SUSTAINABLE METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT USING CARRYING CAPACITY AS A TOOL: A CASE OF MUMBAI METROPOLITAN REGION, INDIA

Abstract: Diverse urban problems in the Indian Metropolitan Region occur due to over-development and over-concentration in the metropolitan city which exceed the carrying capacity. In achieving sustainable development through resolving such problems, practical approaches to include urban carrying capacity for managing urban development are required. Present research focused to assess metropolitan problems such as overconcentration of population, lack of future developable land, less FAR (Floor Area Ratio), decreasing natural areas etc. and these calls for assessing the carrying capacity through a case study of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) by applying the Sustainable Accommodation through Feedback Evaluation (SAFE) model. In present research an attempt has been made to decentralize urban growth from Greater Mumbai through SAFE model for balanced urban mosaic within MMR and has also indicated clues for the policy makers for sustainable metropolitan regional development.

Keywords: Carrying Capacity, FAR, Greater Mumbai, MMR, SAFE, Sustainable.