ABSTRACT
Cities are considered to be engines of economic growth. Transportation is an important enabler of economic growth. However, ever increasing dependence on personal vehicles for mobility is resulting in significant impacts on livability and sustainability of cities. In the backdrop of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, cities across the world are rediscovering the importance of developing infrastructure and urban space to promote active transport modes and to reduce dependence on personal transport. Urban planners, transportation experts and mobility organizations across the world have focused their effects on reclaiming streets for pedestrians and cyclists. To make the streets more amenable for walking and cycling and to improve safety, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport planned the concept of ‘Slow Street’ and piloted it in a residential street in Bengaluru.
The idea of Slow Streets is not new. Many cities across the world have implemented it under different names, such as Woonerf in the Netherlands. However, in India, this is the first time such a concept is being tested to make neighbourhood streets conducive for people of all ages and abilities to safely traverse their neighbourhoods by walk or cycle, without worrying about speeding traffic. “Slow Street” follows the trend of the “slow movement” which includes Slow food, Slow Farming, etc. This research paper is an effort of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Government of Karnataka to document the process and insights relating to the implementation of a Slow Street through tactical interventions, in one of the predominantly residential streets in Bengaluru city.
