation. It is approximately
seven miles by foot or bicycle through the parks.
Some links of the Emerald Necklace not only offer an
opportunity for recreation in a wooded environment, but are
also ecologically important urban wilds that provide nesting
places for migratory birds and improve the air quality of the city.
The project began around 1878 with the effort to clean up
and control the marshy area, which became the Back Bay
and the Fens. The parks have now been subjected to flooding
from the Muddy River. The Muddy River Restoration
Project will dredge contaminated sediments and implement
other major structural improvements, unburying the river and
improving its integrity, appearance and flood
control capabilities.

Chongechun Seoul --- South Korea


The city of Seoul had a drainage channel
running through the central parts of the city. The
city administration decided to fill the drain and
build an expressway over it, thereby completely
stopping the drainage channel of the nala. This
caused tremendous environmental hazards in the

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city, like floods, which led the city administration to destroy the
expressway to revive the natural drainage channel. By planning
community spaces along the drain, the whole spine was turned
into a big active public space, which has now become a major
tourist attraction.

Las Ramblas --- Barcelona, Spain


A major road connecting two public plazas in the city of
Barcelona was pushed underground and the area available was
converted into a public space. The central area of the road was

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converted into a pedestrian pathway and the side of the road was
left for vehicular traffic. Many hawkers were rehabilitated into
this central area. This space connecting the main public plazas is
a very active public space with a lot of street performances,
parades and other community activities taking place.

The Big Dig --- Boston, USA


The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central
Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), a mega project that rerouted the
Central Artery, the chief highway through the heart of Boston,

into a 3.5 mile tunnel under the


city. Due to the enormous size of
the project --- too large for any
company to undertake alone --- the
design and construction of the
Big Dig were broken up into
dozens of smaller sub-projects
with well-defined interfaces
between contractors. The project
was initiated because of chronic
congestion on the Central Artery,
an elevated six-lane highway
through the centre of downtown
Boston, which was like a funnel
full of slow moving or stopped
cars and swearing motorists!

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List of Figures and Tables

Tb.1: Unavailable reserved open space: Page 38

Fig.1: State of Reserved Public Spaces in Juhu: Page 39

Fig.2: Gender-wise Use of Reserved Public Space: Page 42

Fig.3: Activity-wise Use of Reserved Public Grounds: Page 42

Tb.2: Potential public space in Juhu: Page 45

Fig.4: Blocked drainage surface: Page 52

Fig.5 Self-cleaning system for the nala: Page 53

Fig.6. Paved permeable surface: Page 53

Fig.7: Potential width of the nala: Page 54

Fig.8. and 9. Income-wise distribution of academic and health amenities in Juhu: Page 59

Bibliography

Survey/road map of Bombay 1921,1933,1969 - Issued by the Surveyor-General of India,


the Perry Castaneda Library Map Collection, http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/india.html

Historical Data for present stakeholders - Http://En.wikipedia.org, Gazette of India

Source for open space data: Development Plan for Bombay 1991

Population statistics - 1981, 1991 Census of India

Case Studies- wikipedia.org


EXPANDING

E X PA N D I N G P U B L I C S PA C E S V I S I O N J U H U
PUBLIC
Vision Juhu

Contacts

Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture


Principal- Anirudh Paul, Tel: 26700918, 26200923 Email: [email protected]

P K Das and Associates - Planners, Architects & Designers


SPACES
Architect-activist - P K Das, Tel: 24312404, 24308877. Email: [email protected]

Mumbai Waterfronts Centre


Honorary Secretary - Darryl D’Monte, Tel: 26427088. Email: [email protected]

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