Global Inspiration for Local Action

How can India be Smart and Walkable?

Angela Sehgal *

Rapid urbanisation, as part of modernisation, seems inevitable around the world and India is no exception. The trend is more evident in Asia where the urban population has almost tripled since the last century. India is likely to make a humongous contribution to the growing urban population over the coming decades. And, if this urban population is handled efficiently and inclusively, it will lead to an annual increase of 1.5 per cent to the country’s GDP, according to government estimates.¹

An efficient and socially inclusive infrastructure would therefore mean creating environments which will be economically viable and socially inclusive for all members of the society, whether rich or poor, physically fit, or unfit. This model of development leaves us no choice but to transform our urban spaces into socially inclusive smart cities.

“Social inclusiveness refers to treating all people in a city equally in their access to work and services, such as public transport and healthcare. Inclusive generally refers to planning and decision-making processes that include a broad range of people from across a city, ranging from experts to ordinary residents...”²

Inclusivity and the Smart Cities

A very fundamental right of any citizen, anywhere, is the right to walk i.e. the right to move safely and freely without any harm or impediment on the road. Walking is a healthier and sustainable way of life and walkable communities are the need of the day. Any smart city, in the modern sense, combines competitiveness with sustainable development; one that is designed to mitigate inequality and promote social inclusion.

According to the European Union, a smart city can effectively manage both environmental progress and economic growth if it chooses to adopt an integrated approach including all aspects of sustainable development. Navigating this balance will be a key challenge for urban planners and policymakers in the 21st century, especially in countries like India. United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals urge member states to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by 2030 by improving access to an expanding public transit system amongst other requirements.

Adopting international best practices could help India improve its urban infrastructure by learning from the experiences, failures, and successes of other countries and prioritising the rights of pedestrians.

Best World Practices

In the European Union (EU), pedestrians and cyclists deaths account for almost 29 per cent of all road deaths. This is a big reason why it has actively taken the lead in pedestrian safety.

With strategic and effective planning like preparing and implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans3 and keeping road safety as a priority in all planning and implementation cycles, European Union countries like Norway and Slovenia,⁴ among others, have managed to reduce pedestrian deaths by 8-9 percent between 2010 and 2018.

“Social inclusiveness refers to treating all people in a city equally in their access to work and services, such as public transport and healthcare.
Finland, for instance, has adopted a National Walking and Cycling Promotion Strategy which aims to reduce emissions and improve public health.”

The EU road safety policy framework (2021-2030) includes a list of key performance indicators (KPI’s) developed in collaboration with its member states who work around speed vehicle safety and protective equipment to improve pedestrian safety. These performance indicators can help in developing well-thought-out decisions and more targeted policies. There is a significant improvement in pedestrian safety when individuals can walk on secure and functional footpaths rather than on a carriageway. Pedestrians should have an unobstructed path which allows them to perceive the flow of traffic while also enabling them to give adequate space to vehicle operators.

EU’s recommendations for pedestrian safety include measures like better lighting, refuges and raised pedestrian crossings that can ensure the safety of the crossing. Another measure would be to narrow down the roads at pedestrian crossings so that the vehicles slow down and the distance a pedestrian has to cover to cross the road is reduced. This can also be useful for the elderly and people with mobility impairments.

Friendly Pedestrian Parameters

To achieve high walkability and pedestrian-friendly standards, several factors are at play. Some of the parameters on which India could use some inspiration would be the following:

Safety: To make spaces safe and walkable for pedestrians as well as cyclists, Finland, for instance, has adopted a National Walking and Cycling Promotion Strategy5 which aims to reduce emissions and improve public health. This programme has set a target to increase the share of walking and cycling by 30 per cent by the year 2030. The reduction of emissions and prevention of road deaths and serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists would result in better public health and thus would aid in economic development by saving additional costs.⁶

Accessibility: Since 2010-15, a project with the European Foundation Centre in historical cities of countries like Italy, Denmark, France, Spain and Bulgaria has focused on accessibility. It has made pedestrian crossings not only more accessible to people who want to enjoy history and tourist sites in these cities but also to those with disabilities. These fully accessible routes include parks, restaurants, shops, tourist information centres and museums. The project also provides links to heritage sites and other main features of the cities with the help of signposts on the pedestrian pathway with interpretive information about the places along the route. The project not only successfully provided an accessible route but also ensured a wider accessible urban environment.⁷

Today, with plans like Vision Zero8 and Safe System Approach to Road Safety, European Union has one of the safest road systems in the world with the prime focus on infrastructure design, driver behaviour and vehicle safety functionality of footpaths as well as understanding of human nature.

Another good initiative has been taken by Mexico City, which has helped pedestrians to travel in a more efficient, safe, rapid and effective way and has reduced the travel time along the corridor almost by 40 per cent. Accessible sidewalks along the bus rapid transit line corridor, accessible pedestrian crossings with the help of traffic control, audible signals for pedestrians, traffic lights and tactile warnings at curb ramps have provided the citizens of Mexico City with a safe reliable service and easy pedestrian access.⁹

Urban Design: Countries like Switzerland and Sweden have created a pedestrian-friendly environment by implementing specific pedestrian zones in streets at their city centres and residential areas10 -- for example at Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich11, Switzerland, and Drottninggatan in Stockholm12, Sweden.

These areas restrict vehicular access, creating a safe and welcoming space for pedestrians.

“The reduction of emissions and prevention of road deaths and serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists would result in better public health and thus would aid in economic development by saving additional costs.”

Way Ahead for India

Despite being one of the 82 signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, which strives to create equal opportunities for differently abled people in terms of their physical environment and transportation, India has failed to provide a safe, accessible and sustainable transport system to pedestrians, especially for differently abled people.

Goal 11 of the said convention encourages “all the developments made in terms of creating accessible public mobility to be carried out keeping in mind the needs of all those in vulnerable situations like women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.”

India’s policy framework has a gap in its universal design implementation. This is because most of these guidelines, whether national or international, are not mandatory rules. Hence, there is no express obligation on their implementation.

Nevertheless, with measures like the Bombay High Court13 conferring statutory power on guidelines for inclusive and functional architectural design by the Indian Road Congress, there is a glimmer of hope for change.

Endnotes

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