BMC Pedestrian Network Plan Prioritises Walkable Mumbai
Mumbai is moving towards a city-scale redesign of its walking infrastructure, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) outlining plans to prepare a comprehensive master pedestrian network plan that could transform how footpaths, transport hubs and public spaces are connected. The initiative, placed before the Supreme Court as part of an ongoing public interest litigation, signals a shift from isolated road projects towards integrated urban mobility planning that places accessibility and safety at the centre of city development. Rather than treating footpaths as standalone engineering works, the proposed framework aims to establish a continuous pedestrian network across Mumbai using advanced digital mapping technologies. Municipal authorities have indicated that the exercise will combine three-dimensional city modelling with Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets, satellite imagery, drone surveys, LiDAR mapping and development plan records to build a detailed digital inventory of the city’s pedestrian infrastructure.
The master pedestrian network plan is expected to identify missing footpath links, inaccessible stretches, discontinuous sidewalks and gaps in connectivity between neighbourhoods and transport systems. Urban planners view such city-wide mapping as a critical step towards evidence-based infrastructure investment, enabling authorities to prioritise interventions where pedestrian movement is currently constrained by incomplete infrastructure, encroachments or poorly designed streets. Officials have begun collecting ward-level information to create a geospatial database covering existing walkways as well as locations where footpaths are absent altogether. Integrating this information into a unified digital platform is expected to improve coordination between road engineering, transport planning, utility management and future redevelopment projects. Such an approach could also reduce repeated excavation and fragmented public works that often undermine pedestrian safety. The proposal reflects a broader recognition that walkability forms an essential component of sustainable urban mobility. As Mumbai continues to experience rising travel demand and increasing pressure on public transport, strengthening first- and last-mile pedestrian connectivity can improve access to railway stations, bus corridors and commercial districts while encouraging lower-carbon modes of travel.
Better-designed footpaths also contribute to safer streets for children, senior citizens and people with disabilities, reinforcing principles of inclusive urban development. The civic administration has also informed the Court that an institutional mechanism is being established within its roads and traffic engineering department to oversee planning, implementation, monitoring and data management for pedestrian infrastructure. The intention is to create greater accountability across multiple municipal departments responsible for road design, utilities and public realm improvements. Authorities have further clarified that management of street vending will continue under the existing statutory framework, with future planning expected to balance livelihood protection alongside unobstructed pedestrian movement. Urban development experts have long argued that integrating vending zones into street design, rather than addressing them separately, produces more organised public spaces and reduces conflicts between economic activity and accessibility.
The judicial proceedings remain ongoing, with the Court continuing to monitor progress on footpath improvements and implementation of the city’s universal accessibility commitments. The success of the proposed master pedestrian network plan will ultimately depend on timely execution, transparent monitoring and sustained investment that translates digital mapping into safer, connected and climate-resilient streets for Mumbai’s growing population.
