With not much undeveloped land left in Mumbai for fresh developments, the city’s real estate growth will largely be propelled by the success of its many slum redevelopment schemes, according to a recent study.
52% of the upcoming realty projects in Mumbai, spread over 8,600 acres, are slum redevelopment schemes, brokerage Anand Rathi Research said in a 4 October report. Another 18% will be factory and mill land projects, 4% will be redevelopment of old buildings, and 3%, urban slum renewal schemes. These figures are indicative of the tendency toward brownfield development in one the worlds largest cities.
It is hoped the schemes will rehabilitate families living in almost 300,000 hutments this year, and also open up substantial space for residential and commercial development.
According to the Anand Rathi report, Mumbai, India's densest city with 27,000 people per sq. km, would need an additional 324 million sq. ft of residential developments by 2021. But of the 468 sq. km in Mumbai, only 90 sq. km is actual developable land and the rest are non-revenue generating areas such as forest land, according to a survey by Pankaj Kapoor, chief executive of Mumbai-based real estate research firm Liases Foras and architect Hafeez Contractor.
"A huge amount of space can be freed through slum redevelopment but that needs to be incentivised by giving developers more construction rights," said Kapoor.
FULL STORY: Slum Redevopment to Propoel Mumbai's Real Estate Growth
Allowing Higher Density to Fix Slums
Despite its economic dynamism, Mumbai is known for a lack of adequate housing. Citywide increases to maximum Floor Space Indices (i.e., Floor Area Ratios) will increase living space per resident, provided the right redevelopment takes place.
It's Time to Turn Back the Clock on Slum Upgrading
In the 1970s and 80s, bottom-up slum upgrading schemes inspired by the ideas of British-born architect James F.C. Turner benefited tens of thousands of residents of Mumbai. Current policies incentivize top-down redevelopment, harming slum dwellers.
Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development
Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research