Mumbai North is a collection black and white - photographs taken 15,000 ft above sea level between December 2014 and November 2015 of Mumbai's suburbs by photographer Robert D Stephens.
After the success of his two previous exhibitions, 'Mumbai Articles' (2014) and 'Madras Transit' (Aug 2015) were, Stephens offers an alternate lens into the urban geography, landscape and sprawl of the city's suburbs with Mumbai North.
One of the unique aspects of this photograph is that it is accompanied by a record of air pollution levels on the corresponding day, as measured by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board as well as extracts from antiquarian books related to Mumbai, dating back to the late 1800s.
Gorai Creek
January 2015
SO2 - 13 ug / m3
NOx - 70 ug / m3
RSPM - 97 ug / m3
"It is indeed distressing to note that the City of Bombay, which claims to be the 'Urbs prima in Indis' has developed with scant attention to the provision of open spaces. Thesurveys carried out have revealed that the City has roughly about 1/4 acre / 1,000 population as against 7 acres and 10 acres / 1,000 population standard adopted in Britain and the U.S.A. There being no effective measures to prevent overcrowding andto check the prevailing high densities consequent upon the low living standards these have all summed up to make the existing open spaces more and more deficient.
Suburban areas, including that of the Extended Suburbs, fortunately present a different picture. The densities prevailing, the low rates of land and the fact that these areas are in the process of development, makes it possible for more effective control. How far the planned approach would reach its completeness would depend ona number of circumstances, but one thing is certain that the natural topography of the land with the rugged hills and dales with their panorama of scenic beauty would withstand the adverse designs of men with their own natural strength."
Development Plan for Greater Bombay
Page 50
Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay
1964
About Mumbai North
Aerial Photographs of Mumbai's Suburbs by Robert D. Stephens
Click links below to see his other collections:
Mumbai Articles Madras Transit After the success of Mumbai Articles, Stephen's contemporary black and white, aerial photographs of Mumbai city, photographer Robert D Stephens turns his attentions to the surburbs of Mumbai. This January, he brings us Mumbai North, an urban portrait collection of suburban geography, featuring black and white photographs taken 15,000 ft above sea level between December 2014 and November 2015. Suburbs documented range from Nalasopara to Bhiwandi, Vikhroli to Aarey Colony, Bandra to Kandivali, and more.