Shifting Discourse About Transit-Oriented Development in Mumbai, India: From Intensifying Built-Up Area to Managing Population Density

The 2011 census report indicates a population of more than 12 million people in the city of Mumbai, India, over an area of 427 km2. The Comprehensive Transportation Study of 2008 for the city and its region revealed that 51% of all trips (vehicular and nonmotorized) were made by walking and 78.2% of purely vehicular trips were made by public transportation. This high usage of public transportation and walking modes was a result of dense, mixed-use neighborhoods that traditionally agglomerated around suburban railway stations. Planning, implementation, and operations of mass transportation systems, however, are handled by agencies other than the city municipal corporation that plans land use and its regulation. Coordination between these agencies is typically a challenge and results in poor integration of transport and land use. High transit dependency and ridership have prompted city stakeholders to presume that Mumbai has naturally, over the years, adapted to transit stations; although this presumption i...