Jogger's Park unveils an enhanced public open space in Mumbai, India

As a city expands to cater to its increasing population, the open spaces start reducing. Mumbai is losing its open public spaces at an alarming rate while citizens remain oblivious to it. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with the help of the design firm, Atelier ARBO, took up the challenging task of reviving and rejuvenating an old large chunk of land, a former park.

As opposed to the common practice of simply cleaning up the space, the design concept portrayed a holistic development plan for the entire area catering to the current open space requirements of children and residents of the vicinity. Retaining the existing walking track, new design facilities and unique play areas were incorporated in the planning process.

An open public park is an excellent environment to cultivate a child’s physical, social, and interactive learning capabilities. Considering this, a former 2000 sq. Ft area having four amenities for playing was transformed into a spacious 5500 sq. Ft children play arena having 13 different elements for playing, arranged in a flow with an amphitheatre at its end. A soft cushioned flooring protects children from any injury if they accidentally fall while playing.

“The idea is to have a place filled with magic – a lively escape for the children which in turn will be a symbol of liberty, exploration, and endless imagination,” quotes Rinka D’Monte, principal architect of Atelier ARBO.

With an intent to elevate the walking and jogging experience of residents and visitors, three upgraded walking tracks, namely, a mud finish track, a soft EPDM track, and a stone flooring track, are provided. Each person can use the track they are most comfortable with. The provision of seating spaces and signages has enhanced the overall experience of a user. Demarcating a separate gym space allows users to practice quick workouts to stay fit and active.

Every human mind craves a calm outdoor environment and connection to nature to diminish the worries of life. A walk in a park soothes our stressed mental state, clearing our mind to allow fresh thoughts. The COVID-19 pandemic deprived people of exploring open spaces to get fresh air and stay socially connected. The Jogger’s Park project was constructed majorly in the lockdown period facing many challenges in the execution. With an aim to allow people to use this public space at its best potential at the end of the lockdown, the park was completed sooner than possible with the help of extensive team efforts. Right from initial meetings with local residents to collaborating with the Municipal Council authorities, the vision of a well-planned socially impactful space was achieved.

Situated in a prominent location with close proximity to sea, the park receives a footfall of about 4000 to 5000 people on weekends, with around 1000 of them being kids. The vast play area promotes the qualities of self-exploration and freedom in the minds of children, taking their cognitive abilities to new heights. Such a significant number of people frequenting the park act as a testament to the importance of well-planned open public spaces.

Mumbai has developed a dire need for open, green spaces for various reasons like improved air quality, increased social interaction, enhanced health and fitness among others. For long, urban designers have tried to allocate and elevate more open spaces, but the absence of open land in this cluttered city makes it a highly daunting task. Restoring existing parks and public spaces becomes the only viable solution. As architects and conscious citizens, it becomes our responsibility to conserve, uplift, and upgrade existing vacant land parcels and modify them into tranquil spaces breathing fresh air into our lives.