As Mumbai expands, its open spaces are shrinking.

Open spaces must clearly be the foundation of city planning. An 'Open Mumbai' ensures our physical and democratic well-being. Unfortunately, over the years, open spaces have become 'leftovers' or residual spaces after construction potential has been exploited.

Through this plan, we hope to generate dialogue between people, government, professionals … and within movements working for social, cultural and environmental change. It is a plan that redefines land use and development, placing people and community life at the centre of planning - not real estate and construction potential.

A plan that redefines the 'notion' of open spaces to go beyond gardens and recreational grounds - to include the vast, diverse natural assets of the city, including rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, mangroves, wetlands, beaches & the incredible seafronts. A plan that aims to create non-barricaded, non-exclusive, non-elitist spaces that provides access to all our citizens.

These plans and proposals are essentially rooted in ideas of conservation, restoration, recycling, re-planning and re-structuring existing realities and their spatial transformation. Rather than mega projects with large-scale displacements and enormous revenue burdens, this approach is based on more pragmatic and people-oriented alternatives.

By achieving intensive levels of citizens' participation we wish to engage and influence governments to devise comprehensive plans for public spaces. Successful achievement of these plans and proposals will also require necessary amendments and provisions in the Development Plan and DC Regulations.

This plan we hope will be the beginning of a dialogue to create a truly representative 'Peoples' Plan' for the city.