In a bid to make Mumbai a more walkable city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is turning the Kala Ghoda precinct in South Mumbai into pedestrian-only territory from August 31, 2024. The aim of pedestrianising five of Kala Ghoda’s roads—Forbes Street, Saibaba Road, Rope Walk Lane, Rutherfield Street and B Bharucha Road—is to enhance the character and cultural history of the place while increasing footfalls in the area.
The pedestrianisation project will be operated on a trial basis on weekends from 7PM-12AM. This will allow authorities to gauge the public response and familiarise visitors with the concept. Beautification work on the roads will start in October after the monsoon ends.
Home to popular eateries, shops, art galleries and iconic structures, including Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda is a crucial art precinct in Mumbai. It gained the moniker of “Kala Ghoda” after the installation of a black stone statue of King Edward VII mounted on a horse. The statue was later removed and replaced with a horse statue without a rider, which was commissioned by the Kala Ghoda Association.
The Urban Design & Architecture Initiative (UDAI) have been appointed as the designers for the project. The consultants have chalked out plans to upgrade the existing internal roads with cobbled pathways to make them more pedestrian-friendly. Furthermore, the project will entail landscaping works as well as wall painting and illumination works in three pockets.
At present, a major chunk of the existing streets are occupied by vehicles that belong to business owners and people working in and around the area. To address the issue, the civic body is developing plans for alternative parking spaces for legally parked vehicles.
With the project enabling pedestrians to freely access and explore the heritage structures in the area, the civic body is aiming to develop the space as an art avenue where events are organised throughout the year, and not just during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
Back in 2016, the civic body had rolled out a similar project in the precinct on Sundays when the roads were closed for vehicular traffic from 9AM-7PM. During this period, 21 box spaces were rented out to artistes to showcase their talent. However, the plan fizzled out as it drew a lukewarm response from the public.
(With inputs from multiple news agencies)