Since its inception, the Island of Bombay had an asset-worthy architecture which is singing the tales of the boom the port city witnessed so far. The colonial glimpses of lush adornments on buildings of South Mumbai, the legacy of the hardships of mill-workers seen in the mills of Parel, bustling streets of Kalbadevi Market, the expanse by the bay, and a lot of other aspects of life in Mumbai are depicted by the construction workers of that period of history. Mumbai, then Bombay, has always been characterized for its chaotically colourful flair, cramped housing and residents rushing to work. But now, the character seems to fade away mainly because the very identity of this place is endangered. Its soul is under constant threat of dilapidation from modern architecture.

This city boasted of many sprawling bungalows, made tastefully by their Parsees, Gujaratis and Anglo-Indian owners, many of which are lying derelict and isolated amidst the hustle. The Indian legal system defines the protection and preservation of buildings/monuments of historic importance but fails to acknowledge a proactive approach towards their effective maintenance. The city, despite having an enormous number of classic buildings, does not manage to present itself as a history-appreciating society. Unlike the urban planning and layout consideration in Europe, India has opted for an overall utilitarian approach, which is 'fine' but it doesn't count things like a uniform avenue, symmetrical designs and colour-scheme and avoiding general eyesores in the form of unkempt structures, maybe lacking a decent paint.

Mumbai, to Indians, has always been an equivalent term to a housing crisis. The crisis here is so intense that it is more or less the way of living. The island city cannot expand side-wards hence it goes upwards, and indeed, addressing this problem should be the first priority of the political establishment. But, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation passes layouts for upcoming projects, it seems they hardly ever pay any attention to the perspective as to how this building might appear in a particular vicinity. This becomes the reason why Mumbai features extreme dimensions of architecture with no subtle coordination. In comparison with London, residents in many parts are not even allowed to change the colour of their front doors as this would bother the overall appearance of a street.

As Mumbai is a representative global financial centre of India, it is important that the civic and resident bodies take part in glamming it up. Mumbai is home to a tremendous amount of wealth and is almost a trillion-dollar pocket herself, but such an inefficient urban-planning and next to no regard for the symmetric aesthetics do not let the soot to fly off the diamond. Mumbaikars already have some of the most stressed lives, having a visually-appealing city would do a job in making their lives a bit easier.