City’s beauty and safety must go hand-in-hand

A ‘before’ and ‘after’ picture of the pathway from Worli Sea Face to Pochkhanawala Road

A deceptively nondescript lane, used as shortcut by Worli locals has been given a makeover. The little lane has walls that are painted over in a marine and Koli (fisherfolk) theme, better lighting to dispel dark patches and a selfie spot to make walking ‘fun'.

This report may seem routine but it has several important takeaways for the city. The first, of course, is public spaces and good illumination. This paper has featured numerous reports about crime in public spaces like subways or street corners precisely because they are very poorly lit. This edit space has repeatedly stressed that better visibility equals to safety and authorities must pay careful attention not just to our main arterial roads but by lanes, exit points of stations, spaces where bus stops are located, subways and little paths too.

The other is giving pedestrians power and making them feel like they are not second-class citizens, to be crowded into the very edge on our roads.

They have a right to safe, well-lit, clean and maintained streets and spaces and this is how we prove to them that it is priority pedestrian.

As it is, we see pavements encroached on and pedestrians walking dangerously on roads as cars speed by. Here is a little something to tell them that they count too, and that the authorities recognise, acknowledge that and do care.

There is also wisdom in weaving locals into these projects which should be driven by a sense of community and involvement.

The fact that wall art was done by talented, local artists means there is a sense that everybody is a stakeholder, and it is in the best interests of all to see that these initiatives, once finished, are maintained and preserved. These are the takeaways that can stand us in good stead in most city infra projects.