The timing couldn't have been more apt. Last week, residents of Marine Drive went into celebratory mode, when they saluted their beloved showpiece, the 'Queen's Necklace', arguably, one the city's most iconic landmarks, along with the Gateway of India and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. A hundred years ago, on December 18, work on the famous Kennedy Sea-Face had begun, as a road that was meant to connect Malabar Hill to Fort. The road was extended, with land being reclaimed from the sea, and the rest, remains etched as part of the city's urban history.

I use the word 'apt' because the city is in the grip of countless battles to save spaces. Whether it is gardens and playgrounds or mangroves and heritage precincts, citizens have had to fight tooth and nail to ensure the city doesn't lose its fabric, and its character, lest vested interests bulldoze the city into becoming a pale shadow of its unique identity.