Mumbai's Last Green Lung
The Mahalaxmi Racecourse under the aegis of the Royal Western India Turf Club has been mired in controversy for a very long time now. Ever since its lease first expired in 2013, the BMC and the state government have had their eyes on this piece of prime land in the city. Not only the government but so have private individuals. In anticipation of the expiry of the lease in 2013, Mr Vijayapat Singhania now seeking the sympathy of the public for his estrangement from his son, first made a proposal to turn the Mahalaxmi Race Course into the following:
Hang out Zone for Youth
A multicuisine food court
An F1 track
Replica of Taj Mahal
Stadium
Lover’s park
Auditorium
In other words a complete decimation of the current land from its current pristine avatar . What has of course attracted various publics is the commercial value of redeveloping the property which naturally is enormous.
FSI versus OSI
As Mumbai keeps developing and the new Development Plan 2034 gives new opportunities for more and more construction by increasing FSI in the city, the Mumbai citizens fear that open spaces and parks may take a back seat since they generate no revenue.
While we pride ourselves that Mumbai is a global city, Mumbai fairs poorly when compared with the other great cities of the world in terms of open space per person. London has 31.69 square metres of open space per person. New York has 26 sq metres of open space. Compare this to Mumbai which is supposed to have 1.1 sq metres of open space per person.
While we have been speaking of FSI for Mumbai and how to increase it, little attention is given to OSI which is the open space index. Unless the Mumbai development plans balance floor space with open space, Mumbai might be well headed for a disaster. London has 110 sq kms of park lands compared to Mumbai which has 2.5 sq kms of parklands. This is pathetic for a city that is struggling with pollution and lack of open space for people to live. 27% of New York’s acreage is set aside as parks, open spaces or greenways.
Development Plan
Mumbai’s DP envisioned 18.98 sq kms of playgrounds and gardens. Where is it?
When completely implemented by 2034, the DP aims to give Mumbai open space of 6.13 sqm per capita, by inclusion of Aarey Colony and SGNP. Similarly, the civic body aims to achieve 10 sq metres per capita open space in the city by inclusion of mangroves land, hill slopes, wetlands, and creeks to the list of open spaces. But with the acquisition of the Mahalaxmi Race Course this laudable objective might be getting diluted.
The DP aims to create 3.36 sqm per capita of public open space to the city, more than twice the open space available to every citizen currently (1.28 sqm), More said. Public open space includes playgrounds, recreation grounds, and gardens.
While we see the rapid increase in construction of office and residential space, we as citizens would have liked to see an equal enthusiasm from the civic bodies and the government in providing open spaces for our Mumbai citizens. On the whole, the DP aims to create open spaces up to 3,525 hectares, to cater to a population projected to reach 12.79 crores by 2034.
How Mahalaxmi Racecourse Compares with other Cities
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At 210 acres the Mahalaxmi land does seem very big. But it actually pales in comparison compared to the parks in London. The top 6 parks in London are bigger than the Mahalaxmi plot.
Richmond Park 955 hectares (2,360 acres)
Bushy Park 445 hectares (1,100 acres)
Regent's Park 166 hectares (410 acres)
Hyde Park 140 hectares (350 acres)
Kensington Gardens 107 hectares (260 acres)
Central Park in New York is 843 acres. As citizens we see one of our biggest open spaces in South Mumbai disappear and get decimated with the promise of a theme park. But Mumbai does not need any more theme parks. There are already 25 theme parks in Mumbai to cater to its citizens.
The Mumbaikar only needs more open space.
With the coastal road making the area around Mahalaxmi a concrete jungle of intervening roads, the racecourse would have provided a welcome respite in the rapid urbanisation of Mumbai. We are losing the opportunity of making it a botanical oasis.
One can only hope that the Mumbaikar’s dream of a greener, better, livable, Mumbai will not be compromised.
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Navigating the complexities of urban development and conservation is a delicate balance 🌱. Leonardo da Vinci advised - Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Let's approach the future of Mahalaxmi Racecourse with innovation and respect for both its heritage and the environment. #SustainableDevelopment #InnovationForConservation 🌿✨
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11moBiggest cities in the world and Mumbai have a major difference …Biggest cities in the world are not administered by BMC hence the open spaces have survived . Mumbai is busy working upgrading .but since no one is asking questions it has come to this state. I have stayed for 35 years in Mulund a very green eastern suburb of Mumbai. Till around 15 years back everything was calm quiet and you need to see it now. We can see towers everywhere , cars parked on all roads , street vendors on both sides of the street and Mercs Audis BMWs and Jaguars on the street going at a speed of 5kmph ..I don’t know if this should be called progress or developement.
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11moNot only this, even the view of the Haji Ali and water front have been destroyed with the coastal road coming up.