Mumbai architects call on BMC to safeguard open spaces from projects

27 Sep 2024 CW Team

The Mumbai Architects Collective, in a letter addressed to the BMC commissioner on September 24 and signed by 92 architects, planners, and designers, expressed their concern over a troubling trend of appropriating parks and open spaces for infrastructure projects, commercial use, and parking. They emphasized that such actions undermine the ecological, social, and public value of these areas.

In the letter, they conveyed their deep concerns regarding ongoing threats to key public spaces like the Hanging Gardens, the Racecourse, Aarey Forest, the salt pans, and the unfulfilled promises of open spaces along the Coastal Road. They urged the commissioner to build on the solidarity witnessed at Patwardhan Park and to make a lasting commitment that all open spaces in Mumbai would remain open and accessible to the public indefinitely and under public control. They asserted that safeguarding these spaces is crucial for the city's environmental, social, and economic future.

The letter noted that the open spaces along the Mumbai Coastal Road are yet to be developed, with work planned to begin once the road construction is complete. Over the past weekend, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani joined residents at Bandra's Raosaheb Patwardhan Park to celebrate the decision to scrap plans for an underground parking lot beneath the garden's playground area.

Furthermore, the collective commended the recent efforts by citizens in preserving Patwardhan Park from being converted into a parking lot. They remarked that the solidarity demonstrated by citizens, political representatives, and the BMC in protecting this vital public resource was commendable, reflecting a similar victory at Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu. They highlighted that these successes underscore the critical importance of safeguarding open spaces for public use.

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..