Inputs by Chintan Sheth, Chairman and Managing Director of Sheth Realty
Mumbai is facing land saturation and this has been the city’s reality for some time now. With the population of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) expected to reach around 2.9 crore by 2030 as per industry reports, the biggest question that comes in the way of the city’s growth story is how to accommodate the increasing number of people in the finite space available?
Floor Space Index (FSI)- led expansion is the answer to this. It states how much built-up area can be developed on a land parcel. While most people brush this away as a jargon, FSI-led expansion if executed smartly helps in people achieving the premium life they aspire of. This in turn helps the location and city grow better.
The role of FSI becomes even more significant when viewed in the context of redevelopment. In a typical development across Mumbai, the permissible FSI is largely determined by the width of the adjoining road and is generally capped between 2.5 and 3.24. However, in redevelopment models such as Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes and certain special planning frameworks under MCGM, the effective FSI can go as high as 8 to 10. This means the actual built-up area on the same land parcel can be more than three times what conventional development would permit. While this helps unlock much-needed housing supply, it also makes planning and density management far more critical.
Known as a serene green locality, Mulund to its credit has no land crunch for redevelopment. By way of smart FSI execution and its excellent ahead-of-time infrastructure, Mulund is ready to be an integral part of Mumbai’s new growth story.
When FSI not used thoughtfully: Crowded redevelopment
That said, not all neighborhoods in Mumbai are ready for the right kind of redevelopment. Poor infrastructure, connectivity issues and lack of social amenities negatively impact livability in a location. If this issue is also not there, homebuyers still may have a tough time if FSI-led expansion is not thoughtful.
As developers use the FSI route to maximize the precious land parcels, it may come as a surprise to homebuyers at the time of possession that too many units are cramped within the project. Such a situation is likely to result in irksome experiences like waiting too long for the elevator and vehicle hold-up at the entry gate and parking areas that could even result in a delay of even 10 or 15 minutes to reach home. This defeats the very purpose of buying a property in a well-connected locality by paying a premium.
Too many units in a project have many other implications like inadequate water tanks leading to potential disruptions, cramped club facilities resulting in unpleasant wait times and overall disappointment after having paid a premium thinking of luxury in mind. Overcrowding in housing societies often results in conflicts among residents as they have to compete for the inadequate resources. Most home buyers make their purchase decisions based on the sample flat, its size, design and view therefrom. Homeowners can end up with such negative surprises, which may also impact on the project’s value.
Rethinking FSI: Mulund as a Blueprint for Mumbai’s Next Growth Phase
Getting FSI as a tool is not enough. Smart FSI-planning is the key in Mulund that will give the location a new revamped look while maintaining the ethos it is known for. As opposed to treating every square foot in a project as a saleable area, maintaining a balance between units, open spaces, greens, amenities work. Also, it’s almost like a trend to stop using the ground floor and instead use the first floor as a podium, and adhere to vertical development. With the vast space available in Mulund, using the ground for podium-level amenities will provide a clutter free project and also allow the planning of towers in a way that maximum natural light, ventilation and privacy is planned. This is the real way in using FSI as a tool to make life better.
Encouragingly, in the current race for redevelopment across Mumbai, a few developers have begun recognising the long-term impact of overloading FSI. They are consciously opting for lower-density developments, even if it means making relatively lower commercial offers, because they understand that better planning, lower congestion and superior resident experience create greater long-term value than maximising saleable area alone.
Influx of too many units in a project is also likely to come along with a compromise on open-to-sky spaces. While Mumbai suburbs like Mulund still boast of enough green spaces, many housing projects do not offer the critical green lungs within. Seasonal spikes in AQI can only be countered with greenery both inside and outside of a gated community and Mulund can very well handle this aspect, which is also the need of the hour.
By way of smart FSI-led growth, ageing buildings and land parcels that in the past were inefficiently utilised are increasingly opting for redevelopment resulting in low density gated communities.
Mulund is that suburb that already has a developed ecosystem. With a clear multimodal connectivity blueprint, some existing and some under construction, infrastructure in Mulund does not need to be built from scratch. This is what elevates Mulund to a higher pedestal as compared to other emerging locations.
One of the biggest advantages of smart FSI-led development is that it allows optimum use of land without compromising on any aspect, modern master planning ensures use of ground level for open space, landscaped gardens and recreational spaces makes the project less cluttered and breathable.
If the FSI is used strategically, then one can create a community that may provide excellent opportunities in a location. With the FSI-led development in the green premium suburb, homebuyers in Mulund can have access to lifestyle amenities, open areas and infrastructure that cannot be built in smaller plot-by-plot developments.
With Mumbai rolling out its redevelopment journey, Mulund is a successful location showcasing how the growing population can be attended to without compromising on liability.