Client: Thane Municipal Corporation

Area: 1514 HA

Project Brief:
• The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) was established in 1982 with a vision to transform the city into a center of growth & prosperity. However, Thane's development has been marked by unplanned, unauthorized, & high-density construction, primarily due to limited available land. Today, the city has a population of over 18.4 lakh, with 50% (around 9.2 lakh) living in slums.
• An assessment by TMC reveals that 25% of the population resides in unauthorized structures, which lack legal property rights, leading to significant socio-economic losses for the city.
• Key urban problems include dilapidated buildings, unauthorized developments, narrow roads, congestion, slum proliferation & inadequate infrastructure. About 20% of the population lives in unsafe structures.
• Thane's development has led to unplanned, scattered growth, especially around public transport routes.
• A TMC survey indicates that about 20% of the city's population lives in dilapidated, mostly unauthorized buildings, many of which are structurally unsafe.
• The prevalence of these unsafe structures poses significant risks to residents & the wider community.
• In response, the State Government has implemented various laws to support the rehabilitation of these at-risk populations. Recognizing the issue, the Government of Maharashtra introduced Urban Renewal regulations for Thane on July 5, 2017. As part of this initiative, TMC has proposed 44 urban renewal plans to address these challenges & improve living conditions

Client: Mira Bhyander Municipal Corporation

Area: 451 HA

Project Brief:
• Mira Bhayandar city is located on the southern side of Vasai Creek, bordered by Sanjay Gandhi National Park to the east & the Arabian Sea to the west. Covering an area of 79.40 sq.km, it has a population of 8.09 lakh (according to the 2011 census), making it the 12th most populous city in Maharashtra.
• As a key city within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), it is one of the 17 urban centers peripheral to Greater Mumbai, as identified by MMRDA. The city is well-connected to other parts of Maharashtra & the country through an extensive road & rail network & the ongoing Metro Line No. 9 project is expected to further boost its development.
• The Mira Bhayandar Draft Development Plan Report (2017-2037) highlights the city’s challenges. It indicates that 92.44% of the city's area remains undeveloped, while only 7.56% is developed. Out of the total population, 7.2% live in slums, primarily located along railway tracks & watercourses in Mira & Bhayandar.
• The city's employment pattern shows a slowdown in industrial activity, with around 95% of employment coming from the service sector. Despite this, the city faces high unemployment, with only 39% of the population engaged in work, indicating an inefficient economic base & infrastructure. Mira Bhayandar struggles to meet the growing demand for basic amenities.
• Water supply falls short, with 10% of households lacking water connections. Additionally, only 68% of sewage is treated at Sewage Treatment Plants, while the remaining 85% is discharged into open drains, worsening sewage disposal issues. The transport network is under pressure from population growth, increased vehicles & higher travel demand.
• As of the 2011 Census, approximately 45-55% of the city's population resides in dilapidated, structurally unsafe buildings, many of which are unauthorized. These buildings are at risk of collapse, fire & other hazards, leading to fatalities & injuries in recent years.
• These unsafe structures cover about 413 hectares of the city. In addition to the safety risks, unauthorized settlements lack basic infrastructure & amenities, resulting in a poor quality of life for their residents.
• To address these issues, Mira Bhayandar has adopted a cluster redevelopment approach to urban renewal, focusing on the revitalization of entire neighborhoods not just individual buildings, to improve living conditions & quality of life.

Client: Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation

Area: 1420 HA

Project Brief:
• The City Development Plan (2007) for Kalyan-Dombivli highlights several challenges facing the city. These include flood-prone areas, especially during heavy rainfall & high tides & the loss of revenue due to the withdrawal of certain areas from KDMC jurisdiction.
• Unauthorized constructions have further limited the scope for effective town planning in the older parts of the city. The influx of new residents has strained the city's ability to provide basic amenities & the growing slum population, fueled by migrants from other regions, has added to these challenges. The city also faces a lack of a solid economic base & infrastructure.
• According to the 2011 Census, Kalyan-Dombivli had a population of 12,47,327 (excluding 27 villages). Nearly 40% of the population resides in structurally unsafe, dilapidated buildings, many of which are unauthorized & pose significant risks of collapse, fire & earthquake damage.
• Over the past two decades, such buildings have resulted in numerous fatalities & injuries. These unsafe structures span approximately 950 hectares across Kalyan & Dombivli. In addition to the safety risks, these unauthorized settlements lack essential infrastructure & amenities, leading to a poor quality of life for residents.
• To address these issues, the city has adopted a cluster redevelopment approach to urban renewal, aiming to not only renovate buildings & houses but also revitalize entire neighborhoods for a comprehensive improvement in the quality of life.

Client: Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation

Area: 956 HA

Project Brief:
• With a population of 12.22 lakh according to the 2011 Census, accounting for 9.5% of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's population, Vasai-Virar is the fifth-most populous city in Maharashtra. The projected population of Vasai-Virar by the Municipal Corporation is 19.85 lakh.
• Governed by the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), the city spans 311 square kilometers, including hilly terrain & forested areas. The availability of vast land has attracted numerous national developers with large-scale construction projects planned for the future.
• However, Vasai-Virar faces significant challenges in providing basic amenities to its rapidly growing population. The city is currently experiencing a severe water supply shortage & lacks a proper underground sewerage system, leading to untreated effluent flowing into low-lying areas.
• The existing sewer system is outdated & insufficient, posing potential health hazards. With the increase in population, the demand for transportation infrastructure has risen, necessitating improvements in roads, junctions & the overall road network.
• As per the 2011 Census, nearly 32% of Vasai-Virar's population resides in dilapidated & structurally unsafe buildings, many of which are unauthorized. These buildings are at risk of collapse, fire & earthquake hazards & have resulted in fatalities & injuries over the past two decades.
• These unsafe structures are spread across approximately 947 hectares of the city. In addition to safety concerns, unauthorized settlements lack essential infrastructure, leading to poor living conditions for residents.
• To address these challenges, Vasai-Virar has adopted a cluster redevelopment approach to urban renewal, focusing on not just the renovation of buildings but also the revitalization of entire neighborhoods for a holistic improvement in the quality of life.

The Urban Renewal Scheme (URS) is envisioned as a transformative opportunity to revitalize blighted areas in Thane, turning them into a beacon of equitable, sustainable & world-class city development. The scheme aims to provide affordable housing & essential social services that uplift living standards & reduce disparities across diverse population segments. URS represents a chance to reimagine & redesign entire clusters of unauthorized, outdated & dilapidated buildings, transforming them into a thoughtfully planned, modern urban landscape that contributes to the overarching goal of a fully planned Thane city.

• Quality Redevelopment: Ensure that redevelopment meets high standards of amenities, infrastructure & quality of life for residents.

• Environmental Stewardship: Prioritize the conservation of Thane’s ecological assets while minimizing the environmental impact of urban renewal projects.

• Feasibility & Market Viability: Design clusters that are both practical & market-responsive, ensuring ease of implementation & development.

• Municipal Support & Oversight: Empower the municipal corporation to define clusters, assess & approve proposals from the private sector.

• Equitable City-Wide Strategy: Develop a city-wide urban renewal approach that ensures the benefits of cluster redevelopment are distributed fairly across Thane.

• Private Sector Collaboration: Create feasible, market-friendly cluster formulations that encourage engagement with private developers.

• Comprehensive Amenities & Infrastructure: Establish benchmarks focused on maximizing built area & optimizing land use to provide high-quality amenities, ensuring a superior quality of life despite land constraints.

• Seamless Integration with Future Development: Implement the Development Plan through a strategic concept plan that integrates seamlessly with the city’s current & future urban development goals.

Through URS, Thane aims to rise as a model city blending modern infrastructure with sustainability, inclusivity & growth.