The purpose of this essay is to highlight an often overlooked aspect of planning for public spaces in Mumbai. The dominant conversation focuses on preserving open spaces against incessant urbanization in form of protected parks, gardens, and maidans. But with more than half the city living in informal settlements, our imagination for maximizing genuine access to public spaces should account for other models of place-making that can weave public spaces into the rich fabric of home-grown neighbourhoods.

By exploring successful examples of interventions around the world that improved lives without displacing communities, the author hopes to make the case for a more imaginative approach towards social inclusion in Mumbai. The essay will highlight the practices within informal settlements as well as the challenges for housing and policy-making in Mumbai to finally propose a vision that places the playground at the very heart of inclusive development.