Mishkat Ahmed explores the multi-faceted nature of Indian streets and the role that they play in defining our cities. This article has previously been published at The City at Eye Level in March 2016. 

“Chaotic” is the term that best describes Indian cities, and the chaos is generated by the many activities defining the streetscape. This is particularly evident in a megacity like Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, with growing infrastructure development to cater to its ever-increasing population. The classic Indian street is inherently a place where people meet each other, congregate, do business and celebrate. The street today is multi-layered – the (shrinking) pedestrian realm, the vehicular lanes, the bridges, metro, and monorail above. A lively streetscape with multiple activities that change over time and season provide a great human experience and are essentially “eyes on the street”, ensuring safety and security of all users. But what is the future of Indian streets?