Reimagining Mumbai’s Eastern Waterfront as an Eco-Portland Creation of a Symbiotic Relationship Through Ecological Restoration

The WORLD’S COASTLINE AND COMMUNITIES ARE UNDER THREAT: DEGRADATION OF COASTLINES UNDER THE PRESSURE OF URBANIZATION AND TOURISM

Indian Coastline

Mumbai's growth potential is constrained by the city's proximity to the east and west coasts. This poses various issues, such as increased demand for land and water resources, road and public transit networks, and a shortage of open space and affordable housing. With the city embarking on a significant infrastructure push, including the construction of a Metro rail network to supplement suburban train systems, new arterial roads, and bridges on the city's eastern and western seaboards, and a number of east-west connectors to alleviate traffic congestion, the city's green cover is under increasing strain.

Growth of Mumbai

1670: Bombay was originally an archipelago of seven islands which collectively operated as a trading post managed by the East India Company.

1812: Large-scale reclamations transformed the islands into a peninsula.

1864: The first rail track (Central Line) was laid in 1853. Bombay became an industrial city with a strong North-South axis and East-West divide.

1933: Extensive reclamations were carried out by Back Bay Reclamation and Bombay Port (along the east coast). Additional rail lines (Western and Harbour Lines) connected the hinterland to industrial sites and industrial sites to the harbour.

2007: The carrying capacity of the infrastructure of the Island City of Mumbai is exceeded. New infrastructure projects now reclaim the sea (Bandra Worli Sea Link) and reclamation of ecologically sensitive wetlands and coastal salt pans continues.

Importance of Mumbai Port

1. Status: Largest major port in the country and Fourth largest port in terms of tonnage handling

2. Geographical Location: Gifted with a natural deep water harbour of about 400 square kilometres

3. Historical Importance: Development of trade and commerce

4. Public Value: Valuable contribution to society, livelihood and job opportunities

Mumbai’s port land extends over 752 hectares (ha or 1,858 acres), occupying one-eighth of Mumbai’s island city, making the Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) the city’s largest owner of real estate.

The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) plans to open up the eastern waterfront, four times the size of the erstwhile mill land

Correa had said: “Market forces do not make cities, they destroy them.”

Eastern Waterfront Development

Mumbai, India's financial capital, has long been a city of dichotomies. Home to millionaires and beggars, sky-piercing high-rise skyscrapers that loom above slums, and old growth forests that stand in stark contrast to the ever-expanding concrete jungle. Increasing urban pressures in an already overburdened metropolis, along with rising demand for housing and infrastructure, are eating away at the city's few remaining natural spaces, culminating in a Faustian choice for urban planners and people. With the looming threat of climate change becoming increasingly severe for a coastal metropolis like Mumbai, a fine balance will be required to guarantee that India's most vital economic hub continues to expand sustainably while maintaining the environment and quality of life.

Four Challenges For The Eastern Portland

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

Ecological Restoration

How can the design work on the Eastern Portland address the environmental imperatives?

Specifically, what can we do on the Port land and in the surrounding communities to rebuilt a healthy ecosystem and revalue it for its productive potential? How can we discover a new aesthetic that reflects and foresees a lifestyle in which culture, ecology and human processes balances and leads to an eco urban development?

SOCIAL EQUITY

Social Equity

The communities of the Port land and the surrounding neighbourhood are dramatically underserved in terms of its association and other amenities. This inequity compounds and exacerbates other social challenges. How can the design help create healthier and more equal society? How can a landscape resource that belongs to Eastern Port land become a destination for the whole city, the way the resources of the rest of the city are recognized and enjoyed by all?

VIBRANT ECONOMY

Vibrant Economy

The Port land has always been a potent source of economic activity and vitality. In its current state, the rich ecology is constantly altered and is not reaching its growth potential. The Port land is lined with uses that don not provide value equal to their majestic location. How can the design foster new industries and new economies which are in line with ecology? How can the design interventions in the Port land catalyse broader economic activity and businesses of the future?

AUTHENTIC CULTURAL IDENTITY

Authentic Cultural Identity

Mumbai has a rich history and diverse cultural influences. A thread linking generations is the relationship to the Port land. This was an important destination and conduit for native peoples. This resulted in a settlement with the rise of trade, Port activities, and industries. As Portland has attracted an increasingly diverse population can this reimagination play a part in bringing contemporary citizens through sensitive development?