How Bandra Ends?: Architect Samir D'Monte Reflects On The Suburb's Future Of Unmanageable Density & Dark Streets; Suggests Establishment Of Satellite Cities To Save It

Mumbai, June 20: A typical Bandra street in 2040 will see unsustainable densities, with the population increasing by over 68% and cars increasing by a whopping 200% from that in the 1990s, revealed a data-led presentation by architect Samir D'Monte.

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He highlighted that the current uniform development control regulations (DCR) across Mumbai will end the city's diverse landscape and make it unliveable if parking and densities are not managed.

On Saturday, the Bandra Gymkhana organised a presentation titled The Way Bandra Ends, where D'Monte, a principal architect at SDM Architects and a founding member of Bandra Collective, shared a glimpse into Bandra's likely future.

Through compelling visuals, data and real-world projections, he argued that the leafy lanes, heritage homes, village precincts and close-knit neighbourhoods that define the Queen of the Suburbs are heading towards a future of soaring towers, narrow dark streets and unsustainable density.

An architect, conservationist and civic advocate, D'Monte has spent over two decades contributing to the preservation and revitalisation of Bandra's unique character through initiatives such as the Carter Road Promenade redesign and the renewal of Ranwar Village.

Warning over rising density

In his presentation, D'Monte highlighted that a typical Bandra street in the 1990s consisted of 10 plots with 200 apartments, housing 800 people and 150 cars. However, with the current floor space index (FSI) of 2.7 on 9–12 metre-wide roads, the built-up area will increase to 50,000 sq ft, doubling from 1990, on a single urban plot.

He highlighted that this increase will lead to a significant rise in population on a single street, from 1,600 people and 300 cars to 2,700 people and 900 cars by 2040.

“The alarming increase in built-up area will lead to a significant increase in the population and will lead to a density which will be unmanageable. It will turn these iconic lanes into narrow, dark and dirty streets,” D'Monte said, adding that the effect will be seen across the city, with spacious Parsi colonies, courtyard bungalows and gaothans eventually looking the same, with sky-high towers and narrow streets.

Proposed solutions for Mumbai

The presentation focused on two solutions—parking and density management—to save the city from turning into a dystopian landscape.

He suggested that the DCR should be amended to allow only underground parking and a maximum of one floor of parking on the ground, which would help regulate the number of cars in a building and subsequently regulate the number of apartments. He also highlighted that Mumbai needs to focus on creating usable footpaths according to its population density.

The architect suggested planning satellite cities in adjacent circular clusters around Mumbai with high-speed rail lines, allowing more people to live outside the city while still reaching the city centre from the farthest end in less than 30 minutes.

Each cluster of the proposed satellite cities should be designed so that every locality has a bus stop within a seven-minute walk, from where buses can reach a railway station within 10 minutes.

Call for long-term planning

“We need to think if anyone will want to live in such a city, where every house is like a box stacked upon another without adequate light and ventilation, even after paying a hefty amount for it. When we limit density to a certain level and allow the rest of the population to live in such satellite cities, everyone can live in a good environment,” he added.

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The presentation saw a full-house attendance at Bandra Gymkhana's East Indian Hall, comprising residents, community leaders, managing committee members of housing societies and residents' associations.

Following the presentation, participants shared their insights and collectively suggested sharing the findings with elected representatives.

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