Sustainable Frugal Urban Interventions by Citizens as eco sensitive initiatives to promote local crafts, cultures and sites.

 

The unprecedented growth of Urban Areas has witnessed marginalization of Eco Sensitive sites and Communities. The emergence of larger Metropolitan Regions as extended suburbs has absorbed in to its fold peripheral green field sites, as encroached urban expansion. In addition to this the laissez faire urban economics led by capitalist interventions that have largely focused on optimization of profits have seldom responded to the larger purpose of addressing the environmental concerns. The engulfed eco regions either turn out to become hazardous sites, crime spots, or are encroached by informal settlements. The resulting outcome is increased vulnerabilities and threat to environment. The large scale initiatives under the garb of development, conservation and protection are viewed with distrust and often resulted in further aggravation or facilitators of exploitation.

It is in such a scenario of uncertainties that the initiatives for restoration and conservation have come from the frugal self-sustained initiative of the stakeholders. The pulse of the City thrives on its people centric activities and the expectations of the stakeholders. The overall trend of empowerment initiatives by people’s participation is emerging as a phenomenal force. The impact of such initiatives has already shown results of immense transformation. The Blog proposes to build a network of such frugal initiatives and create a comprehensive network as a formidable mechanism and catalysts of change.

The blog provides a critical overview on Mumbai City as the case study to identify environmental vulnerabilities that exists. The blog analyses and examines sample sites, through cause and effect lens to pragmatically establish the identifiable patterns. This blog is an attempt to provide an explicit visual narrative on sequence of events identifying the nature and order of deterioration. The blog discusses the impact of lopsided policies, random or generic regulatory norms that are alienated from the site realities in the thereby resulting outcomes. The blog identifies and enlists the role of NGOs and self-help Citizen Initiatives as the inheritors of environmental wealth of our Cities. The blog explores the possibility to extend a mechanism of coordinating such frugal initiatives in to a mass movement. The blog empirically gauges the effectiveness of such initiatives and project capabilities. The blog outlines a robust City transformation program, supported by the Citizens, aimed to benefit immediate precincts. The blog also identifies scope of such interventions to generate entrepreneurship opportunities to the budding artists and skilful workforce available in the City, by providing them a platform for visibility in the public domain.

At the end the Blog proposes a well networked frugal response to generate potential safety net for healing its habitus. An Urban Design model that is self-regenerative and driven by its stakeholders. The blog brings to fore the potential of a socially driven model to be sustainable, eco-sensitive and yet symbiotically beneficial in creating a platform for boosting the economic potential of the City.

Eco sensitive Urban Interventions as networked frugal initiative for healing habitus in Mumbai.

The snobbish laissez faire economics of Mumbai, driven by Capitalist market thriving on optimization of profits, has seldom invested in the sustenance potential or social protection of its natural resources. Mumbai has a great potential to address its environmental issues, through appropriate urban interventions in through informal social systems that can act as catalysts of transformation. The benefits of developing model projects, that can immerse themselves within the porous gaps of the city fabric, can gradually work as healing mechanisms creating a network for introducing opportunities and dialogue for improvement. On the contrary to the large scale mega projects, the magnanimous City of Mumbai is equipped to capitalize on a well networked frugal initiative, as a comprehensive stake holder’s response and generate potential safety net for healing its habitus. A model that is self-regenerative and driven by its stakeholders is an area open for detailed deliberations, discourse and action. Socially driven models exhibit unique potential to be sustainable, eco-sensitive and yet symbiotically beneficial in creating a platform for boosting the economic potential of the City.

The City is yet to witness a comprehensive master plan that truly explores the tourism potential, while meeting the objectives of environmental management. The City has largely have survived and left to fend for itself, without any organizational support. The urban transformation projects have remained on paper and the funds sanctioned wiped out with the changes in the Government.

One of the catalysts which could bring in the above mentioned transformation is the wide varieties of NGO’s working tirelessly for the betterment of the society & environment. Such social organizations help in generation of awareness through a gamut of campaigns, public forums with discussions & interventions with stakeholders at the micro level.

It is a need of an hour to develop comprehensive thinking towards our natural resources by doing first hand study through various public participative methods instead of creating new tourism facilities which are negligent to the needs of the space. With such approach, we could generate tourism with responsibility, education & awareness going hand in hand without depleting its natural resources.

Social initiatives could be broadly categorized based on Natural, Urban & Social; following are the list of social initiatives already active in the city:

Khaki tours helps to rediscover and popularize Mumbai’s heritage by unearthing and narrating its lost stories with heritage tours – on foot or from the comforts of an open jeep. Castle to Gateway, Sacred Banganga, Fishing Village, Bazar Walk, and Discover Dharavi are some of its already popular heritage walks active in the city. Imperial Fort, Byculla Bylanes, Cool Colaba, Go Girgaon, Bandra Blast, Dadar Drive are some of its popular urban safari’s through open jeeps across the city.

 

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research with education and Public Awareness. Migrant bird watch nature trails at Nerul wetlands, Kanheri Upper trail at SGNP, Leopard trail at BNHS Reserve at Film city Goregaon, Flamingo Boat safari at Airoli and Bird safari at Karnala Bird sanctuary are some of the active initiatives of BNHS in generating access & awareness about our rich biodiversity.

Various Bird watching trails & Mangrove walks at Godrej Mangroves, Vikhroli helps in educating various school, college students & nature enthusiasts to see & walkthrough mangroves which with its unique flora and fauna act as an important stopover for over hundred species of migratory birds visiting the city each year.

The National Society of the Friends of the Trees, formerly Friends of the Trees is another NGO showing love towards nature, environment and overall Eco-system by promoting and educating about tree conservation, planting in Mumbai with helping hands with BMC, Monitor and Documents the current status of trees in city and more.

Reef Watch Marine conservation group is an active and one of the rare in city which focuses to solve marine problems and balance the ecosystem their inside. They do conduct training and education events and seminar on related topics for schools, forest departments and other organization by showing support and educating them on underwater issues, pollutions and how it affects the Eco-system and humanity. Various Beach cleanups drive clearing the trash and debris in Juhu, Girgaon, Chowpatty and Dadar are already conducted by the group. When it comes to environment conservation, Marine life is equally important yet not many know about the underlying issues. Such NGO’s comes to picture with their efforts and hard work to support and save city.

Clean Air Island (CAI) works at base level that can save the overall environment from getting polluted. Right from promoting and educating about organic farming to promoting pollution free vehicles to waste management to list the few. CAI in Mumbai also works hand to hand with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai for such and other projects like Green Mumbai and more. The NGO has executed 90 waste management projects across the city and has estimated that it has prevented nearly 8,000 tons of bio-degradable waste from going to the overburdened landfills.

Vanashakti a Mumbai based nonprofit environmental NGO works upon areas such as forest, mangrove and wetland protection, environmental education for schools both urban and rural, livelihoods for forest based communities and scientific investigation into local environmental degradation.

Green Yatra is a Mumbai based and leading environment NGO of India which is run by a group of young and passionate nature lovers. Pedh Lagao initiative does different types of tree plantations throughout the year for a green and pollution free environment. So far, they have saved and protected many million trees and planted over 136,930 saplings with over 90% survival rate. Under the Urban Plantation & Forestation category, the volunteers has done plantations in protected places as housing societies, school and college campus’, public/ govt. Garden, grounds. Livelihood plantation & Mass Tree plantation are some of their other initiatives. Green Societies, Green Earth -  an initiative to bring residents of a housing society under one umbrella for a green cause and make them understand the importance of going green in our daily life. They organize various social and environmental activities for all age group such as Tree plantation, society clean-up drives, old household stuff collection drive, Presentations, Workshops and other lots of activities on Going Green. They also assist housing societies in the installation of systematic waste composting units, solar panel, and solar water heater, rainwater harvesting system, old plastic bottles greenhouse room and such other green technologies as per need.

Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) is an active group working towards anti-poaching for wildlife and active educationist group when it comes to mother nature and wildlife, Also involved in educating about formation of legal policies related to wild and nature conservation.

Mumbai First is an initiative to make the city a better place to live, work and invest in. It aims to serve the city with the best that private business can offer. Championing smart & sustainable solid waste management in MMR, Eco-friendly mobility for clean air, Bas Kar Mumbai – a No Litter campaign, Hamara station Hamari Shaan – Station beautification event, Digital literacy are some of its successfully led initiatives.

Clean up Foundation CMF is an NGO that works towards cleanliness and beautification of Mumbai along with BMC and Resident associations. Building clean-water systems for garbage cleaners in Mumbai is an initiative with aim of improving the quality of life for the garbage cleaners of Mumbai is to provide them with clean drinking water.

I Love Mumbai is a which NGO aspires to involve the layman in the contributing to the betterment of the environment. It goes by the slogan ‘Clean Mumbai, Green Mumbai’ and has been distributing 100,000 free saplings annually, across the city to make this slogan a reality and reduce environmental pollution.

In addition to the above our City has several opportunities for undertaking responsible initiatives such as follows:

Eco Reserves in Mumbai with immense potential for awareness, conservation and tourism with the participation of the stakeholders and meagre philanthropic interventions for the cause of environmental sustenance while protecting the bio diversity of the region. Flamingo and mangroves of the Sewri Region is a significant example.

The serene backdrops of Gorai and Kandivali Coastal region is an ideal reserve for witnessing seasonal passing of migratory birds and offers great potential to develop backwater bays along the coast. Despite several proposals to develop the coastal fronts, most of them have remained on paper due to lack of initiative and dearth of committed efforts. The fragile ecosystems of the system deserve clear demarcation of proposals and guidelines that can witness the role of local citizens as the participants of change and transformation.

The native forest communities that have survived at the fringes of the forests as the protectors and inheritor beneficiaries of the resources. However, the strategy to clinically clear them by implementation of stringent policies has resulted in opening up of the fringes to further encroachments. The protection and sustenance of such symbiotic forest communities and providing the City with the forest products shall create awareness and provide a safety net.

The beautiful hamlets of fishing villages that continue to dot the fringes of the long coastal corridors of the city have sustained the reminiscence of the historic island culture that Mumbai has been in the past. Traditional cultures, attire, livelihood means, festivals and customary practices are living heritages and deserve to be complimented for maintaining the essence with essential glorification that shall encourage their continuation and provide enough economic opportunities for growth. The recent trend of uncontrolled fringe area developments as entertainment and luxury parks under the garb of rejuvenation centres and resorts is gradually transforming the innocence of the region in to a myriad of contemporary urban encroachment.

The idea of the blog is to identify potential areas of significance and group them categorically for the individualistic beauty of each site and unique sense of belonging. The essence is to direct the local communities, students groups, Graduates, Institutions to participate in this process of transformation by generating awareness through campaigns, discussions & interventions that bring about meaningful outcomes. Our City deserves to have an annual calendar, as an overlay map identifying the important locations, thereby making it easier to anyone plan the visit to enjoy the variety of beauty the city has to offer.

The artists of the City are making significant contributions by participating in City beautification projects that are essentially in the public domain. Identifying the precincts & planning of live workshops, demonstration and exhibits during week long fests shall offer not only a platform to showcase young talent to the world outside but generate opportunities. In the same spirit of the place, certain Khau-gallis of Mumbai can plan food fest of culinary cuisines offering the choicest variety, all under one roof, witnessing emergence of a renaissance of its own every passing year.

There is a lot Mumbai can learn from the trends in New York, the waterfronts of Boston, the organized tourism intervention planning & execution from Singapore as well as Chicago or the park City of Utah.

We need to map the tourist expectations with the Circuits that can be offered so that the City is able to brand and is equipped to meet the same effectively. The informal sectorial developments can be engaged into a definite mould of pattern that guards from the sprawling collage, to a distinctly identifiable entity.  The ordering shall ensure Civic Sense and assist in generating responsibility that shall act as behavioural controls, otherwise challenging to establish. A place that offers cultural warmth, vibrancy, imbued with the spirit of place and sense of safety becomes a haven of urban habitat. Ordering of Civic regulations with stringent urban design guidelines that essentially address the sensitive needs of each precinct is the pressing need of the hour.

Stringent Urban Design policies that can collaborate and acknowledge such frugal initiatives in to a formal framework for coherent and synchronized partnerships can definitely provide the necessary impetus and scope for improvement.

Public spaces in cities are key to enable a good quality of life and improve liveability of cities. They are significant in bringing communities together and are places of social interaction for the citizens. Numerous cities around the globe have managed to transform over a period of 10-20 years by implementing core urban design projects with a distinct vision and strategy whereby public spaces form a key part of these projects.

The National Urban Policy Framework has also focused on providing quality public spaces in cities, as part of its sutras. In order to implement quality public space projects a number of challenges need to be addressed in our cities & enable spaces for everyone that involves a participatory, inclusive and holistic approach.

At the end, the blog aims to put forth following openings for detailed deliberation and thinking to its readers:

How can cities provide for safe, inclusive and accessible public spaces that ensure liveable cities with an image and Identity?

What are the platforms and needs to aid cities with a feasible tool to create and design Public Spaces?

What are the various public space projects being implemented under the Smart Cities Mission?

How can we integrate different stakeholders and planning approaches for cities within public space projects?

Let us all Institutions of Architecture, identify tools to measure and identify methods to improve accessibility to quality public spaces and build a social web of protection by forging partnerships amongst stakeholders.

Prof. Dhiraj N. Salhotra, M.Arch. (General) & M.A. (History)

Asst. Prof. Nimish Bari, M.Arch. (Urban Design)

Asst. Prof. Sujit Jadhav, M.Arch. (Landscape Architecture)