Breathing Futures: Envisioning the Future of Urban Resilience for Mumbai 3.0
A participatory futures framework to co-create inclusive, ecological, and community-driven urban transformations.
Role
Foresights Practitioner | Design Researcher
Industry
Urban Resilience | Participatory and Inclusive Research
Duration
6 Months
The Context
The Context
Mumbai 3.0 is an ambitious state-led initiative aiming to transform 270 villages in Raigad district into a global economic hub. While designed to drive India’s economic growth, it raises urgent questions:
How will rapid urbanisation impact ecology and biodiversity ?
What will happen to the local communities ?
How can planning processes integrate citizen voices rather than sidelining them?
This project reframes Mumbai not as a sum of infrastructure projects, but as a living, breathing organism whose health depends on balanced social, ecological, and economic systems.
Mumbai 3.0 is an ambitious state-led initiative aiming to transform 270 villages in Raigad district into a global economic hub. While designed to drive India’s economic growth, it raises urgent questions:
How will rapid urbanisation impact ecology and biodiversity ?
What will happen to the local communities ?
How can planning processes integrate citizen voices rather than sidelining them?
This project reframes Mumbai not as a sum of infrastructure projects, but as a living, breathing organism whose health depends on balanced social, ecological, and economic systems.
The Problem
The Problem
Historically, top-down urban planning in India has led to:
Ecosystem loss — wetlands, mangroves, and biodiversity under threat.
Social displacement — marginalised groups pushed to city edges.
Policy silos — ecological priorities ignored in economic planning.
Citizen exclusion — no structured platform for residents to influence mega-projects.
Historically, top-down urban planning in India has led to:
Ecosystem loss — wetlands, mangroves, and biodiversity under threat.
Social displacement — marginalised groups pushed to city edges.
Policy silos — ecological priorities ignored in economic planning.
Citizen exclusion — no structured platform for residents to influence mega-projects.
Without systemic integration of citizen and ecological needs, Mumbai 3.0 risks becoming a development project for the economy but not for the people or planet.
Without systemic integration of citizen and ecological needs, Mumbai 3.0 risks becoming a development project for the economy but not for the people or planet.
Research Methodology
Research Methodology
The research followed a multi-layered approach combining secondary
research, stakeholder engagement, and participatory methods to build a
holistic understanding of Mumbai’s urban resilience challenges under the
Mumbai 3.0 project.
Secondary Research & Systems Mapping
The process began with extensive desk research to understand the
socio-ecological context, climate risks, and urban development plans for
Mumbai 3.0. This was followed by mapping the interconnected systems influencing urban resilience and identifying key leverage points for intervention.Stakeholder & Policy Mapping
A stakeholder map was developed to identify diverse actors—citizens,
NGOs, policymakers, urban planners, and more-than-human stakeholders,
who shape and are impacted by Mumbai’s resilience strategies.
Policy mapping was conducted to understand existing governance structures and regulatory frameworks.Expert Interviews
Semi-structured interviews with 8 experts in policymaking, urban planning, environmental policy, and community engagement provided insights into
on-ground realities, systemic gaps, and opportunities for
participatory approaches.Workshop Planning & Visioning
Insights from research and interviews informed the design of participatory visioning workshops. This included:1 pilot workshop to test the format and tools.
2 workshops (online and offline) to engage a wider range of participants.
Validation sessions with participants and experts in India to refine
the framework.
Scenario Planning & Roadmap Development
Ideas generated during workshops were translated into future scenarios and a strategic roadmap. This roadmap outlines actionable steps for integrating citizen visions into Mumbai 3.0’s urban resilience planning, ensuring alignment with both climate goals and community aspirations.
The research followed a multi-layered approach combining secondary
research, stakeholder engagement, and participatory methods to build a
holistic understanding of Mumbai’s urban resilience challenges under the
Mumbai 3.0 project.
Secondary Research & Systems Mapping
The process began with extensive desk research to understand the
socio-ecological context, climate risks, and urban development plans for
Mumbai 3.0. This was followed by mapping the interconnected systems influencing urban resilience and identifying key leverage points for intervention.Stakeholder & Policy Mapping
A stakeholder map was developed to identify diverse actors—citizens,
NGOs, policymakers, urban planners, and more-than-human stakeholders,
who shape and are impacted by Mumbai’s resilience strategies.
Policy mapping was conducted to understand existing governance structures and regulatory frameworks.Expert Interviews
Semi-structured interviews with 8 experts in policymaking, urban planning, environmental policy, and community engagement provided insights into
on-ground realities, systemic gaps, and opportunities for
participatory approaches.Workshop Planning & Visioning
Insights from research and interviews informed the design of participatory visioning workshops. This included:1 pilot workshop to test the format and tools.
2 workshops (online and offline) to engage a wider range of participants.
Validation sessions with participants and experts in India to refine
the framework.
Scenario Planning & Roadmap Development
Ideas generated during workshops were translated into future scenarios and a strategic roadmap. This roadmap outlines actionable steps for integrating citizen visions into Mumbai 3.0’s urban resilience planning, ensuring alignment with both climate goals and community aspirations.
Design Futures Approach
Design Futures Approach
This project investigates the future of urban resilience in Mumbai through strategic foresight, more-than-human design, and speculative design. It seeks to evaluate resilience across ecological, social, economic, and infrastructural dimensions, challenge top-down planning with participatory and multispecies perspectives, and envision futures where rapid urbanisation coexists with ecological regeneration.
This project investigates the future of urban resilience in Mumbai through strategic foresight, more-than-human design, and speculative design. It seeks to evaluate resilience across ecological, social, economic, and infrastructural dimensions, challenge top-down planning with participatory and multispecies perspectives, and envision futures where rapid urbanisation coexists with ecological regeneration.
The Stakeholder Map
The Stakeholder Map
Key Insights
Key Insights
The Intervention
The Intervention
The purpose of this framework is to establish a structured, inclusive, and imaginative space where citizens can meaningfully contribute to the future of their cities. It serves as a bridge between public imagination and institutional planning, transforming citizens from mere participants into co-authors of urban transformation.
By surfacing these deep-rooted insights, Citizen Thinking transforms abstract imagination into actionable strategies for policymakers and planners.
It is a civic method that gives people a real stake in decision-making and enables governments to create realistic, inclusive, and grounded urban development
plans rooted in collective visions.
Beneficiaries: Citizens of all ages, classes, and communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs),
Community-based organisations, Urban local bodies and planning authorities.
The purpose of this framework is to establish a structured, inclusive, and imaginative space where citizens can meaningfully contribute to the future of their cities. It serves as a bridge between public imagination and institutional planning, transforming citizens from mere participants into co-authors of urban transformation.
By surfacing these deep-rooted insights, Citizen Thinking transforms abstract imagination into actionable strategies for policymakers and planners.
It is a civic method that gives people a real stake in decision-making and enables governments to create realistic, inclusive, and grounded urban development
plans rooted in collective visions.
Beneficiaries: Citizens of all ages, classes, and communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs),
Community-based organisations, Urban local bodies and planning authorities.
The Three Phases of the Workshop
The Three Phases of the Workshop
Embed: Anchor participants in their lived experiences and surface what matters most to them in their environment.
Envision: Encourage participants to imagine bold, just, and ecologically integrated futures for Mumbai in 2050.
Empathise: Deepen empathy by inviting participants to speak from the perspective of nonhuman and marginalised beings in the future city.
Embed: Anchor participants in their lived experiences and surface what matters most to them in their environment.
Envision: Encourage participants to imagine bold, just, and ecologically integrated futures for Mumbai in 2050.
Empathise: Deepen empathy by inviting participants to speak from the perspective of nonhuman and marginalised beings in the future city.
Future Scenarios: Navigating Mumbai 3.0’s Possible Paths
Future Scenarios: Navigating Mumbai 3.0’s Possible Paths
To explore how Mumbai 3.0 might unfold by 2050, a 2x2 Futures Matrix was developed, mapping two critical uncertainties:
Citizen Engagement: From High to Low
Ecological Resilience: From Increasing to Decreasing
These axes emerged from secondary research on global urban futures,
expert interviews, and citizen visioning workshops. Findings revealed that
both public participation and ecological priorities are pivotal levers for shaping resilient urban futures.
The four scenarios below illustrate divergent pathways for Mumbai’s transformation:
To explore how Mumbai 3.0 might unfold by 2050, a 2x2 Futures Matrix was developed, mapping two critical uncertainties:
Citizen Engagement: From High to Low
Ecological Resilience: From Increasing to Decreasing
These axes emerged from secondary research on global urban futures,
expert interviews, and citizen visioning workshops. Findings revealed that
both public participation and ecological priorities are pivotal levers for shaping resilient urban futures.
The four scenarios below illustrate divergent pathways for Mumbai’s transformation:
1) Eco Civic Mumbai
(High Citizen Engagement + Increasing Ecological Resilience)
A just, community-led city where citizens co-create infrastructure and public spaces. Urban commons flourish, biodiversity thrives, and planning integrates decentralised governance, ecological zoning, and multispecies considerations. Citizen workshops identified this as the preferred future, grounded in transparency, inclusivity, and shared stewardship of resources.
2) Eco Elites
(Low Citizen Engagement + Increasing Ecological Resilience)
Sustainability exists, but it is exclusive, driven by elite interests, corporate green investment, and advanced technology. While infrastructure may be green and efficient, marginalised communities are excluded from decision-making and benefits. It reflects present-day risks of green gentrification, data centre sprawl, and top-down smart city models.
3) Grey Sprawls
(Low Citizen Engagement + Decreasing Ecological Resilience)
A business-as-usual dystopia where unchecked expansion leads to ecological collapse. Urban growth prioritises profit over people, resulting in fragmented infrastructure, resource scarcity, and climate vulnerability. It represents a failure to act on both environmental and civic fronts.
4) Silenced Voices
(High Citizen Engagement + Decreasing Ecological Resilience)
Citizens are invited to participate, but ecological concerns are tokenised or
sidelined in favour of short-term development goals. This scenario reflects participatory fatigue and performative consultation, where voices are heard
but rarely translated into action.
1) Eco Civic Mumbai
(High Citizen Engagement + Increasing Ecological Resilience)
A just, community-led city where citizens co-create infrastructure and public spaces. Urban commons flourish, biodiversity thrives, and planning integrates decentralised governance, ecological zoning, and multispecies considerations. Citizen workshops identified this as the preferred future, grounded in transparency, inclusivity, and shared stewardship of resources.
2) Eco Elites
(Low Citizen Engagement + Increasing Ecological Resilience)
Sustainability exists, but it is exclusive, driven by elite interests, corporate green investment, and advanced technology. While infrastructure may be green and efficient, marginalised communities are excluded from decision-making and benefits. It reflects present-day risks of green gentrification, data centre sprawl, and top-down smart city models.
3) Grey Sprawls
(Low Citizen Engagement + Decreasing Ecological Resilience)
A business-as-usual dystopia where unchecked expansion leads to ecological collapse. Urban growth prioritises profit over people, resulting in fragmented infrastructure, resource scarcity, and climate vulnerability. It represents a failure to act on both environmental and civic fronts.
4) Silenced Voices
(High Citizen Engagement + Decreasing Ecological Resilience)
Citizens are invited to participate, but ecological concerns are tokenised or
sidelined in favour of short-term development goals. This scenario reflects participatory fatigue and performative consultation, where voices are heard
but rarely translated into action.
Preferable Scenario: Eco Civic Mumbai
Preferable Scenario: Eco Civic Mumbai
By 2050, Mumbai 3.0 transforms from a top-down megaproject into a citizen-led, ecologically regenerative city. Communities co-govern urban commons, lead local planning through visioning assemblies, and embrace bioregional, inclusive, and multispecies design. Decentralised systems power neighbourhoods, while civic literacy and ecological justice are embedded into education and governance.
This future directly addresses today’s gaps—limited citizen participation, lack of ecological sensitivity, and exclusion of indigenous knowledge—through the Citizen Thinking Framework, a participatory model rooted in shared ownership and institutional reform.
While realising this vision requires political will, long-term civic education, and structural change, it offers a roadmap for balancing development, equity, and planetary health in Mumbai’s urban future.
By 2050, Mumbai 3.0 transforms from a top-down megaproject into a citizen-led, ecologically regenerative city. Communities co-govern urban commons, lead local planning through visioning assemblies, and embrace bioregional, inclusive, and multispecies design. Decentralised systems power neighbourhoods, while civic literacy and ecological justice are embedded into education and governance.
This future directly addresses today’s gaps—limited citizen participation, lack of ecological sensitivity, and exclusion of indigenous knowledge—through the Citizen Thinking Framework, a participatory model rooted in shared ownership and institutional reform.
While realising this vision requires political will, long-term civic education, and structural change, it offers a roadmap for balancing development, equity, and planetary health in Mumbai’s urban future.
The Roadmap to a Wiser City
The Roadmap to a Wiser City
The roadmap charts how the Citizen Thinking Framework moves from a concept to an embedded governance practice. By addressing a core gap in Mumbai 3.0’s planning—the exclusion of citizen voices—it outlines a step-by-step pathway for integrating local knowledge, ecological priorities, and multispecies perspectives into formal urban development.
Starting at the pre-planning stage, the framework mobilises NGOs, RWAs, and CBOs to run participatory visioning workshops across wards. These feed into a structured process of synthesis, translation into policy-ready inputs, and engagement with state agencies. Over time, the approach aims to institutionalise citizen-led futures in Mumbai’s planning systems, resulting in more inclusive, trusted, and ecologically resilient urban strategies.
The roadmap charts how the Citizen Thinking Framework moves from a concept to an embedded governance practice. By addressing a core gap in Mumbai 3.0’s planning—the exclusion of citizen voices—it outlines a step-by-step pathway for integrating local knowledge, ecological priorities, and multispecies perspectives into formal urban development.
Starting at the pre-planning stage, the framework mobilises NGOs, RWAs, and CBOs to run participatory visioning workshops across wards. These feed into a structured process of synthesis, translation into policy-ready inputs, and engagement with state agencies. Over time, the approach aims to institutionalise citizen-led futures in Mumbai’s planning systems, resulting in more inclusive, trusted, and ecologically resilient urban strategies.
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