udri _ urban form

15th Jan 2014_ 3pm – 6pm_F/S Ward Office [Parel, Mumbai]

Pankaj Joshi welcomes the gathering and is motioned to conduct the proceedings in Hindi or Marathi. Hindi is chosen as it’s the most understood of the two among those assembled.

The presentation is introduced with a question on what is the aspiration of the city with respect to its urban fabric at hand. In a city with situations such as Null Bazaar and Dadar Parsi Colony what should be the good city form considering its various characteristics. As UDRI’s overview the city is dived into 11 layers wherein as a result of the survey it was observed of the lot listed, Urban Form is the last place in the priority list. Case for the layer is even critical as its very diverse when subject to formations such as previous business districts of Ballard Estate and housing typologies of thriving urban villages. In this landscape what then is the position for cultural significance in the city? What could be the ideal FSI considerations for inner city developments was put forth for deliberation. To cater to in vision plans is the factor of the city form in relation to its objective with the region at large and its location by the sea. Public access to waterfronts, though seemingly inconspicuous strategy is one of the possibilities in lens to drive development. Informality and city is the other factor under consideration. Slums as per the present submitted maps are represented as clusters instead of fine grain mapping. If it hasn’t been possible mapping of slums is to be undertaken as a separate project and incorporated into the development plan mapping exercises. General note on housing it is viable to note that people don’t want to be dependent on builders for housing. In addition to the two the other recommendations made were the modelling of new development control regulations. Activation for a system of aspiration before undertaking seemingly public projects such as flyovers and skywalks. Coastal regulation zones (CRZ) is to be a strategic component in the urban form and communities in the area is to be stratified for detailed mapping. The DCR document as a tool to edit the development plan should be checked and locating minor modification within the document has to be avoided.

Nitin Killawala presents ideas in transportation as part of the urban form discussions. The existing city is in priority dependant on bus and rail as primary modes of commutation. Mumbai need a disciplined traffic management plan. Ideas such as bus lanes or other conditions are to be noted in situations for investing in public transport. Highways could be repositioned as holding bays for traffic or for that matter tunnels to conceal vehicular flows. The city has held several projects as trial basis when it comes to vehicular transport. The same experimentation model principles could be applied to pedestrians too by drawing roads for walking or having pedestrian precincts designed in select areas. Guidelines for location and aesthetics of foot over bridges have to be brought into consideration. The role of trees in the urban fabric have to be returned into the urban experience. The existing line for the city metro makes it the world’s smallest metro route. Infrastructure projects are rarely considered profitable thus factors are to be made to reduce costs making revisions at time of the design stage. Reworking of the next phases of the metro is to be incorporated into the development planning process to address issues raised.

Vikas Dilawari initiates discussion on conservation in the city. Providing a 100mts buffer for heritage precincts as method to define heritage areas instead of just boundary delineation makes for a reconsideration on interventions in heritage fabrics. The notion for conservation against development was deliberated upon to bring about a balanced stance between the two. Instead of just having built heritage ecological elements significant in the landscape too be made applicable for protection was suggested. Gilbert hill as a heritage precinct therefore is the case study to further the cause for natural features in the city’s landscape to be conserved. World heritage status for sites could be used as instruments for protection. Newer areas other than existing neighbourhood mapped e.g. Sewri can be tasked under heritage mapping in the city. Heritage is to be factored in as an asset instead of a liability in the urban fabric. Contexts in the city could be given greater precedence over monuments. Buffer areas in transportation interjections such as VT Station and Wadi Bunder should enable the rethink of role of transportation with respect to conservation. An import notion stated in guiding cities development is to draw out which out of today’s constructions could be favoured towards preservation as tomorrow’s heritage. Incentivisation of redevelopment has made repair almost redundant in and development conversations. To further consolidate existing heritage has to be mapped and newer areas proposed. Repaired and programmed towards adaptive reuse, heritage are to be assets to be serve the city. The same ideals is transplanted in regards to precincts and guidelines for their development be proposed separately. Core factor in place to be how FSI in heritage sites is to be utilise towards the encouragement repair and rehabilitation instead of just redevelopment.

Anirudh Paul expands on urban form and its public spaces. Keeping note of the context is the expansive studies on city open space undertaken and published. The presentation is an argument based on student work produced at KRVIA. With a review of projects at D Ward, precinct level planning is cased for. Also for consideration are aspects pertaining to the public realms within private buildings. This notion could possibly take on how precincts could be planned in the ward specific constraints imposed on it. Activity systems are contained in the delineations and one of the guidelines to direct an area level growth trajectory. Those at the sea edges could contain pedestrian system accessed and open to all. Cases such as Dharavi, at the event of development should facilitate pedestrian or walkable areas within slums. Expounding on waterfront development, extension of pedestrian networks from land to the water’s edge makes available possibilities in barrier-less environments to be envisioned. Natural features via accessibility could be released via informed public interaction with them. These factors are to be implemented via its mention in the DCR’s which is the tactical instrument to present a form to the city. A system in connecting open-spaces is to be envisioned. City peripherals or the entrances to the city via the hinterland show potential in being activated as tourist spots. A system in the type and possibilities to consider for open-spaces and its interaction with the larger planning policies is that which was urgently positioned.

Neera Adarkar deliberates the status of open-spaces relative to the urban form. An urban situation is the outcome of several elements that gives it the image perceived as the city. A layer among other layers ideas to enhance them have to be incorporated into the revised development plan. Factors such as a minimum 5minutes access to open spaces for each earmarked planning sector are to be considered. In addition to increasing accessibility per capita open space too has in essence increase. Protection for the existing grounds is to be provided and the existing database is the premise to plan out discrepancies which needs catering to. Other than just open areas, ecologically sensitive zones such as hill slopes and river bank are to be incorporated into the openspace listing and guidelines for their protection, use made available for suggestions. An audit of vacant plots in city limits should be made to reposition which plots has got due potential to be made available as public open space. School playgrounds as guideline could be made available to public. Timing are to be maintained on parks and conducive to the stakeholders to the amenity. An information system on public open spaces is recommended as per neighbourhoods. All play areas and facilities are at all times kept healthy and safe.

Shirish Patel singularly focused on the aspect of increasing FSI and its result on amenity provision in neighbourhoods. More housing means an imperative increase in schools, hospitals, markets and parks. Therefore as a result the increase in FSI in an earmarked area should be on a basis that can accommodate the requirements of an increase. Citing his study on comparative cities FSI any increase directly related to relevant accommodation strategies possible in a given city geography. Benchmarks therefore has to be laid on the basis of the city how much due FSI could be apportioned on the requirements of open spaces and fixed physical quality of the amenities provisioned. Redevelopment is therefore to be on density and factored as per each locality it’s meant to cater.

Rupali Gupte via her presentation has tried to assemble a relation between urban form and livelihood. The house form in part has traditionally been representative of the livelihood of its occupants. Spaces outside the house provision a workshop that furthers this identity. Lack of a specific house typology hinders the performance of a livelihood specific dwelling. DCR’s should be the viable instrument to accommodate such an intervention in type on an urban fabric. Densities of the same have should have its regulation at the level of city guidelines for neighbourhoods. Generation of type via regulations is the ideal scenario to be factored in. Like housing types there is to also be regulatory controls over repair of dilapidated structures. DCR’s should ideally be responsible for conservative surgery onto the fabric. Separate regulations should be available for to cater both for type and repair of structures. Typologies could be facilitated in circulations as well, demarking the various access levels from the city to its localities. Form based regulations have to be more favourable to accommodate types onto an urban fabric. Adequate infrastructure has to be injected to make viable the presence of type based habitations. The city has to a degree be imagined as a city of entrepreneurs and be accommodative to them. Urban agriculture and cultural infrastructure can find its way in multiplicity of livelihood specific planning vision. Typology has to be enabled to evolve over time.

Shweta Wagh focuses on urban villages found in the city delineation. These formations are tasks in place making and the place which is on display is representative of the quality of life. On summation of the various found city villages a layer in the urban cultural geography is established. The status of these villages as per the preparatory studies report is that it concentrates on the physical character instead of programming. The city is preview of a range in forms from the bazaars to planned areas. All of these have their form ingrained in the program it’s made to cater to. Conservation of the condition of urban villages should be considerate to the livelihood of the occupants. This factor results in attributing value given to villages and precincts that then could be configured into type. Koliwadas, adivasipadas and gaothans are the identified livelihood centric urban villages in the city. Aspirations of futures of these settlements should be in direct conjunction to the aspirations of the inhabitants in perspective of that of the city. Larger organic livelihood settlements such as Aarey Milk Colony would need area specific planning norms. Case to case area development control regulations are to be considered.

Prasad Shetty observes the preparatory studies to highlight some missing factors in the document and present ideas for consideration. Planning sectors are clearly earmarked trajectory for the city to develop under, therefore future scenarios would be as limited by these defined parameters. The two possibilities that vision plan could cater to is for a city for the elderly and a city catering to culture and its generative economy of tourism, media, design, etc. With shifting livelihoods so has the form of the city shifted. Thus to note on a shifting city economy will bring about a new form for the city that has to be accounted for. Culture is an integral part of the city and to recognise it is to facilitate its protection, promotion and subsequent encouragement. Development of the city’s cultural assets via strategic regulations and form based codes is requested for consideration. DCR’s should then take the role of general development control regulations and be instrumental in checking modifications. Incentives have to cater to a flexible state and if FSI index has to be considered it’s on the basis of an index. Developer should be required to improve services and infrastructure which in return enable the rethink of context infrastructure. Area specific codes should be implemented and special planning areas encouraged to try out planning models.

Endnotes summarised and highlighted some aspects form each of the presentations to be incorporated for further review, implementation. Selected few are as follows – Precincts are in urgent need of regulatory guidelines, open spaces from the earlier development plan needs to be acquired incorporated in the new plan, development control regulations aren’t material specific, a simple repair regulation has to be in force, reservation for recycling is requested, a detailed mapping of urban villages should be incorporated into the plan, reservation for film and entertainment could be moved out from industrial category and the plan is to be seen as a framework towards development of the city in form.

This is a personal record of the events proceedings that was conducted in Hindi/ Marathi. Therefore these notes are an outcome from the English conversations that have crept in between and those which could be understood with reference to the slides shown.