Walk The Talk: Promoting walkability is a key measure to bring people into the public space and reduce congestion
Madhava Priyan, a Chennai resident decided to seek a loan in 2014 to purchase a new apartment that was closer to his new workplace. If he were to travel to work from his former residence, it would mean a 30 km drive that is over two and a half hours every single day. While his former residence was located in the heart of Chennai, the move led him to southern part of the city, that was closer to the core industrial area. Now his daily journey is less than 30 minutes, despite the heavy traffic.
Chennai- also known for being the automobile hub, has a bustling public transport network that includes local trains, Metro rail and government buses. But the rapid expansion of the city has only congested the existing infrastructure and pushed it to its limits. While the expansion of the city has led to mushrooming of job opportunities and growth, the common man continues to travel long hours to reach their workplaces.
Read: Walk-to-work: Still a distant dream in India
One of the principles of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Planning, UN Habitat said, "Promoting walkability is a key measure to bring people into the public space, reduce congestion and boost local economy. A vibrant street life, encourages people to walk or cycle around, while a rational street network enables necessary city services to be offered within walking or cycling distance and ensures security."
Read: 'Workplaces close to stations, are a necessity': Railway officials
It also adds, "High density, mixed land use and a social mix make proximity to work, home and services possible. Walkability helps to reduce automobile reliance and thus alleviate relevant congestion, air pollution and resource depletion issues. it is healthier to walk more and drive less! Pedestrians add an incredible amount of vibrancy to city life."
Read: Mumbai needs to define a 'new normal'
According to a study Adapted from Brinklow 2010, Transit Oriented Development, a transit station should be at the core of a commercial centre, where also an open-space such as a park is located, and all of this must be adjacent to an arterial road. Ideally the Residential Areas and Secondary areas must be located almost within a 2000-feet radius from the Core Commercial Area and transit hub.
However, such scenarios remain a distant reality in most Indian cities where new infrastructure is hastily added to the existing urban landscape. Walk-to -work is a possibility in a very few large townships that were planned in the last decade and they span across several thousand acres to accommodate workplaces, schools, recreation centres and also ample connectivity. More such cities and townships that could enable walk-to-work could become a reality only when they are planned and developed rather than built in addition to existing cities.
Research
- According to a study adapted from Brinklow 2010, Transit Oriented Development, a transit station should be at the core of a commercial centre, where also an open-space such as a park is located, and all of this must be adjacent to an arterial road.
Zee Media Newsroom
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