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If you like strolling through the streets around the Gateway of India, Colaba, and Kala Ghoda and peering through crowds and admiring the beautiful architecture, you may soon get better opportunities to be out and about to do just that – only this time, from the city's first open-air museum.
The famous Regal Junction (Regal Circle), which has the iconic art deco gem Regal Cinema on the corner, is due for a thorough beautification, and Mumbai might soon get its first-ever open-air museum as part of the pedestrianisation plan for the Kala Ghoda-Regal Junction-Gateway of India precinct.
The plan
After making Kala Ghoda more pedestrian-friendly over the weekends and announcing Kala Ghoda Art Avenue plans, according to reports, as part of the beautification project, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a massive tender to renovate and beautify Regal Junction in Colaba as well. The bids for which are currently open.
The plan is to redesign traffic islands, lay basalt and granite cobblestones, install heritage-style street lighting, lay down new footpaths with ramps for persons with disabilities, relocate the Vikrant Memorial, increase green cover, and overall improve South Mumbai’s public spaces, which will ultimately strengthen its appeal as a tourist attraction.
But the biggest development is the one-acre public plaza opposite the director-general of police’s office. That is the art museum in question, and more details are yet to be revealed. One can expect, however, space to walk and explore the neighbourhood and admire the historic precinct sans the honks and roars of vehicles.
In order to increase the area's green cover, the landscaping component will include transplanting new trees and bushes in addition to relocating the current ones.
Less vehicular movement
Corporator Makarand Narwekar told national publications that in future the plan is to implement one-way vehicular movement from Regal Cinema towards the Gateway of India, improve traffic flow, reduce the number of traffic signals from 27 to nine, and have an underground parking facility at Regal Cinema, as well.
The inspiration for the pedestrianisation of this heritage district is drawn from global cities like London and Glasgow and their shopping streets, Carnaby Street and Buchanan Street. Colaba, as it is, is a congested shopping hub seeing large crowds and endless traffic. So any amount of walkable space is always welcome. But it needs to be planned well.