India's Megacity Discusses its Mega-Problems

Naresh Fernandes chronicles a recent upsurge in events providing opportunities for Mumbai's residents, and fascinated guests, to discuss the city's myriad challenges, and possible solutions. But can all the talk result in real action?

2 minute read

May 4, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


As Fernandes notes, Mumbai's challenges are varied, "an acute shortage of affordable housing that has forced 62 per cent of its population to live in slums, the pressure-cooker conditions in local trains that carry 7.2 million people a day, the severe absence of parks that leaves every 1,000 Mumbaikars with merely 0.003 hectares of open space." Fernandes observes an increasingly varied series of discussions, exhibits, and lectures oriented around identifying and addressing these challenges. What will come of this increased focus, however?

"Despite all the seminars and roundtables and discussions, though, organizers are aware that it isn't easy to convert the ideas they generate into public policy, especially in a city where property developers, the politicians who make the rules for real estate development and the bureaucrats who regulate the murky process often are the same entity," writes Fernandes.

"Change isn't impossible – if it is backed by a lot of effort, insists P.K. Das, the architect who conceptualized the 'Open Mumbai' exhibition on creating more public spaces in the city. Many politicians visited the exhibition and Mr. Das said he hoped they departed with fresh ideas. But most of all, he hoped that the exhibition and the discussions around it will convince Mumbaikars that it is actually possible to find solutions for many of their problems. 'Pressures put on the government by the citizens and their movements will determine our success,' he said."

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

A large Google data center building in the Netherlands.

Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands

USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.

May 4 - USC News

Close-up of smartphone with Zoox logo and screen with blurred image of Zoox autonomous vehicle in background.

Amazon-Owned Robotaxis to Begin Testing in LA

Los Angeles will become the sixth city where Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicle technology.

May 4 - Smart Cities Dive

NYC MTA train on elevated rail with Manhattan skyline visible in background.

New York MTA Says No More Borrowing, Will Cut Costs Instead

The agency says it won’t take out any new loans to finance its planned improvements and is finding other ways to cut costs.

May 4 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO