Open Space- Mumbai

The last significant documentation of Mumbai's open space can be recognised in two forms. The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) published its Audit of Existing Open Spaces (2007) in the Mumbai Reader 07 (2008). The other instance is the subsequent clamour for recognizing a few key open spaces as heritage ( 28 maidans and gardens, 2008). The movement continues to make small but vital inroads towards making the Government and its arms like the MMRDA, BMC recognize that Open Space needs to be listed and then valued, and that this open space has also to include natural formations and altered remnant landscape units such as nallahs, ponds, thickets etc. If one can link them through corridors and patches, even better.

This brings to question how does one put a Grade to these units especially if they do not have any visible built heritage and if their role as Natural Heritage does not break ground with the decision makers. The other culprit is also our lop-sided documentation and narration of Mumbai's evolution. Almost everyone in this city who has been exposed to its history believes that the erstwhile Bombay has developed from the Fort Area, and that there was virtually nothing here before that, save for a few Koli hamlets and some aborigines. Hence it is not unnatural that the Grade I tag usually gets assigned to British Colonial vestiges of open spaces with the few and far between examples like its caves and  Gilbert Hill- A protected Geological Monument.

In general, open spaces tend to get measured and sometimes even ranked by size, since it is the first visual impression- Openness. However, if one were to look at the city's underlying Geology and the Geomorphology for any cues, we are confronted with a few surprises. The idea of a Geomorphological and Geological Information for land stems from one simple determinant- water availability- in the context of human settlements and Natural Resource Husbanding. By looking at Geology and Geolomorphological layers and its role in the formation of Mumbai , one can understand that Salsette (the landmass North of Bombay's seven islands, and today's Suburban Mumbai) shows some strong links to what one sees above ground and what happens below ground, at a given place. It also tells us why we constantly see water in a talav on the Sion Highway near Sion Fort or at Eksar . The question of assigning a Grade then stems from an understanding of the subterranean such as the effluent/ influent nature of the waterbody, permeability of surrounding etc.

The landscape of Mumbai has been built over and altered quite a few times, obscuring and even erasing what lies beneath. Hence when studies and classifications of open space value certain open spaces more than others simply on the basis of size, use frequency and urban memory, the ecological/ environmental benefits will be  far from satisfactory. A popular example is Rainwater harvesting through Groundwater recharge. The destiny of Mumbai's groundwater is irreversibly linked to its open spaces and where the open spaces sit in relation to the city's geology.

Given Mumbai's subterranean diversity and ambiguities, a maidan in Bandra,one closer to the sea and another closer to the railway station have different underlying geology in what is a very small geological area. Increase this area Northwards to Santacruz and you will get more underlying subterranean information which can inform how some open spaces are more important that other open spaces. This when extended over the entire Mumbai city, and linked with its geomorphological units (broadly, littoral, inland-lowlying and inland elevated) can generate a map whose pixels will highlight some open spaces more than others. These highlights will be either open spaces which need to retained without "beautifying" them or "beautified" open spaces whose permeability needs to be radically increased so that they continue to function as sponges. Likewise, places which have fertile soil but have been dumped with debris/ murrum in order to match previously miscalculated land elevations and continue the mistakes (e.g. Oshiwara nallah, Dindoshi etc)

Such maps when ordained as development controls will also prevent the undue "raising of open space to prevent flooding".The more open spaces flood, the better it is for the city, atleast in parts where the flooding will percolate and augment groundwater. The irony of such a process is that it throws up some surprises. Places in the city known for their astronomical real estate value are geologically limiting. They have hit rock bottom w.r.t. the natural water table and any evidence of natural habitats have already been erased or irreversibly damaged (Malabar Hill, Lokhandwala et al). Hence the BMC's "aaj nahi kal" approach to cleaning the Mithi, conducting Contour surveys and ensuring that Amitabh's house doesn't flood are all useless ventures since everyone is missing the woods for the trees.

Open spaces are always considered 'easy' to rank, classify, design and improve by a majority of Urban and Environmental specialists, some Landscape Architects and that ambiguous breed called Landscape designers (there are exceptions).The reality is very far from this, and the myopia that goes with it is staggering. Surprisingly, citizens are more aware of this than those who plan their destiny, as evidenced from the recent verdicts regarding overenthusiastic politicians who are set to immortalize themselves by "creating" open spaces. Maybe it is high time the many communities and coalitions that fight for open space to ask professionally qualified and experienced Landscape architects, Geologists and fresh Post-Graduates in Landscape Architects to help. It will be mutually rewarding.

If done in the right spirit, one can hope to arrive at the much theorised and debated question of the Shape and Form of a City, in terms of Patterns as a unit of City form/ shape. It can even be a tactic to site "Iconic" buildings around some such open spaces. Afterall, an icon has to be seen to be believed.

There is a notion of "Landscape" in this city other than the Podium garden waiting to be  examined as a layer of Urbanism and "Sustainable City". The point is, are we ready to see it?