For decades, authorities have kept ambiguity in terms of policy making for public open spaces on purpose so that it can be exploited,” said Nayana Kathpalia, trustee, Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), and NGO Alliance for Governance and Renewal (NAGAR). She was speaking at the ‘Looking at Mumbai’s Public Open Spaces’ conference held at JJ College of Architecture on Wednesday.

Sharing insights on what has led to misuse and reduction of public open spaces in Mumbai, Kathpalia, Parul Kumtha (architect, trustee, NAGAR), Ashwini Deshpande (associate director, NAGAR), and Prerna Yadav (associate director, UDRI) unanimously mentioned that lack of an exclusive policy and a concrete definition of what an actual public open space is are the two biggest reasons why city’s open spaces are in danger.