The Mumbai Architects Collective, comprising 92 architects, planners, and designers, has written to the BMC commissioner, raising concerns about the increasing allotment of parks and open spaces for infrastructure projects, commercial purposes, and parking. The letter specifically addresses the threats to spaces like the Hanging Gardens, Racecourse, Aarey forest, and the salt pans. The collective praised the recent efforts to protect Raosaheb Patwardhan Park and Pushpa Narsee Park from parking lot construction, highlighting the need for preserving open spaces for public use and safeguarding the city's environmental, social, and economic future.
The Mumbai Architects Collective recently wrote to the BMC commissioner, highlighting a concerning trend where parks and open spaces are being taken over for infrastructure projects, commercial use, and parking. This shift is undermining the ecological, social, and public value of these spaces. The letter was signed by 92 architects, planners, and designers who are urging for better protection of these vital areas.
The letter expresses deep concern about the ongoing threats to key public spaces like the Hanging Gardens, the Racecourse, Aarey forest, the salt pans, and the unfulfilled promises of open spaces along the Coastal Road. It urges the BMC commissioner to build on the unity seen at Patwardhan Park and make a lasting commitment to keeping all of Mumbai's open spaces accessible to the public forever, under public control. Safeguarding these areas is seen as crucial for the city's environmental, social, and economic future.
The open spaces planned along Mumbai's coastal road are still waiting to be developed and will be worked on after the road is finished. Last weekend, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani joined residents at Bandra's Raosaheb Patwardhan Park to celebrate the BMC's decision to cancel plans for an underground parking lot beneath the park's playground.
In their letter, the collective praised the efforts of citizens to protect Patwardhan Park in Bandra from being turned into a parking lot. They appreciated the unity shown by residents, political representatives, and the BMC in preserving this important public space, similar to the victory at Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu. These successes highlight how crucial it is to protect open spaces for public use. Last year, there were plans to build a parking lot under Juhu's Pushpa Narsee Park (PNP), but these plans were eventually canceled due to strong opposition from local residents.
The Mumbai Architects Collective's letter underscores the critical need to preserve public spaces amidst growing urbanization and infrastructure demands. By recognizing recent victories like Patwardhan Park and Pushpa Narsee Park, the collective emphasizes the importance of unity among citizens, political representatives, and the BMC in protecting these spaces. Their message is clear: safeguarding open spaces is not only about maintaining green areas but also ensuring the long-term environmental, social, and economic well-being of Mumbai. The collective urges the BMC to make a lasting commitment to keeping all open spaces accessible to the public.
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