Architect Critiques Mumbai's "Postcard City" Planning

Mumbai recently inaugurated its first pedestrian district in Kala Ghoda, a move that architect Rahul Mehrotra finds to be a "poorly conceived expensive token." While the street was temporarily transformed for the inauguration, it quickly reverted to its usual bustling state with parked vehicles. Mehrotra, a key figure in designating the Fort district as a conservation zone, believes the city's obsession with creating a "postcard city" overshadows critical planning and conservation efforts.

Mehrotra emphasizes that true planning must go beyond aesthetics, integrating a broader understanding of context, including politics, culture, and society. He criticizes recent infrastructure projects, like elevated freeways, for benefiting a small percentage of car owners rather than the majority. He likens Mumbai's development to "involution," where the city becomes increasingly complex and productive but susceptible to malfunction, a stark contrast to necessary evolutionary growth.

The architect stresses the importance of the "holy trinity" of planning: livelihoods, housing, and mobility. He argues that current development is driven by greed, fueled by a nexus between politicians and developers, leading to choices that exploit land values. Mehrotra advocates for a shift towards large metropolitan imaginations, investing in infrastructure that provides affordable serviced land and equitable mobility, ensuring dignity and equity for all residents, especially the poor.

Mehrotra also reflects on his own work, influenced by his mentor Sharada, which deepened his understanding of Mumbai's processes and DNA. He highlights the seamless transitions between public and private spaces as indicators of a healthy city, a quality he finds lacking in Mumbai's "brutally abrupt" spatial experiences. He calls for a focus on people in planning, controlling greed, and fostering a society centered on civic values and empathy.