The growth of Mumbai city is constrained by sea towards south, east and west and as a result total land area available for development of Mumbai is limited. Hence, developmental planners in late 1960s started exploiting alternative for dispersal and control of Mumbai population. Eminent architects like Mr. Charles Coria, Mr. Shirish Patel and Mr. Pravin Mehta suggested Navi Mumbai as alternative to Mumbai.

Navi Mumbai has been developed as a planned city, a counter magnet for Mumbai. It has been developed as an independent, fully self-contained metro city. It's the world's largest, planned, well-balanced, modern city. Navi Mumbai has been planned and developed by CIDCO to meet the infrastructural needs of a modern metropolis.

CIDCO is a State Public Sector Undertaking registered under Companies Act in March 1970. CIDCO prepared developmental plan for Navi Mumbai covering 95 villages from Thane to Raigad district covering total area of 343.70 sq km (table is shown below). This was approved by the Government of Maharashtra in August 1979.

Proposed Land-use Pattern in Navi Mumbai as Per CIDCO Plan

Sr.No Description Area
1 Low lying area unsuitable for development 34.20
2 MIDC Industrial Area 28.10
3 Defence area at Uran 4.56
4 Port at Nhava Sheva 12.00
5 Regional Parks 72.25
6 Sewage Farming 9.00
7 Fisheries 9.00
8 Net Area Available for Urban Development 174.59
  Total 343.70

Source : Development Plan for Navi Mumbai, CIDCO

Navi Mumbai has been developed as an environment friendly, beautiful landscaped area with parks, gardens and promenades along with waterfronts. Peculiar care has been taken to preserve the mountainous terrain, lakes and green spaces in Navi Mumbai, which cover nearly half of its total area.

For catering to the requirements of 29 villages in CIDCO project and 14 villages from Kalyan notified area, NMMC was formed vide Government order dated December 17, 1991. NMMC came in to existence on January 1, 1992 with total area of 162.5 Sq Km.

CIDCO area has seven nodes namely CBD Belapur, Vashi, Nerul, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli, Sanpada and Airoli. Except Ghansoli node, other six nodes are fully developed, hence, all powers conferred under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 has been transferred to NMMC. Additionally, 14 villages from Kalyan notified area had been deleted from NMMC jurisdiction vide Government order no. NMC 102000/LNO 54/04/NV 28 dated June 8, 2007.