The skatepark at the Carter Road Promenade has opened

After a long period of renovation the the Carter Road promenade has re-opened to the public. Now in a new avatar with the addition of a skatepark. Together with the MMB (Mumbai Maritime Board), the BWRA (Bandra West Residents Association) and Altamash Sayed for Bombay SB, the Bandra Collective has worked hard to make this skatepark a reality. Skateboarding acts as a force of “social disruption”. Not surprisingly, the skatepark at Carter Road quickly has become a meeting place not only for enthusiasts, but also a please where people of different backgrounds interact. 

Previously the Carter Road promenade was predominantly a place for a quiet evening stroll or a run attracting the elderly and middle aged residents of the wealthy neighbourhood of Bandra. The skatepark has changed this. Now small kids, young men and women from both underprivileged communities as well as the well to do, join in a sport that binds them together, breaking down cultural barriers. The elderly enjoy the new addition to the promenade as well, watching the stunts and vibrant activity at the skate park from the sidelines. In order to make the park even more inclusive the design of the skatepark can also be turned into an amphitheatre. The steps leading down into the skating bowl will act as seats, whereas the performance can take place on the platform of the quarter pipe. 

Altamash and the Bandra Collective are currently pushing for getting the second phase of the park ready as well. More to come soon….!

A thriving community is pursuing skateboarding and BMX freestyling as a means of self-expression. ©Sameera Reddy

The Bandra Collective is a not-for-profit urban design think-tank, comprising of architects and designers who bring design thinking to the production of public space.They navigate between citizens, state and policy to design and oversee meaningful public spaces for the city.