Architects flag climate, cost concerns over coastal road park and Mahalaxmi racecourse redevelopment

On February 22 — Gagrani presented the design for the coastal road and Mahalaxmi at a citizen’s dialogue organised by the South Mumbai Resident’s Association (SMRA). During the presentation, Gagrani stated that the 70 hectares of the available open space in the coastal road will be transformed into a prolonged stretch of green cover equipped with various civic amenities to make do for the diminishing green cover of Mumbai. Some of the amenities included nature trails comprising indigenous forests, pickle ball courts, amphitheatres and miyawaki gardens.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s municipal commissioner also proposed that the 112 acres of the Mahalaxmi Race course will be transformed into a public botanical garden coupled with an underground recreational hall equipped with sporting facilities.

Meanwhile, in their letter the MAC stated that this project will have an irreversible adverse impact on Mumbai’s climate and urban resilience in the face of climate change and rising sea levels.

“By replacing permeable marshland with three levels of concrete basements, the project fundamentally undermines the city’s “Sponge City” capacity, reducing groundwater recharge and significantly increasing monsoon runoff. Furthermore, natural maidans are low-carbon assets requiring minimal capital expenditure and maintenance. They do not require the intensive ventilation systems, mechanical lighting, or high energy security infrastructure that underground facilities inevitably demand. This is not simply a park enhancement; it is major concretised infrastructure construction beneath critical natural ground that embeds long-term structural and environmental risks for the city,” the MAC said in their letter.

Furthermore, the MAC also stated that underground parking should be located beneath existing roads and impermeable surfaces and not beneath one of the city’s last large natural, flood-absorbing grounds.

“A planning approach that prioritises thousands of car bays over public transport connectivity risks reinforcing an elite-access model, rather than strengthening inclusive, city-wide mobility” the letter stated. This is the second time the MAC has written to the civic authorities and state administration. Prior to this the MAC had written another letter on February 19, opposing their plan.

“We wish to reiterate that we are not opposed to improving public access or creating world‑class open spaces. Our concern is the proposal to build extensive underground infrastructure beneath one of the city’s last large natural grounds – a site that functions as critical climate infrastructure in a flood‑prone coastal city. The Racecourse is not vacant land; it is a living system that protects Mumbai,” the MAC said.