VESCOA through its Studio venture to foster a healthy sustainable humane habitat in the
neighborhood that it is situated within, viz., Chembur, Mumbai; has in the recent past worked upon
the most pertinent issues of this Queen of Eastern Suburbs, dealing with an ever rising level of air
pollution and increasing densities of traffic & people through various studio programs.
At VESCOA we feel that to address the growing and pressing issues of Chembur locality,
concerning Air Pollution, increasing densities, a need for a mix of public programs with adequate
open green spaces; is the need of the hour for present and future times. And this could be
approached through adopting the Transit oriented development principles as a concept that aims
to reduce the dependency on personal vehicles and promote sustainable transportation options.
Pedestrianization and green mobility are essential components of this strategy. The following
aspects have to be undertaken to implement transit-oriented development while focusing on
pedestrianization and green mobility.
1. Development of a comprehensive Plan for Design betterment & Action
2. Develop a safe and accessible pedestrian network
3. Encourage the use of non-motorized transport
4. Identify scope to increase public transportation options
5. Develop options for green mobility
A case area shall have to be identified to help relate to the relevant issues. The focus will be to
develop safe, affordable, quick, comfortable, reliable and sustainable access from each transit
node to the other and inclusive of the neighboring context. The case area shall have to be divided
into relevant stretches based on the urban form and changing nature of the street. Studies
including mapping and understanding different urban layers that make up urban space such as
Morphology, Transportation, Infrastructure, Land use, vegetation would be required to be
implemented.
A structure plan can then be prepared which shall reflect the overall vision for the case area, with
specific strategies to resolve the issues for each stretch. Various Urban design concepts like
pedestrianization, traffic evaporation, vertical segregation of movement, equitable distribution of
street space and integration of Blue Green pockets can be taken up as key themes that would in
turn guide the design.
Design interventions could include: Creation of pedestrian plazas to serve as spill out from the
transit node area, creation of a safe, comfortable and continuous cycling and walking path with
cycle sharing docks at every 500m, activating green pockets throughout the site by integrating
them into the non motorized transport network and creating a pleasant street experience to
promote walkability.
Continuing this venture, VESCOA is looking forward to develop a comprehensive proposal based
on the principles of Transit Oriented Development fostering Pedestrianisation & Green Mobility in
the core areas of Chembur, and with this background of anticipated intensification of people, jobs,
vehicular traffic due to the concentration of the Metro, the Monorail line, the Harbour line railways,
the Sion-Panvel Highway at Chembur, this venture promises to bring a propose a better quality of
life in the neighborhood in coming future.
