Move open spaces of Coastal Road to the seaside, suggest planners

In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and to the civic body, architects say the changes are feasible and will lead to a slight rise in expenses now but improve revenue in the long run

Suggesting some changes in the Coastal Road project plan, a group of architects, urban planners, designers and principals of architecture colleges, said that moving some of the proposed open spaces of the Coastal Road to the seaside will enable a world-class waterfront in the city. The urban planners have made the suggestion in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, dated March 2. 

The letter is signed by around 70 urban planners including Alan Abraham, Nitin Kilawala, Samarth Das, Nina Puri, and Seema Puri. The letter mentioned that the Coastal Road project seeks to create large patches of open green space, a rarity in Mumbai, and that around 90 hectares of land would need to be reclaimed for the same. Of this land, 70 ha would be landscaped with a cycling track, promenades, amphitheatre, children’s play areas and other recreational spaces. The architects, however, said that around 111 hectare of land would have to be reclaimed instead of 90 ha. 

“Considering the level of reclamation, and keeping the road in its entirety, we think it is wise to move as many of the open spaces to the seaside as possible. This will lead to a world-class waterfront that is open to all citizens. It would also allow one to cycle along the entire length of the city, thereby reducing the load on the road,” the letter read. 

When asked how the changes can be implemented given that 55 per cent of the construction is complete, an architect said, “We understand that the project is well underway, and that reclamation is almost complete. What we are proposing, as per our professional opinion, is currently feasible, albeit at a slightly elevated cost due to design changes. But, we believe that the changes will be worth it in the long run.” 

The letter further read, “We appreciate the scale of the project and the effort made by the municipal corporation and propose a slight realignment of the Coastal Road which, we think, will greatly improve the revenue and tourist potential of this world-class waterfront.” 

A senior official from the BMC said they have not received the letter yet and added that once they receive it, they will examine it thoroughly. BMC Chief IS Chahal was unavailable for comment. 

55
Percentage of work already done

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