A place of repose below a flyover in Elphinstone

Different cities have tried to address this in different ways: some, like London, have placed spikes below flyovers to prevent homeless people from sleeping there.

Mumbai: What happens when a flyover cuts through a terrain? Urban designers the world over are increasingly thinking of ways to breathe life into the dead space beneath flyovers, which are left over spaces that remain unused and forgotten. —until of course, a downpour that sends bikers, cyclists and pedestrians scurrying to it for cover.

Commuters relaxing during lunch time at beautified space below Elphinstone Flyover on Senapati Bapat Marg in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)

Different cities have tried to address this in different ways: some, like London, have placed spikes below flyovers to prevent homeless people from sleeping there. Others, like Baton Rouge in Lousiana have converted them into sprawling parks. In Mumbai, the Nanalal D. Mehta Garden under the flyover in Matunga was inaugurated in 2016 as a dedicated path for morning walkers. A recent intervention under the flyover across the One International Centre building on Tulsi Pipe Road seems to have paid rich dividends.

In January 2022, Aditya Thackeray, the state’s former minister of tourism and environment, inaugurated the 10,000 sq feet space, called Parel Baug. In addition to a mile long (1.6 km) walking path and an equally long cycling path, the space has a community area with plenty of tables and benches. There’s a play area, which includes a spot to practice bouldering skills, a raised platform with steps which could well double as an amphitheatre, and a pleasant blue and white theme on the walls. In the mood for hopscotch? You don’t even need your own chalk, just bring a flat stone.

Kiran Dighavkar, BMC assistant commissioner, and with charge of the planning commission said that initiatives like these, which fall within the ambit of Tactical Urbanism, were important for the community. “There’s a lack of open spaces in the city, so the idea is to create as many open spaces as possible and increase the green cover of the city. Tactical urbanism projects such as these look at using the unused spaces under flyovers and convert them to usable open spaces, increase space for pedestrians, and provide safe sanitation.”

On a weekday afternoon one can find 20-30 people of various ages sitting here. Some wait for their children to clamber down the climbing ladder, others wait out the heat and scroll through their phones. A few friends gather around laughing. This is a space built for respite.

With no entry fee, or timing restrictions— most public parks and gardens shut down between noon and 3 pm — this place is open 24x7, making it is convenient and accessible.

Yash Desai, 22, Bikram Sahu, 21, and Shreyas Palkar, 20, are all colleagues at a Santa Cruz firm and live within a few kilometres of Parel Baug (Sewri, Sion and Parel). They have convened here in the afternoon to conduct a work discussion and are in the middle of exchanging notes, undisturbed by menus or bills.

“This is better than most places. We can even carry our own food and bring it here. No one stops us. Plus, it’s clean. And, of course, it’s free,” Desai said.

The location is convenient for the colleagues. It’s the first time they have come here, but say they like the space. But it’s still under a flyover, which means that there’s traffic noise, and conversations tend to be louder and repetitive. But, compared to the idea of having to sit in a café the Parel Baug seems economical, even as it offers a well-ventilated space offering protection from the elements.

To make things convenient for the common person, the space allows parking for cycles near the community space. There is also a public toilet for men and women.

Yet, watching a group of hijras sitting outside the Baug for lunch, one must ask how public spaces could be made equally open to everyone.

Alan Abraham, joint principal architect of Mumbai-based Abraham John Architects and co-founder of Bombay Greenway, said that flyovers need to be constructed keeping in mind all the space that they occupy.

“Why is the space under the flyover an afterthought? These are design problems that need to be thought of at the start of the project. Creating community spaces like these, while being a good initiative, ends up being a band-aid solution. A community space in the middle of a road is not ideal. People using it will face traffic noise and air pollution. Before constructing a flyover, we need to think about who the project is for and at what cost. If a flyover reduces a car driver’s time, but creates traffic chaos under the flyover, while permanently cutting off light and good air for people living around the road, then is it worth it? Creating spaces like these as an afterthought amounts to giving them crumbs in the development process.”

Dadar (west) resident Kanchan Gupta started visiting Parel Baug in June. “It’s close by. In fact, this is the only space within a 10-minute walk that one can come to sit, walk and enjoy some fresh air.” The 31-year-old said that the Pramod Mahajan Park in Dadar is another kilometre away and the other park is Shivaji Park, 3.5 km away. “Here, no one disturbs us. We can bring snacks as well. Since it’s open 24x7, we can come at any time.”