According to the recent [and Institute, an independent organisation may be required in some areas, but the only] comprehensive transport working on urban planning issues. 1 these should not be replicated all over. survey (CTS) 2005-08 of the Metropolitan Region Development Whereas MMRDA is going Skywalks Authority (MMRDA), over 52 per cent full force in implementing various Skywalk is an elevated walk of Mumbaikars make their average infrastructure projects in Mumbai, way dedicated to the pedestrians. daily trips by walking. Another 25 per such as Metro rail, monorail, sea links, It connects the railway station/high cent use the local trains, whereas 12 expressways, flyovers, etc, providing concentration commercial area with the per cent average daily trips are made basic pedestrian infrastructure such as destination points where concentration through public transport buses. And footpaths is not on its agenda. No wonder of pedestrians prevails. The purpose in sharp contrast to these figures, the then that the new business districts of of skywalks is efficient dispersal of share of private vehicles’ (read cars) the city have no provision for walking. commuters from station/congested area in percentage average trips per day is “Business districts like Powai, - to strategic locations viz. bus stops, taxi barely 3 per cent. Mumbai thus clearly Kurla Complex, East, Mindspace stands, shopping areas, off roads etc. and seems to be having an edge over in Malad, etc. have been developed vice versa.Keeping these facts in mind, the other Indian motorized cities. only for people who come in their fast MMRDA has planned 50 skywalks in the moving cars. There is no provision for entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region at This jubilation, however, is pedestrians. Even though footpaths have a total estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. short lived because a close look at been provided in some places, these In Mumbai, these skywalks dot city’s Mumbai’s street realities and its transport do not connect or integrate with the entire skyline. For instance, skywalks are planning process exposes the manner other parts of the city. Hence they do proposed in Parel, Kurla, Goregaon, Vile in which the concept of walkability is not enhance walkability,” says Joshi. 2 Parle, Andheri (E), Andheri (W), Kandivali, being systematically eroded from the Grant Road, CST to Church Gate, , city’s collective conscience. “Historically, Urban planners and architects Chembur, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Malad, 1 Pankaj Joshi 2009, Mumbai’s Mumbai is known for its well-paved claim that the state government is Santa Cruz, Dahisar, etc. Name any executive director, Urban footpaths. For instance, ’s working against its own data, which area, and there is a skywalk planned. 4 Design Research Institute, Fort area, developed way back in 1880s shows that almost 55 per cent average Mumbai, March 30, Pedestrian by British, is now a main business district daily trips per day are made by walking. One such pilot skywalk is already personal communication. of the city. It has a reasonably good “In its right sense, any planning agency operational since June last year between 2 Pankaj Joshi 2009, network of footpaths and our recent should cash upon this fact and strengthen Bandra (E) station and Kalanagar (Bandra- executive director, Urban Paradox study shows that over 70 per cent of the pedestrian infrastructure. But MMDRA Kurla Complex). It is 1,300 metres long Design Research Institute, the people from the nearby four local seems to be having some other designs. It and 4 metres wide. It has been planned Mumbai, March 30, Published as a part of the cover story (On two legs and a prayer, train stations – Church Gate, Marine wants more and more people to use their so that people from Bandra station can personal communication. April 30, 2009, Down To Earth) and monograph on walkability Lines, CST and Masjid Bunder --- come private cars, for which it is building sea walk to their workplaces in Bandra-Kurla 3 Ashok Datar 2009, (Footfalls: Obstacle Course to Liveable Cities, CSE 2009) walking to Fort. People who take taxis links, flyovers and wide roads. In the name Complex.5 However, reality is different. Mumbai Environmental do so not because they cannot walk the of pedestrianisation, it has now started “This skywalk has been constructed Social Network, Mumbai, distance, but because they are in a hurry constructing skywalks that resemble for a peak hour capacity of 5,500 March 30, personal to reach their destination. But such is ugly caterpillars and do not solve the commuters. But the usage is less than communication. not the case with other areas of Mumbai, problem,” says Ashok Datar, a transport 100 people in peak hour. MMRDA has 4 http://www. especially the suburbs where footpaths expert working with the Mumbai-based spent about Rs 13 crore for constructing mmrdamumbai.org/ are non-existent and pedestrians are NGO, Mumbai Environmental Social this elevated walkway, but clearly there skywalk.htm Nidhi Jamwal a cursed lot,” says Pankaj Joshi, an Network. Datar has been researching is a mismatch between pedestrian needs 5 http://www. Senior Correspondent, Centre for Science and architect and executive director of on Mumbai’s transportation issues for and what the state is offering,” says mmrdamumbai.org/ Enviroment/ Down to Earth Magazine Mumbai-based Urban Design Research the last 20 years.3 He feels skywalks Datar. He alleges that without doing a skywalk.htm

252 / 08 transportation 08 / 253 comprehensive study of the usage of A campaign has already been We need to set our priorities right and in than on the footpath,” says Punj. In many existing skywalk, MMRDA is creating launched by NGOs against the proposed case of Mumbai, MMRDA data shows that colonies residents are spending their more ‘caterpillars’ across Mumbai.6 skywalk from CST to Church Gate in south utmost priority is pedestrian footpaths, own money and maintaining footpaths. Mumbai. MMRDA has recently decided followed by local trains and buses. Private Sudhir Badami, Mumbai- to extend this skywalk to Mantralaya cars must be discouraged,” says Joshi. Punj shares a personal based transport consultant feels that and , and this had raised many experience to show authorities’ callous mindless sprouting of skywalks shows eyebrows. “These areas have good UDRI has recently launched attitude towards pavements, which are government’s escapism from wanting to footpaths that are encroachment free. a year-long project to study considered poor person’s ‘transport’ get footpaths in order. “Skywalks may Many pedestrians use them. People pedestrianisation in Mumbai and how option. “The footpath in front of our be necessary in some area, but they also walk through Oval Maidan and the city can be made more walkable. The society used to have hundreds of hawkers should not be made a norm,” he says. to reach their respective initial findings of this study expose how selling anything from undergarments to Badami, who studied at IIT Mumbai stations. Why should pedestrians be the system itself discourages pedestrians. fruit juices to pornographic CDs. It was during 1970s and lives at Babulnath made to climb up skywalks?” questions “The classic example is two traffic impossible to even see the pavement let Narg in south Mumbai, says that during Neera Punj, convener of CitiSpace, a signals in front of CST station, one of the alone walk on it. In 2001, our resident earlier times, footpaths in Mumbai civil society group working towards busiest train stations in Mumbai. Both association decided to adopt the were in a much better condition. “I protection of open spaces in Mumbai.8 these traffic signals are programmed in pavement, protect it and maintain it. But used to walk back home from Grant Colaba and Fort area of Mumbai have such a way that pedestrians can never it was such a difficult task. For one year, I Road station. But now I am forced to over 150 heritage structures that would cross the road. The divider between was made to run from pillar to post, from take a taxi because the footpath is in get ruined by these skywalks, she claims. the road is so narrow that barely one corporation office to traffic police office. a mess and almost non-existent.” CitiSpace has already shot off a letter to person can stand on it. There are many state chief minister demanding scrapping more traffic signals like these which But finally we adopted the Architects and planners are of CST-Chuirch Gate- Mantralaya- discourage pedestrian movement in the pavement and have removed the 6 Ashok Datar 2009, criticizing the way skywalks are being Colaba skywalk.9 Punj alleges that state city,” says Kirti, an architect with UDRI. hawkers. Our association spends Rs Mumbai Environmental constructed. “ is a democracy and government is ready to push only those 40,000 per month only in the upkeep and Social Network, Mumbai, everyone has a right to have space on the transportation projects that cost crores Joshi feels that there is a protection of the pavement,” says Punj March 30, personal road. Why should roads be left only for and involve a private limited company. need for city-wide study whereby who lives in Lotus Court near Church communication. private cars and pedestrians be pushed bottlenecks for pedestrians can be Gate station in South Mumbai. But not 7 Faizan Jawed 2009, on to the skywalks? Pedestrians must Walkability is not rocket science identified and then by taking simple all associations are rich enough to architect, Rizvi College be provided space on the road itself. Urban planners claim that measures such as reprogramming signals spend that kind of money in maintaining of Architecture, Mumbai, This is non-negotiable,” says Faizan Mumbai can easily be turned into a or increasing the duration of red light, pavements. “Why should residents pay, March 29, personal Jawed, an architect-cum-activist who pedestrian-friendly city provided the Mumbai can be made more walkable. when they are already paying their taxes? communication. has recently passed out of Rizvi College planning authorities desire so. And Mumbaikars in any case pay the highest 8 Neera Punj 2009, of Architecture, Mumbai. Jawed is also pedestrianisation will also be cost- Activists allege that authorities/ taxes in the country,” lashes out Punj. convener, CitiSpace, running a campaign demanding dedicated effective when compared to other corporation is careless while constructing Mumbai, March 30, cycle tracks in the city. “I strongly believe transport projects such as Rs 800 crore footpaths. Footpaths are more of a Residents of Mumbai have personal communication. that cars cannot solve the transportation Bandra- sea link or Rs 125 crore design problem. “There are areas where paranoia with footpaths, which they 9 http://www.indianexpress. and congestion problem. They are not part per kilometer Metro rail (Rs 600 crore footpaths are over two feet high. How feel, attract hawkers or homeless. In com/news/heritage- of the solution, but they are the problem. per km for underground sections of does the civic body expect old people some areas, residents themselves put activists-launch-protest- We need to redefine the quality of life. the Metro rail project. The total cost of to climb these up? Also in most places big plants in all sides of the pavement, against-skywalk/430157/ We must pressurize our government to Metro rail project is pegged at about Rs footpaths are broken and non-continuous, only to avoid some homeless people 10 http://www. provide us good footpaths and dedicated 20,000 crore).10 “We need to reclaim which means a pedestrian has to keep sleep on the footpaths. The footpath mmrdamumbai.org/ cycle tracks. And if it refuses to listen, our footpaths by launching a strong climbing up and down. This is irksome from Link Road in Andheri to has projects_metro_rail.html we will vote it out,” Jawed adds.7 campaign. Footpaths are non-negotiable. and people prefer walking on the road been encroached by pavement dwellers.

254 / 08 transportation 08 / 255 Even the divider between the road most solutions are knee-jerk that further When undesirables come together a way that it has a life of its own and is has not been spared and is used by aggravate the problem,” says Joshi. There are research organisations self-sustaining. We have also prepared homeless people to sleep in the right. and architects who are working towards a plan of how the three proposed Metro Datar is worried about how making the undesirables of Mumbai stations need to be realigned to ensure In some areas such as Mumbai will look in the coming few years. city, such as pedestrians and hawkers, pedestrianisation of large parts of Juhu. Lokhandwala in Andheri West, footpaths “Imagine flyovers, skywalks, sea links, become part of the larger fabric of the We are not opposing other infrastructure are barely a metre wide. The bus-stops Metro, monorail criss-crossing Mumbai. city. One such organisation is Juhu- projects in the city, but all we are trying to that BEST has constructed have also The city will soon turn into an ugly based architecture college, Kamla Raheja do is to tie the lose ends by networking of caused much destruction of pavements layered city with pedestrians enmeshed Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture public open spaces,” explains Menezes. as these encroach upon them, leaving between its various layers,” he fears. (KRVIA). Along with P K Das & Associates, little or so space for pedestrians. “Today an architecture firm, and the residents Take the case of proposed Metro pavements in Mumbai have both legal Experts claim some soft of Juhu, it has conducted an in-depth line from Colaba-Bandra-Charkop. Three and illegal encroachments. Legal by measures can be taken to make some study (dated 2008) titled ‘Re-imagining Metro stations fall within Juhu area and way of police chowkies and milk booth high pedestrian areas more walkable. the public realm: the case of Juhu-draft at present all these three stations directly centres; and illegal in terms of hawkers. For instance, traffic movement can be plan’. Commonly known as Vision Juhu, open on the main roads. “Can you imagine Both need to be dealt with strictly,” says stopped during peak hours, allowing free the aim of this study is to integrate the chaos on roads when commuters Punj. Since 1998, Punj’s NGO is fighting a movement of people on foot. In some various public spaces in Juhu and make from these Metro stations directly come legal battle in the Supreme Court of India Western countries, tall physical structures the area more pedestrian friendly. “Our out on the roads? We have proposed demanding hawking and non-hawking are erected to make certain areas study area had a mix population ranging realignment of these stations and zones to be specified across Mumbai, inaccessible to cars. Bora Bazar area in from film personalities like Amitabh reclamation of a strip of land from airports and pavements be made hawking free. south Mumbai can be made pedestrian- Bacchan, Shabana Azmi to two gaothans, authority. If that is done, then burst points only zone during the day time, whereas fishing villages and slums. We needed for Metro stations would be at green In spite of various directions traffic can be allowed during early a common thread that binds this entire open spaces. And from there people can from the apex court, Mumbai corporation morning and night time when delivery area together and realized that Irla nala easily deflect in various directions using has failed to address the problem. Almost vans come. A simple step like painting that flows through this area provides a footpaths or the developed sidewalks all pavements around the local train zebra crossings can also go a long way in good platform. Also after the July 26, of Irla nala,” says Menezes (see map). stations are encroached by hawkers. easing pedestrian problems in Mumbai. 2005 flood, people have awakened The famous, in South to the importance of these nalas that Like Irla nala, there are many Mumbai or the market of Link Road Joshi says it is high time we were actually natural waterways,” more nalas/small rivers in Mumbai, in Bandra shows the extent to which redefine ‘development and growth’. narrates Benita Menezes, lecturer at such as river, , hawkers have taken over footpaths. “When 2.4 km long JJ flyover was the design cell of the institute.11 etc, that can be developed proposed [from Palton Road to central along the same lines. But Menezes There are other problems as Mumbai], local people were happy So as part of the study, KRVIA claims that one big plan for the city well. Joshi claims that with so many that development was coming to has proposed 6 metres area on both sides will not work. We need multi-scalar flyovers coming up in the city, no thought their area, a predominantly Muslim of this nala to be protected and developed approach in which neighbourhoods has been given to pedestrian walkways. area. But speak to them now and they in such a way that water permeability prepare their own micro-plans, as Take the case of recently inaugurated will narrate you stories of how this is enhanced and the developed area is they are aware of local resources and flyover at Western Expressway near flyover has made their life hell. It has used to relocate the undesirables, such problems, and see how best their area Thakur Village in Kandivali East. “No aggravated the problem of air and noise as hawkers. This developed area will can become walkable, she says. provision has been made for pedestrians. pollution. There is no privacy and the have pedestrian walkways and would be And now as an after thought, skywalks entire area has turned into a ghetto,” connected with other open areas of Juhu, However, stage is getting 11 Benita Menezes 2009, are being proposed. This is not the way says Joshi. Similar situation will arise this allowing free pedestrian movement. set for Mumbaikars to demand rights lecturer, KRVIA, Mumbai, a city’s transportation system ought to in case of other elevated infrastructure “The idea behind this is not to turn this of pedestrians. Last year, a group of March 31, personal be developed. Planning is ad-hoc and projects like skywalks, Metro etc. area into a ghetto but to develop it in such Mumbaikars headed by Krishnaraj Rao communication.

256 / 08 transportation 09 / 257 formed Sahasi Padyatri (brave pedestrian), started thinking about the pedestrians an informal group of residents demanding and are constructing foot over-briges, obstruction free and safe footpaths in but a lot more needs to be done. the city. In March last year, activists of this group launched a stayagraha and Elsewhere, architects are went around the suburbs of Mumbai demanding that the comprehensive and painted lanes on the road and transport survey 2005-08 be made declared them pedestrian-only lanes. public. “We have tried our level best, even through right to information (RTI) “We organized many such application, but we cannot lay our events in Bandra, , Chembur, hands on the comprehensive transport , Mumbai Central and Vile survey. I feel that MMRDA fears that Parle. In alone we organized if this study is made public, then 20 such events at the some point. We people will question the very basis of expected motorized people to get angry sanctioning various costly transportation and fight with us, but surprisingly their projects. Without a comprehensive response was extremely positive. People assessment, such projects should not in the cars told us that we were doing be cleared… Regarding pedestrians, if the right thing. I think people saw the we provide proper footpaths, then there 12 Krishnaraj Rao 2009, point we were trying to make,” says is no need to construct even a single Mumbai, April 1, personal Rao.12 He feels that the authorities have skywalk in the city,” assures Joshi. communication.

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