Infrastructure

"A city designed with the principles of Universal Design will ensure that all users, including people with disabilities, the elderly, children, and women, can move about the city seamlessly, at any given time, without any dependence on anyone else," said Santhosh Loganaathan, a Chennai-based urban planner with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). If Chennai implements Universal Design perfectly, no resident will feel any inhibition while accessing urban spaces, said Santhosh. For instance, a visually impaired person and a sighted person must have the same confidence while navigating the city. "Currently, only some groups of people can participate…

Bengaluru will soon have 8600 CCTV cameras monitoring activity in public spaces. While the city currently has around 1,100 such cameras, another 7,500 would be added as part of a new 'Safe City' project. One key objective of the project, financed by the Center's Nirbhaya fund, is to monitor, detect and prevent crimes against women. What would this massive surveillance project entail - who will look at the footage, how will it be used, and what are the expected outcomes? Here's what we found, based on the tender documents for the project. The Centre had approved Safe City projects for…

Two years ago, the Bandra West railway station area used to be crowded, chaotic and messy. Commuters heading towards the trains jostled not only with those leaving, but also with the many rickshaws, share-rickshaw drivers, vehicles and occasional hawkers vying for their attention. Vehicles squeezed past each other narrowly, making it unsafe for pedestrians. “I used to take the train to work every day for eight years,” recalls Samir D’Monte, founder and principal architect at SDM Architects. “I realised then that there was a lot of scope for improvement.” Sketching out a few plans for reworking the railway station area,…

The Ejipura to Kendriya Sadan Flyover has been in the works for more than five years now. Over a period of time, many parties have been involved in this, namely, the BBMP, the Karnataka State Government, the Honourable Karnataka High Court, the contractor and the hapless citizens of Bengaluru. This article is just a way of venting for one such citizen of Bengaluru. No interviews were conducted and no specific research was undertaken for the writing of this article.  Even without research or study, the piteous condition of the road underneath is enough evidence for everyone to see. Barricades have…

I travel across cities in India for work and leisure, but Mumbai has always been important to me, as I have family and friends in the city. Coming from Bengaluru, the city’s heat and humidity have not really been in my favour. Outdoor walks during the evenings always help me recover from my physical and mental fatigue. Recently, taking my son to a nearby public space - a park near our house in Vashi, Navi Mumbai - has become my routine. 'Gorakhnath Shivram Palve' is a neighbourhood park, one of the many in this planned extension of Mumbai. Visiting a…

The Karnataka High Court recently told BBMP officials that poor roads are giving a very bad name to Bengaluru. The court was hearing a PIL related to potholes. The issue of poor road maintenance has dominated the local news space for years now. But what is the root cause of this frustrating situation? In earlier articles, we explored how some areas of Bengaluru manage to have good roads without potholes, and how it was about maintaining proper drains and ensuring regular maintenance. We then explored what BBMP’s own guidelines say about maintaining drains and how much the guidelines are followed…

Data suggests that every year more than 30 children die due to traffic on Indian streets. The number of vehicles is increasing at an alarming rate, while the infrastructure to hold them remains limited. Poor traffic management near school zones, particularly, is a safety concern for all as vehicles queue up, reducing visibility. As schools return to pre-pandemic routines, it is important to reexamine children’s safe access to schools. Small changes could make roads safer. For example, identifying road traffic crash hotspots around schools could prevent fatalities and encourage the use of public and other alternative modes of transport, like biking. “Children…

A viewing deck over a stormwater outfall in Dadar that looks out onto the sea. Solar-powered electric poles shaped like a tree. Multi-coloured and fun-shaped zebra crossings near school gates. These ideas may seem unrelated, but they share a common thread; they all come under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s new push towards ‘tactical urbanism’. Starting January, the drive has sparked off several projects to enhance livability in the city, often on a pilot basis and in local pockets. Some of the steps taken under it are fairly simple and ordinary, such as planting trees along roads, refurbishing bus stops,…

In a previous article, we saw how Electronics City’s Township Authority (ELCITA) manages to keep its roads free of potholes by ensuring good drainage and prompt filling of potholes. Functioning stormwater drains that prevent waterlogging and seepage into road surfaces were identified as an important factor in ensuring pothole-free roads. BBMP too has its own set of guidelines on how to ensure effective drainage of rainwater from roads. In reality, however, whether those guidelines are being followed can be a hit or miss across the city. Residents also play their part by encroaching on roads and drains and dumping garbage…

Mumbai has more than 100 flood-prone areas and around 300 landslide-prone areas vulnerable to the monsoons. According to the Vulnerability Assessment of the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), 35.3% of the city’s population are at risk of being exposed to floods, since they are within 250 metres of the hotspots. Monsoon preparedness measures attempt to lower the risk and loss of life in case of heavy rains and potential hazards. “The task of disaster management is to give relief,” says Prabhat Rahangdale, former deputy municipal commissioner (disaster management). “When disaster does strike, it is preemptive preparation that makes the most difference.”  That…