Archives - Question of Cities

Kolkata: When the circle of mobility comes back to trams, buses, and ferries

Once served well by its dependable bus system, tram network, and ferries on Hooghly River, the city has seen a predictable shift to cars and motorised two-wheelers in recent decades. The share of people walking, cycling and using public transport…

Sorry, but flyovers will never ease Guwahati’s traffic woes

The scourge of metropolitan cities – congested roads, rising motorised vehicles, growth in private transport – is now in Assam’s largest city too. Guwahati with its growing population and intricate network of smaller lanes connecting to major arterial roads, poses…

Walk the talk on public transport, invest with sound mathematics

Cities are all about space. Both private and public transport must be seen from this perspective. Private transport is uneconomical for cities, especially like Mumbai, because cars carry fewer people but occupy more comparative space than other modes like buses.…

Mumbai’s last-mile connectivity matters the most, needs an urgent upgrade

Although Mumbai is hailed for its clockwork-like public transport options such as the suburban trains and local buses that are relatively safe, accessible and affordable, large parts of the city suffer from the last-mile connectivity problem. The last-mile connectivity, or…

‘Move people back into trains and buses, it’s affordable and it’s climate action’

As cities in India see a rise in private transport, the modal share of public transport has declined. This varies from city to city but nowhere is it more stark than in Mumbai which was once famed for its accessible…

The way ahead for Delhi’s transport: Green mobility, women’s safety

The modern-day Delhi has not been known for an efficient, safe and reliable public transport system though nearly half of its commuter population uses it, with the metro registering nearly 3.2 million and the bus network 2.5 million commuters a…

How cities around the world prioritised public transport and improved mobility

As cities stare at the effects of climate change, the importance of an efficient public transport system becomes clear. The quality of urban life is determined by an urban design with transport policies that prioritise accessible and comfortable modes of…

For better cities, map and integrate all open spaces into urban planning

Gardens, promenades, boardwalks, wetlands, salt pans, beaches, promenades, green connectors amid a city’s concrete, are vital open spaces which make it more liveable. The most iconic open spaces combine a multitude of urban functions: ecological, social, public health, public safety,…

Mahalaxmi Racecourse: A public open expanse, threatened by a theme park

One of Mumbai’s largest and most recognisable open spaces, the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, attracts hundreds of joggers, walkers, sportspersons, and yoga enthusiasts among others. The theme park planned here will likely shrink the precious open space, replace the green with some…

Social well-being through open space planning: The Navi Mumbai case study

The new city on a vast greenfield area across the Mumbai harbour was planned in the 1960-70s to decongest the increasingly-dense Mumbai. The master plan for Navi Mumbai, modelled on self-reliant inter-connected nodes, each with amenities for housing as well…