Architect Advocates for Sustainable Urban Development in Mumbai
‘All educated people should speak up for city’
Hindustan Times
Image: Hindustan Times
Alan Abraham, joint principal architect at Abraham John Architects in Mumbai, emphasizes the need for educated citizens to advocate for sustainable urban development. He criticizes current infrastructure projects like the Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road for prioritizing cars over community needs and calls for better public participation in planning.
- 01Alan Abraham advocates for community involvement in urban planning.
- 02The Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road project threatens 45,675 mangroves.
- 03Abraham's Bombay Greenway Project proposes alternatives to current infrastructure plans.
- 04The Mumbai Architects Collective aims to ensure public spaces are accessible and well-designed.
- 05Abraham stresses the importance of considering diverse community needs in urban development.
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Alan Abraham, a prominent architect in Mumbai, highlights the critical role of educated citizens in advocating for sustainable urban development. He critiques the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) current infrastructure projects, particularly the ₹22,000-crore Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road (VBCR), which threatens the removal of 45,675 mangroves. Abraham, along with his wife Anca Florescu Abraham, founded the Bombay Greenway Project (BGP) to propose alternatives that prioritize community needs over car-centric designs. The BGP has submitted counter-proposals to the BMC, suggesting redesigns that would preserve green spaces while improving accessibility. Abraham also co-founded the Mumbai Architects Collective (MAC) to unify architects in advocating for better urban planning. He emphasizes that urban spaces should cater to all demographics, not just car owners, and that public participation is essential for effective development. As he asserts, “It is the responsibility of all the educated people in the city to speak up.”
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The proposed infrastructure projects could significantly alter Mumbai's green spaces and biodiversity, affecting local communities and ecosystems.
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