Impact Analysis

CIDCO Housing built in New Bombay in 1998 faces the challenge of providing low cost housing for
approximately 1000 units in Bombay. Proliferation of slums in Indian cities is a common feature.
Most of the tenements built in this complex are of one or two rooms. Creation of a humane
habitation for very large numbers at the minimum cost was an exceptionally difficult problem.
Building for large numbers is like writing a long novel. War and peace can be read through from the
beginning to end with its different chapters and sub-plots sustaining interest. Similarly, the
Mahabharta is a string of stories woven into the fabric of one major composition. The challenge of
mass housing, likewise, can be either approached like one long story or as a series of
interconnected episodes. Instead of building large monolithic parallel blocks of grim dimensions, we
opted for a different kind of settlement pattern. The design for the large number of dwelling units is
fragmented into smaller aggregations enclosing a variety of spaces, which can be cohesively
arranged on the sloping site of a hillock and strung together with pedestrian pathways.
Evolution of design

The CIDCO Housing, has evolved since it was built in the year 1993. The design was such that almost all the tenements
had open to sky terraces. These terraces did not come under the FSI count and were big enough. Over the years as the
family size has increased, almost all the people have converted these terraces into an additional room. The best part is
that even after this modification, all the rooms still get enough light and ventilation. 

Most of the buildings of this complex are owned by the Income Tax Department. This has proved to be a major
drawback because, most of these houses are abandoned. People did not want to move into this complex due to its
locational disadvantages. This area lacks public transport facilities.
Location/Site related 
This complex is bound by highways on two sides, the south and the west. This site is situated at the edge of the Belapur
node and hence faces a number of drawbacks. 

-Because of being located at the junction of two highways and at the edge of a node, the
surrounding area is quite deserted.
-Located at the foothills of the Parsik Hills, there is a constant danger of wild animals getting
into the complex. The residents complained that they could not leave their kids to play
outdoors.
-It is located far away from the two main modes of mass transport, namely the local train and
the bus service.
- The commercial block of this particular colony was highly inefficient and is presently not
functional
Evolution of Houseold

Family size: From the above table it is evident that the mean family size does come within 5, still there are families
with a larger number of family members. 
-Occupation/Employment: The survey data shows that most of the people residing in this complex do not travel to
far off places for work. Many of them are daily wage earners, who do not have a fixed place of work. So the residents
of this complex do not spend a large chunk of their income in travelling. 
-Income: The survey data shows that even though there are a few residents whose monthly income is within the limit
of that of a EWS, still proliferation has taken place to a large extent. One main reason for this may be that, this
complex was built more than 15 years back and the residents may have gone into the upper income level over the
years.