Comprehending the gentrification of a suburb: the case of Mulund, Mumbai

Abstract

The process of gentrification in recent times has ventured beyond the inner city into territories that are not accounted for in the conventional wisdom associated with the phenomenon. Such has been the case of gentrification in Mulund, a suburb of Mumbai in India, where the occurrence of gentrification challenges the traditional understanding of the process. Mulund once used to be an industrial suburb where engineering and pharmaceutical industries were operational. Today, the suburb is gentrified with most of the old industrial structures replaced by high rises, malls, and multiplexes. Gentrification has brought about a revolutionary change to the suburb and has significantly redefined its characteristics. Yet, unlike the process of gentrification in the inner-city areas of Mumbai, that has been studied far and wide; the suburban gentrification of Mulund has been overlooked. This calls for studying the process of suburban gentrification in Mulund. Accordingly, the study has been undertaken to comprehend the gentrification of Mulund by dwelling on its causes, nature, and implications. The study questions the applicability of the existing theories of gentrification in the context of Mulund and attempts to answer it by applying both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results of the study reveal that the conventional theories are only partially applicable to the case of Mulund’s gentrification; therefore, requiring a renewed theoretical understanding to suit the changing nature of the phenomenon. The study further brings to light a series of changes brought about to the suburb by the occurrence of gentrification, such as the decrease in housing affordability, growth of retail and business, and growth of urban amenities, ultimately resulting in its urban spatial transformation.