The Economic, Social & Environmental Case for Street Transformations

As millions flock to Indian cities for livelihoods, sustainable transport planning has failed to keep pace. The result is choked infrastructure, surging dependence on private vehicles, and a landscape dominated by widened roads and elevated flyovers. Chaotic parking and dangerous speeds have turned streets into hazards for anyone on foot or bicycle. But Indian streets were never meant to be mere vehicle conduits. Historically, they thrived as lively civic spaces, for commerce, casual interactions, and daily life. The flyover-first approach erased that character, prioritising moving traffic over people. Now, a reversal is underway. Across the country, cities are redesigning streets for people, backed by national initiatives. 

Global experience shows that such transformations deliver significant economic, social, and environmental returns. Cities like New York, London, Bogotá, and Singapore have data-backed evidence: pedestrian and cycling improvements boost local economies, retail activity, public health, safety, and liveability, while advancing climate and equity goals. 

Indian cities are investing in street infrastructure, yet the case for such investment remains poorly evidenced in the Indian context. This study fills that gap, producing the first multi-city, multi-indicator impact assessment of Healthy Street (HS) interventions across 10 cities of varying scale and geography.  

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