With around 600 kms of Metro line projects under construction in 12 cities and over 500 km projects under consideration, it is of utmost significance and urgency to point out the highly unsustainable ways in which the so-called sustainable Metro projects are being implemented. Why should metro rail be established at the cost of other modes, especially the non-motorized modes of cycling and walking, and then profess the idea of multi-modal integration? Why are cities continually investing and compromising towards one grand idea as the sole solution to traffic problem rather than small constructive ideas weaved together? And can any futuristic planning be so bereft of and violent to a city’s past and present?

In the last one month, three major roads of Pune- Karve Road, Old Canal Road and Law College Road - underwent a significant change. A change considered both ‘planned’ and ‘necessary’. A change brought about at full tilt and yet reported surreptitiously. A change radical in its consequences but normalized and objectified in its implementation.

Cities grow as a collage of numerous layers of history mingled over a period of time. Cities are constructive entities with social, political, economic and cultural values. Every layer that gets overlaid on the city has an impact on its each and every aspect. Most of Indian cities that developed during the colonial era flourished around a core city or old city, a British established estate called Civil Lines, and the cantonment areas. Wherever the British established

A home is renovated. The balcony is now a part of living area, new storage systems are installed, a fancy set of entertainment electronics replaces the old ones, a fresh coat of paint adds to the décor. The occupants are elated at their new ‘old home’ and forget the discomfort they faced in the duration of the work. Now, as they settle down and start arranging their belongings, they start missing the comfort of the old places. The small conveniences of their ‘old house’ have disappeared. But the house is visually pleasing! Never mind the hard-to-open wardrobes, the hard-to-find- three- remotes for the entertainment unit, the be-extra-careful-glass used for housing the TV. They know… eventually they will get used to it.

A city road is being remodelled. The process of construction work is long; the discomfort faced is not by one family, but by a thousand citizens. The citizens have questions, why? How? What is the plan? The questions remain unanswered. Yet after completion some newspapers print glossy pictures of the new design and compare it to designs across Europe and US or in this case Singapore. Now we are progressing! The citizens are happy; we have got a design exactly like ‘abroad’. The discomfort is forgotten though they are not sure how to arrange their activities in this new space, but they know, eventually they will get used to it.

Revamping of Jangli Maharaj Road with the addition of a Pedestrian walkway

The state of mobility in our cities and the governance and policy around it is getting more and more ironical with each passing day and each passing news item. Read this;

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/FtCwpgG84ziU6aa2vUlBDM/Nagpur-electric-taxi-service-from-24-May-Nitin-Gadkari.html

There are several problems with this event – the commissioning of cab fleet and the reasons behind it.