Gentrification could have been a seemingly positive word in the gamut of urban development, yet worldwide it has gained a negative connotation. By definition, gentrification is a process by which a derelict or declining neighborhood develops rapidly over a short period, changing from a low-value to high-value neighborhood. It has its own merits and demerits, it creates spaces of capital accumulation linked to bourgeois modes of consumption disguised by ideologies of heritage, conservation, and placemaking.
In India, Mumbai, The Maximum City has experienced gentrification the most number of times, owing to a shortage of land and subsequent changes in Industrial and Urban policies. Mumbai at one point had 58 working mills (Ghag,2006) and a healthy functioning industrial ecosystem with lakhs of mill workers and their families having their livelihoods dependent on them. As these mills slipped into insolvency in 1982 , after a crushing mill workers strike these areas began a gradual transformation that completely changed their Urban and Social landscape.
Development Policies for Redevelopment
In 1991, Regulation 58 of the new Development Control (DC) regulations tried to streamline and define the land use of central Mumbai, the area these mill areas occupied, which was nearly 600 acres in order to generate open spaces and public housing for the city while also allowing private mill owners to sell assets and recoup their losses. This change was an opportunity that could have changed the urban landscape of Mumbai.
“This Rule no. 58 outlined the development of mill areas as follows- One- third of the total land was to be used for public purposes like open spaces, schools etc, One-third of total land was to be used for Affordable Housing and the rest of the land was for Commercial use with a higher F.S.I based on the land surrendered by mill owners which came upto be 0.89. Out of the affordable housing area portion of the housing was to be built for Mill Owners”
Based on this policy 7 mills were allowed to sell their lands, but owing to lack of stringency and the nexus and malintent of politicians, underworld and bureaucrats, the spatial restructuring was nowhere near the planned regulations. As a result, citizens came out to protest and this stopped the further sale of land. Subsequently, a Committee was formed under Charles Correa in 1996 for Planned Development of these Mill areas, but only government mills were to be a part of this study. Though the committee managed to develop a report for Private Mills (E.P.W. Research Foundation,1997).
The state subsequently appointed a ministerial subcommittee to develop a new policy for the re-development of Mill lands and changes were made in Rule 58 of D.C.R. according to which mills could sell a small portion that is 15% of their land in order to finance themselves without surrendering any land to the city. This change was counterproductive for mill owners and they started selling their land 15% at a time so they did not have to give anything for other uses.
Some mill owners gave their lands and buildings for new users and these mills then became elite hideouts. How these changes were made by flouting rules and byelaws and old buildings were modified, beautified, and used for commercial use. This resulted in Avante Garde spaces, that gave a hint of history and had a renewed use. This move and change was more Symbolic and Artistic than being an exercise of Urban Renewal.
Symbolic not Spatial Transformation
As these mills became elite and their structures remained same leading to a seemingly symbolic transformation while the spaces remained same. This phenomenon existed in the biggest cities, with the Industrial areas being used as lofts by artists in New York. Gradually as the areas gain popularity the wealthy class started moving in and these areas were gentrified. The same happened in Shanghai and the local government and urban authority led the facilitation of the change of mills for other conspicuous consumption. This change led to inflated land values and these new modern spaces of work and consumption had no place for the existing working class. This change happened in the whole Girgaum area as it became an elite enclave that housed these world-class consumerist fantasies. This gentrification marginalized the working class population and robs them of their production, consumption and ways of life.As this happens and middle and upper classes move in , the working class and its needs that exist in these areas are ignored to the extent that the existing old structures are allowed to ruin and get dilapidated. This opportunistic development process leads to tragic outcomes like fire tragedies in such areas, which is what happened in Kamala mills in 2017.
Flouted Rules and Modern Spaces
The mix of politicians, bureaucrats and people’s aspirations to fulfill their consumerist aspirations led to this dangerous mix and unplanned development in Mumbai’s mill areas. This was a golden opportunity that could have changed the urban landscape of Mumbai. As profitability and greed led the process, it led to creation of these stop-gap places which have the outer cloak of history and industrial look and interiors having adapted and changed add life to these structures. Had the intent been to develop these areas in a planned way, they could have created space for the existing working-class, urban spaces and also made way for commercial use of these mills in refurbished buildings. This gentrification is not only worse for people who get driven out of their land/homes but also equally for the middle and upper-class people who move in. This use of power by the rich also leads to flouted rules and creates spaces which are unsafe for them.
References:
Land Housing and Gentrification in Mumbai, Available at Failure of Policies – Land, housing and gentrification in Mumbai,Accessed 26 Nov, 2024
Kamala Mills Fire and the Perilous Gentrification of Mumbai, Author : Dwiparna Chatterjee and D Parthasarthy, Date 26 April, 2018, Available at: Kamala Mills Fire and the Perilous Gentrification of Mumbai | Economic and Political Weekly,Accessed 26 Nov, 2024
The mills and a boom: A real estate transformation that left out locals, Author: Kavitha Iyer, Date March 6,2023, Available at: The mills and a boom: A real estate transformation that left out locals – Citizen Matters, Accessed 30 Nov,2024
