08- navi mumbai

TWIN CITY-NAVI MUMBAI Issue #

TWIN CITY-NAVI

MUMBAI

OBJECTIVES OF NAVI MUMBAI

Navi Mumbai (New Bombay), India, established in 1972, is a new planned city across the harbor (of Bombay) from Bombay.

This planned decentralization was the outcome of efforts by the government to make Bombay more “sustainable” (Bombay Metropolitan Regional Planning Board, 1973). The geographical area of Bombay is an island. The first settlement was established in the southern most tip of the island.

Urbanization and subsequent suburbanization of Bombay have created a linear city such that the central business district (CBD) and residential areas have become further and further apart.Bombay’s high concentration of docks, trading posts, textile mills and government offices have made it the preeminent port of Western India.

Navi Mumbai was designed to provide a better quality of life,

especially to the middle and lower class of people.

THE PURPOSE OF TWIN CITY

The idea on which the proposal of the 'Twin City' was hinged, was that of the State Government moving to New Bombay.The Government offices would form the core functions and symbollically signal a clear purpose of the new city for the state of Maharashtra.Also it would pull private business at its wake.The intention was to get the 'twin city' going as also to make people commute on an east west axis.The fact that the State Government never did move to New Bombay, deprived the 'twin city' of its core function - the catalyst that would have made self- sufficient growth happen for the new city.

The background and the rationale behind the decision to set up Navi Mumbai was to achieve a common objective which is given below.

To reduce the growth of population in Mumbai city by creating an attractive urban centre which will – Absorb the immigrants who

will otherwise go to Mumbai Attract some of Mumbai’s

present population so that overall population of Greater Mumbai can be contained within a manageable limit

To support the state-wide industrial location policy which will eventually lead to an efficient and rational distribution of industries over the state and a balanced development of urban centres in the hinterland

To provide physical and social services, raising the living standards and reducing the disparities in the amenities available to the different sections of the population

To provide an environment which would permit the

8.1 Introductionby[Article Author]

Source: Google Images

TWIN CITY-NAVI MUMBAI | Issue# 2

citizens of Navi Mumbai to live fuller and richer lives in so far this is possible, free from the physical and social tensions which are commonly associated with urban living.

The strategies used to accomplish the vision were a. Public ownership of land by government compulsorily acquiring all the private lands by paying monetary compensation. b. Self financed city, using land as the resource for financing the development (Government did not provide money for the Navi Mumbai project except a small seed capital) c. Creation of a single nodal agency ‘CIDCO’ to plan and develop the new city.

8.3 The Creation of Navi MumbaiThe prominent authors of the ’twin city concept’ were Charles Correa1, Pravina Mehta2 and Shirish Patel who presented to the government a proposal in 1964 for constructing new growth centers across Bombay harbor on the mainland (Figure 2.2).

The implementation occurred through ’correct’ political and bureaucratic channels in 1969. This was in the form of the Bombay Municipal Regional Planning Board’s recommendation that a new city be designed within the Bombay Metropolitan region to facilitate the decongestion of Bombay (Correa, 1997). If the new city was too far away, then this would not be possible (BMRPB, 1973).

The site that was finally chosen was across the harbor from

Bombay island. It is a narrow piece of land bounded by the Western Ghat mountain ranges on the north, south and east, and is a self-contained city independent of Bombay although there is still a visual connection to Bombay.It was hoped that the nearness to Bombay would facilitate the relocation of people from Bombay (CIDCO, 1973). Correa, Patel and Mehta designed this regional plan based on three basic objectives:

a. A planned new development, financing physical and social infrastructure through land sales, and improving Bombay by drawing off pressures for growth into the new area (Patel, 1997).

b. The new town, comprising of a number of nodes (townships), was designed to accommodate new industrial and commercial activity as well as for secure and affordable housing to workers.

c. The plan hoped to reduce homelessness in Bombay and provide slum dwellers a better life as well as absorb migration from the countryside (Correa, 1985). The regional plan was approved in 1970. The Bombay Municipal Regional Planning Board created the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in 1970 to implement its ideas.

Fig 8.3.1 Expansion of Bombay Source: Dwivedi and Mehrotra, 1995.

Fig 8.3.2 Planned connectivities to Eastern Mainland.Source:Google Images

8.4 Development of Navi Mumbai Navi Mumbai spread over an area of 344 Sq. km., which was interspersed with 95 villages, and 2 municipal towns, which housed 100,000 people in 1970. It is a series of 14 self-contained townships called ‘nodes’; each developed at a different point of time and with independent physical and social infrastructure system, but linked by mass transport rail system and trunk roads. This was a strategy adopted to bring development progressively, as a consequence, a part of Navi Mumbai is today referred to as ‘developed nodes’ and the others ‘developing nodes’. The characteristics of the developed nodes are older housing areas, higher property values, better amenities and administration handed over to the Municipal Corporation where property tax is

8.2 Strategies to accomplish the Vision


levied. In these nodes, change of land and building use is permitted within allowable limits.

The conceptual design of Navi Mumbai was developed at the height of Modernism.Principles of Modernism were used in the planning of Navi Mumbai were:a. decentralization by the design of self-sufficient townships(nodes),b.residential neighborhoods (sector),c. single-use zoning as opposed to the traditional multiple-use zoning.The result was a single-use zoning pattern with distinct areas for industrial, commercial, residential and institutional activity. The total land of Navi Mumbai was divided into thirteen townships. Each township had several sectors. Many of the sectors were residential in character. The neighborhoods were self-sufficient and had their grocery store and primary school. A sector centrally located within each node took on commercial activities.

Navi Mumbai consists of thirteen townships (or nodes). Each node is self-contained for 100,000 to 200,000 people. Each node is divided into neighborhoods (or sectors). The nodes contain residential, commercial, infrastructure and recreational uses. At alarger scale, nodes share some common facilities such as water reservoirs and transport facilities. Some of the nodes have special features. Vashi is the center of Navi Mumbai's wholesale market. Airoli and Kopar-Khairane have industrial estates, while Nhava-Sheva houses the new container port. Each node was planned to accommodate a range of income groups. There would be no rich or poor nodes (CIDCO, 1973). The size of the node dependson walking distances to the mass transit stop. The node should be large enough to provide schools, shopping areas and other facilities.

The Development Plan of Navi Mumbai is an example of the new consciousness for sustainable settlements.

The plan envisioned an ecologically friendly city where

products of nature would be used, and then unused portions would be recycled. One of the ideas of putting the environmental city into practice was the creation of woodland corridors.

The Development Plan for Navi Mumbai called for the planting of one hundredthousand trees every year. This would also ensure reduction of soil erosion and the development of woodlands for bothrecreation and timber.

The streams flowing from the Western Ghats mountain ranges would irrigate these trees. The plan called for the construction of holding ponds to retain excess monsoon run-off, which would be used in the dry seasons.

Holding ponds would be used for pisciculture and recreation. Water treated from industrial and sewage waste would be used to develop green areas.

The design concept of Navi Mumbai was very idealistic. This was partly because of the scale and complexity of the project. There was also a high degree of uncertainty attached to some of the policies and physical developments. It depended very heavily on external factors, which were closely linked, for its success.

8.5 Design Principles of Navi Mumbai

TWIN CITY-NAVI MUMBAI | Issue# 4MAKING OF NAVI MUMBAI

CONGESTION IN MUMBAI

Need for decentralisation No expansion Possible on

South, hence expansion on eastern side.

Thane Belapur Industrial base existed.

NAVI MUMBAI -THE BUILT FORM

The CBD lies in the centre with all the major commercial , political and social activiteis.

This zone was surrounded by the transition zone which had factories and ware houses.

Older residential areas being taken over by expanding CBD.

the Next zone had lower income levels and successive zones had higher income levels.

PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING

Compact High Density Development

Incremental Growthi in City's Master Plan.

Disaggregated plan of Autonomous townships with large amount of open space between them.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

1. Modernism2. Decentralisation by the

design of self sufficient townships(nodes)

3. Each node was planned to accomodate a range of income groups.

4. Development of Woodland corridors

5. Holding Ponds would be used for pisiculture and recreation.

6. Water treated from industrial and sewage waste would be used to develop green areas.


The task of planning and developing Navi Mumbai was entrusted to the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), a government agency explicitly set up for this purpose.CIDCO is a limited company, wholly owned by the State Government of Maharashtra (CIDCO, 1973). The first task of CIDCO was to prepare a development plan for the new town. CIDCO used certain development principles in its design. They were (CIDCO, 1973):a. polycentric pattern of developmentb.acquisition of all land to have better control of the environment and to use land as the main resource for development.

The first step was to identify all the land that needed to be acquired for Navi

Mumbai.Owners were notified about the government’s proposal. The land notified for acquisition for Navi Mumbai was under private and government ownership.

CIDCO notified all private owners about the compulsory acquisition. The government would acquire land under its power of eminent domain under Section 22, Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act (MR&TP Act), 1966. Section 31(6) under the same act gives the government the power to specify land use and proceed with development. The finality of the approved Development Plan ensures that the pressure and friction which would develop to obtain land use

changes for particular land holdings would be largely eliminated.This was not entirely true, and major law and order problems did occur.Nevertheless, CIDCO acquired all the land after settling disputes about compensation (CIDCO, 1995).

1973- development plan of Navi Mumbai

8.6 The Draft Development Plan of 1973

Fig 8.6.1 Draft development plan-1973Source: Google Images


Although the main objective of the design of Navi Mumbai was to create a selfsufficient urban environment, it also hoped to improve the quality of life of Bombay. The objectives were (CIDCO, 1973: 10):

1. Reduce the growth of population in Bombay city by creating a center that would absorb immigrants, and also attract some of Bombay’s present population.

2. To support a statewide Industrial Location Policy which will lead

eventually to an efficient and rational distribution of industries over the State and a balanced development of urban centers in the hinterland.

3. To provide physical and social services, raise the living standards and reduce the disparities in the amenities available to the different sections of the population.4. To provide an environment which would permit the residents of New Bombay to live fuller and richer lives in so far this is possible, free from the

physical and social tensions, which are commonly associated with urban living.

5. To provide a physical infrastructure which prevents ethnic enclaves among the population.

The Draft Development Plan gave only broad guidelines, leaving enough room for flexibility.Although five minor amendments were made to this Draft Plan, no new document was ever prepared. The Draft Development Plan remains the guiding document in use even today.

Development Potential of the SiteThe chosen site had various development potentials.These were (CIDCO, 1995):

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Estates at Turbhe and Taloja;

The plan for a modern, container port at Nhava-Sheva;

The existence of two municipal corporations at Panvel and Uran;

The newly commissioned bridge across the Thane creek, and transport corridors along Thane-Belapur;

The Thane-Pune National Highway 4, Panvel-Uran rail and road links.

The Reality of Implementing the PlanThe planning of Navi Mumbai began in 1971. The results of each of the planning objectives can be studied now. The first objective of the Development Plan of Navi


Mumbai was to reduce congestion of Bombay by absorbing immigrants and attracting some of the present population of Bombay.

Over the 1981-91 period, there was a considerable decline in the population of the CBD and Bombay island. The increase in the population of the suburbs and Navi Mumbai

accounts for the decline in the CBD and Bombay island. Outmigration to other cities and countries is negligible (BMRDA, 1978).

The main reason for the shift was because of :a. dilapidation of older buildings in Bombayb. cheaper and better housing facilities in Navi Mumbaic. better employment opportunities in Navi Mumbai

d. lesser commuter distances involved

Mumbai described many broad outlines for the development of a city for the common citizen. The design principles described in the Draft Development Plan were based on the philosophical reasoning of Mahatma Gandhi and the functionalistic approach of Modernism. Many attributes of these two design principles are not necessarily harmonious. While Modernism called for single-use zoning and a pattern based on socioeconomic characteristics, the Gandhian principles supported cultural heterogeneity and mixed use zoning.

Social aspects of city planning were given importance with special attention given to considerations of employment opportunities, housing requirements, utilities, recreation and commercial needs.

Designing, development and implementation of ideas were done in an incremental manner. Periodic socioeconomic and household surveys were used to determine the status of constructed environment. Problems of design and development were identified, and improvements made in the next phase of design.

This design also strongly supported the need to use the government’s power and machinery to promote the uniformdistribution of people and prevent ethnic enclaves. A heavy-handed implementation strategy of this objective was done by taking complete control of the residential allotment. The success of this strategy depended on maintaining this control. This also implies that the urban social pattern was predetermined.

The research setting under consideration is the result of the hybridization of Indian and Western ideas. Navi Mumbai is a modern, planned city within the context of a specific historic and cultural setting. Very little

8.7 Conclusion


analysis has been done on the outcome of CIDCO's social agenda to ensure diffusion of ethnic groups and the urban social pattern that emerged.

1. Malathi Ananthakrishnan, April , 1998, The Urban Social Pattern of Navi Mumbai, India

2. Peter Engel,Building New Bombay.

8.8 References

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