Draft of Master Plan Delhi proposes development of public plazas, arcades among others

NEW DELHI: The draft of Master Plan Delhi – 2041 was put in the public domain on June 10 for suggestions and objections. The draft developed by the Delhi Development Authority largely covers policies of environment, economy, mobility, heritage, culture and public spaces among others. It includes a plan on development of ungated public plazas, arcades, colonnades, pause spaces around movement corridors in Delhi.

The draft cites that streets in the city occupy approximately 20 per cent of the total land in Delhi and are the most ubiquitous form of public space in the city. The plan proposed focuses on leveraging this potential and reclaiming streets as places for people. It also elaborates on how citizens and other stakeholders can play a significant role in public space management through certain initiatives, for example, conducting regular audits of public areas in terms of accessibility, safety and illumination, needs of specific user groups, etc, and sharing these with concerned agencies to work upon. Moreover, concerned agencies can gather public opinions by integrating public space user surveys as part of the active travel and other smart applications.

The plan in the draft also involves facilitating walkability across the city by providing barrier-free environment with adequate street infrastructure, shading, and public conveniences as per the Street Design Regulations. It also mentions creating opportunities with the help of creation of street vending zones, accessibility to all types of users, pedestrian crossings and public plazas.