Walkable solutions? Malleswaram residents, experts discuss civic issues

Bengaluru: More than 40 residents of Malleswaram (ward 53) joined urban planners, mobility experts, and civic practitioners Sunday for a community workshop to discuss solutions to issues related to walkability, parking, street vending, and waste management in the neighbourhood.

The workshop, titled ‘Walkable Malleswaram: Reimagining Ward 53’, was convened by Preeti Sunderajan and facilitated by Greenpeace India’s Bengaluru Rising campaign. Participants explored ways to improve public spaces and civic infrastructure through mapping exercises and group discussions.

“Ward-level solutions are often designed from the top down, with citizens being informed after decisions have already been made. This workshop turned that model around,” Sunderajan said.

Experts who guided the discussions included Prof Ashish Verma of the IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, along with representatives from Street Matrix Bengaluru and Oorvani Foundation.

Prof Verma said collaboration between citizens, researchers, govt agencies, and civil society organisations was essential for translating sustainable mobility ideas into practical improvements on the ground. IISc is also working on issues of walkability and safety around Malleswaram’s schools which lack parking facilities.

Deepak Srinivasan of Greenpeace India’s Bengaluru Rising campaign said communities must play a central role in shaping cities. “Communities understand their neighbourhoods better than anyone else, which is why their voices must be central to how cities are planned and governed,” he said.

According to the organisers, recommendations generated during the workshop will be consolidated and shared publicly to inform future discussions on neighbourhood planning and civic priorities in Malleswaram.