Throughout 2013, The GUIDE has striven to give MiD DAY readers a 360-degree view of the city’s multi-layered fabric, along with highlighting the need for change. Now, the team has woven together six photo stories of how they envision this change across Mumbai in 2014
Life & Style, 2014, Mumbai, open spaces, Shopping, comics, nightlife
CITY
Better use of open spaces
It’s astounding that a city the size of Mumbai has so few open public spaces, and the ones that exist are not used optimally. More power to spaces such as the Horniman Circle Garden and the Maharashtra Nature Park, which double up as gardens and as venues for events, workshops or art and cultural festivals. The city needs more such green lungs to offer solace in the middle of our urban concrete jungle. Plus, you can’t beat nature’s surround sound system and the serene ambiance for some chill-off time.
— Soma Das
DESIGN
Promote indigenous talent
With a dearth of Indian superheroes / heroines, it’s time for us to envision more Indian superpowers. Here, illustrator Jasjyot Singh Hans (who has frequently worked on Manta Ray Comics’ Twelve) has created a superheroine for Mumbai; she wears a kedio top and Kolhapuri chappals, and flies above Mumbai’s landmarks and skyrises. The writer is happy that there could be a possibility where local trains get flown over long distances to reach work in time.
— Kanika Sharma
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LIFESTYLE
Shopping districts beyond malls
In the recent past, Mumbai has witnessed a spurt in the number of high street brands opening their outlets for the ever-hungry shoppers in the city. Sure, this has been a boon but the downer remains the clones that prevail after shopping expeditions (we’ve lost count of the number of women wearing similar-looking sheer maxi skirts). What we need today are niche stores for people to experiment with fashion. And, Kala Ghoda has transformed into an indie destination for such alternative spaces (think Obataimu and newly-opened art galleries such as Delhi Art Gallery). In a similar vein, stores like Artisans’, housed inside a heritage building, has been promoting Indian arts and crafts with a refreshing difference; we need more such spaces as well as better street shopping options in the city.
— Dhara Vora
ART & CULTURE
Get more out of our museums
We love our art, culture and city treasures, and what better place than a museum to soak it all? Sure, our city museums have upped things in a big way in 2013 but we’d love to see more in the New Year — Longer hours for public viewing, performances, festivals, living and breathing installations, and engaging activities for young minds too; we can’t wait for the curtain to be lifted in 2014.
– Fiona Fernandez
NIGHTLIFE 24x7
access to public spaces
Public spaces like promenades, beaches and parks must become more accessible to people throughout the night. We hope for a day when Mumbaikars will have places across the city where one can sit down, relax, and soak in an activity irrespective of the time of the day (and night). Safety and security remain concerns, no doubt, but by restricting access to public spaces in the name of security reiterates a very lazy approach to the real deal and thus, denies our basic right to freedom.
— Hassan M Kamal
CHOICES
Recycle, reuse and go green
An adage goes, “life is always greener on the other side.” Well, as far as I’m concerned, it should be green on all sides. In today’s day and age, when consumption and population have increased and resources are gradually depleting, optimum utilisation of what we have should be our mantra. In lieu of this, we feel that eco-friendly products should get more prominence for a greener future. Eco-warriors, it’s time to take over Mumbai!
— Ruchika Kher
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