Manek Chowk in Ahmedabad is an example of current condition of public spaces in core city areas of Indian cities being dominated by presence of vehicles, with least priority for pedestrians. This is contributing towards overall deterioration of public life in such areas. Manek Chowk, the centuries old public space developed based on traditional human scaled planning principles, is known for its vibrancy throughout the day till beyond mid night. Today it is occupied by parking, continuous movement of vehicles, unorganized street vending, and spill over from shops leaving behind meagre space to walk.
EMBARQ India is working with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to reimagine Manek Chowk as safe pedestrian oriented public space. This report summarises findings of visioning workshop conducted to brainstorm the strategies for improvement of public spaces in Walled City of Ahmedabad through the case of Manek Chowk.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to know more about this research, contact Sree Kumar K. at sree.kumark@wri.org.