Streets for All

2022

Making Badadanda Safer for Pilgrims

Context and Problem

Across Bhubaneswar, many small public land parcels were neglected and rarely used. Many were being used as dumpyards, parking lots, or had become overgrown with wild grass within residential areas. As a result, these spaces felt uncomfortable, unsafe, and poorly maintained, with low community ownership, creating a clear need for meaningful public space upgrades.

What Was Done

• 15 site transformations across BMC: CGM upgraded 15 underutilized sites into safe, inclusive, and people-friendly public spaces across parks, streetscapes, plazas, temple precincts, intersections, water bodies, and under-flyover areas using an LQC (Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper) placemaking approach.
• Community-led planning: with consultations and coordination with BMC and residents to understand local needs, daily movement patterns, and site-specific challenges.
• People-first design interventions: Designs included shaded seating, accessible street and plaza furniture, green corridors, improved walkability, murals, landscaping, and designated vendor spaces, with focus on children, elderly users, and everyday pedestrians.
• Climate-appropriate materials: A material palette and design library were developed using locally available materials across paving, landscaping, furniture, artwork, and basic infrastructure.
• End-to-end delivery: Deliverables included working drawings, cost estimates, site layouts, implementation support, and community engagement for long-term stewardship and maintenance.

Key Highlights & Learnings

• Improved walkability: Every site design ensured clear, continuous pedestrian movement, with minimum 2m wide walking paths that are safe and free from obstructions.
• More shared public space: Green mounds, trees, and pergolas were added to create comfortable resting and gathering zones, reducing heat stress and making walking and waiting easier.
• Calmer circulation: Better placement of furniture and designated vendor zones reduced random encroachments and improved pedestrian flow, creating more organised and conflict-free movement.
• Inclusive for everyone: The spaces were designed to be safer and more welcoming for women, children, and elderly users, with improved lighting, open visibility (avoiding dark corners), shaded seating, and safer circulation routes.
• Women-led implementation under MUKTA: The project followed a women SHG-driven implementation model, supporting women masons and strengthening their skills through on-ground capacity building.
• Participation creates ownership: Early and structured community engagement helped shape the designs, reduced rework, and improved long-term care of public spaces.
• Replicable model: Standard design templates, working drawings, and maintenance checklists support faster roll-out of similar placemaking projects in other locations.

2013

Diu Bicycle Network Planning & Infrastructure Design

Context & Problem

Diu’s growing tourism and increasing motorised movement created pressure on road safety and street comfort. Streets remained largely vehicle-oriented, with limited protection for cyclists and pedestrians. Disconnected routes and unsafe junctions discouraged cycling despite short travel distances across the island. The city needed a safe, continuous cycling network that improved mobility, supported tourism, and protected Diu’s environmental and cultural character.

What Was Done

• Cycling network planning: CGM supported the Union Territory of Diu in planning a dedicated island-wide cycling network through surveys and stakeholder consultations to understand travel patterns, tourism movement, and safety issues.
• 30+ km corridor identification: A cycling network plan covering 30+ km was developed, linking residential areas with beaches, heritage sites, markets, and public institutions.
• Safe Right of Way: Designs prioritised a continuous and safe Right of Way for cyclists using dedicated tracks, lane markings, and physical segregation where required.
• Junction safety improvements: Key junctions were redesigned with safer crossings, improved visibility, and better turning movements for cyclists and pedestrians.
• Implementation support: CGM provided detailed design and execution support, with 4.2 km of cycling track implemented, showcasing early adoption of dedicated cycling infrastructure in India.

Key Highlights & Learnings

• Multi-stakeholder implementation and activation: While PWD, Diu led implementation, the Administrator of the UT of Daman & Diu also supported public activation by organising a cycle rally, encouraging community participation and creating early momentum for cycling.
• Phased approach for learning: The project followed a step-by-step rollout, allowing learning from the pilot implementation and refinement before expanding the larger network.
• National recognition: The initiative received the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Awards 2014, reflecting its strong planning approach and real-world impact.
• First-of-its-kind project in India: The Diu cycling network stood out as one of the earliest dedicated cycling infrastructure projects in the country, setting an example for other cities and towns to replicate.
• Coastal tourism-friendly mobility: With several corridors planned along beach and ocean-facing stretches, the network enabled scenic, low-speed travel while improving access to key destinations for visitors and residents alike.

2016

Improvement of Area Under Flyover, Viaducts

Context & Problem

Across Delhi, areas under flyovers and viaducts were largely neglected, poorly lit, and unsafe, functioning as urban voids rather than public assets. These spaces often attracted encroachments, waste dumping, and antisocial activities, while offering little value to surrounding neighbourhoods. There was a need to reclaim these leftover spaces as functional public realms that improve safety, support active mobility, and contribute to environmental quality.

What Was Done

CGM planned the transformation of under-flyover spaces through a people-first urban design approach focused on safety, usability, and environmental improvement. The work began with site assessments to understand movement patterns, visibility gaps, and existing conflicts. Based on this, design interventions were proposed to activate these spaces through landscaping, seating, lighting, and defined activity zones.

Green infrastructure was introduced to soften hard surfaces, reduce heat, and improve air quality. Pedestrian-friendly elements and clear circulation paths enhanced walkability and informal access. Public art and visual treatments improved identity and perception of safety, while lighting upgrades ensured better visibility throughout the day and night. The interventions were designed to be low-cost, scalable, and easy to maintain, enabling replication across multiple underutilised sites beneath flyovers and viaducts.

Key Highlights & Learnings

• Under-viaduct areas were planned from unsafe, neglected spaces into usable public zones that support walking, informal activity, and neighbourhood interaction.
• Introducing planting and landscape elements helped reduce heat, soften hard infrastructure, and improve environmental quality in dense urban areas.
• Designing for pedestrians, rather than vehicles helped integrate under-flyover spaces into surrounding movement networks.
• Simple, scalable design solutions can be effective in activating difficult leftover spaces without major structural changes.

2025

Technical Assistance & Advisory Support for Pedestrian & Cycling Infrastructure Planning & Design for NDMC Area

Context & Problem

The NDMC area has high pedestrian and cyclist activity but fragmented footpaths, unsafe crossings, and limited protected cycling infrastructure. Vehicle-oriented street design and inconsistent standards reduced comfort and safety for non-motorised users. There was a need for coordinated, design-led guidance to create continuous, universally accessible, and shaded walking and cycling networks.

What Was Done

• Reviewed the existing 8.6 km cycle tracks and identified alternative alignments to ensure adequate and continuous minimum track width.
• Conducted detailed corridor audits and on-ground surveys to map pedestrian and cycling gaps, conflict points, and priority improvement stretches.
• Assessed street cross-sections to reallocate space for safer, protected cycling and walking infrastructure.
• Planned potential new citywide cycle routes to create a connected and continuous non-motorised transport network.
• Provided technical advisory inputs to guide design revisions and phased implementation.

Key Highlights & Learnings

• Planning a connected pedestrian and cycling network delivered far greater impact than isolated corridor upgrades.
• Repeated site walks revealed real constraints and user behaviour that drawings alone could not capture.
• Regular meetings with agencies and local stakeholders helped align priorities and unblock implementation issues.

2014

Technical Assistance and Advisory Support for Bicycle Sharing System in Dwarka Sub-city

Context & Problem

Dwarka’s wide roads and dispersed destinations, despite metro connectivity, encouraged motorised travel even for short trips. The area lacked an integrated cycling network and public bicycle sharing system, limiting healthy and low-carbon first- and last-mile options. There was a need to plan safe corridors, intersections, and operations to make cycling a practical everyday travel choice.

What Was Done

• Metro influence zone planning: Prepared influence zone plans along the metro corridor based on Form-Based Codes and TOD regulations to guide compact, walkable, and transit-supportive development.
• Walkability-focused sector review: Reviewed sectoral plans to identify gaps and propose improvements for pedestrian safety, continuity, and everyday walkability.
• Green & public space activation: Developed a pilot proposal to transform the MP Green area in Sector 24, Dwarka into a tourist and public attraction.
• Street and junction improvements: Planned upgrades for junctions, footpaths, lighting, and public toilets across approximately 70 km, prioritising pedestrian comfort and safety.
• Metro boulevard & green corridor master plan: Prepared a master plan for a Metro Boulevard and Green Corridor, including urban design guidelines.
• MLU pocket enhancement: Identified and proposed improvements for Mixed Land Use (MLU) pockets to support vibrant, people-friendly neighbourhoods.

Key Highlights & Learnings

• Pair big-picture vision with actionable pilots: Setting a long-term TOD and green corridor vision worked best when broken into implementable, near-term projects.
• Start with quick wins: Early focus on bicycle sharing and first–last mile improvements around metro stations built momentum and public confidence.
• Coordinate across stakeholders: Continuous alignment between planning, transport, engineering, and operations agencies was essential for delivery.
• Integrate land use and mobility: Aligning development controls with street and NMT upgrades maximised transit benefits and place value.

2010

Pedestrinization Karol Bagh

Context & Problem

Karol Bagh is one of Delhi’s most important mixed-use commercial districts, characterized by high pedestrian volumes, dense retail activity, and strong metro connectivity. However, streets, especially Ajmal Khan Road, were dominated by vehicles, on-street parking, encroachments, and unstructured vending. Narrow footpaths, lack of crossings, poor lighting, and weak links to neighbourhood parks reduced walkability, safety, and overall public-realm quality despite very high pedestrian demand.

What Was Done

• Undertook a district-scale urban design and mobility study covering ~120 hectares, with focus on Ajmal Khan Road shopping precinct and surrounding street grid.
• Proposed a two-part strategy: Streets & Plazas Program to reinforce pedestrian priority on key shopping streets, and Parks & Places Program to connect neighbourhood parks with streets through plazas and visual linkages.
• Developed pedestrian-oriented street sections with widened footpaths, NMV lanes, shaded zones, seating, lighting, vending zones, and stormwater management features.
• Designed plazas at key nodes, including Karol Bagh Metro Station and major intersections, to support congregation, waiting, and retail spill-over.
• Introduced amenities and placemaking elements such as kiosks, public toilets, art installations, wayfinding, and street furniture to support everyday use.