Vedant Mhatre - Question of Cities

Redesign: The key to the Gordian knot of Mumbai’s congested and unsafe places

The city’s landscape has been constantly changing but what has remained consistent over the years is the chaotic cluttered mess outside its suburban railway stations used by millions of people every day and unsafe lanes at key locations. Redesigning some…

Trees: Nature’s canopies against scorched cities and heat waves

It’s known that trees are natural coolers amidst the concrete in our cities. This becomes critical when cities reel under heat waves as they have this summer. Abundant green cover helps to heat-proof cities while an absence of trees exacerbates…

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…

Mapping neighbourhoods, one by one, to improve walkability

Except in a few select areas of the city, pavements in Mumbai are a poor apology for walking infrastructure and common space. Their design, accessibility and maintenance needs a close look – and an overhaul. This is despite more than…