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.
Suburban Luxury
January 2015
SO2 - 22 ug / m3
NOx - 85 ug / m3
RSPM - 130 ug / m3
"The last consideration for fixation of F.S.I. is that there should be a limit to the size of a metropolitan area. There are a number of social and economical advantagesin having a large metropolitan area, but when this becomes too larger certain disadvantages creep in. The cost of living goes up higher especially the house rents and the prices of foodstuffs. The local taxation, merely to provide services compensating for losses in urbanization, soares up. There is no offer of rural amenities for the average citizen, congestion at the centre increases, transport and communication lines are lengthened and journey to work becomes long and tedious. The surroundingfair sized towns start losing their independence because of the powerful influences wielded by the metropolitan area. In the event of war large concentration of population in a metropolitan area offers a good target and the problem of evacuation inan emergency becomes intricate.
In view of these restrictive influences the ultimate population of the City of Bombay should be restricted to 32.5 lakhs and of the Suburbs to 47.5 lakhs."
Development Plan for Greater Bombay
Page 149.br.Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay
1964
Robert D. Stephens is a Principal at RMA Architects, Mumbai. His passions include the art of building and constructing beauty through visual, literary, and cinematic imagery. In 2013 he co-produced a feature film with India's first You Tube star, Wilbur Sargunaraj, entitled "Simple Superstar".
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.