Do metro cities have space for pedestrians? | In Focus podcast
This podcast episode explores the lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in major Indian cities like Bengaluru. It discusses the legal and urban planning challenges of prioritizing vehicles over people and the fundamental right to walk.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing tension between rapid urbanization and the basic human rights of citizens in developing metropolitan areas.
What does it say about our cities when the Supreme Court has to remind governments that people have a fundamental right to walk?
The Court’s recent judgment on footpaths has put a very basic question back on the table - who does the city actually make space for, the pedestrian or the vehicle?
In cities like Bengaluru, the answer is visible on the street. Footpaths are taken over by parking, vendors, utility infrastructure and construction, while in several places there is barely a footpath to begin with. But is “encroachment” really the problem, or have we never planned our streets around pedestrians in the first place?
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