Kochi has been named one of India’s top ten cities for pioneering the establishment of inclusive, people-friendly streets by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), and will receive Rs. 50 lakhs to implement ideas created by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) for the cause.
The MoHUA launched the Streets 4 People (S4P) Challenge and the Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge (NNC) to promote people-centered urban development . On behalf of the city of Kochi, CSML took part in the challenges with the help of Kochi Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Kochi was chosen based on the pilot interventions and development projects proposed for implementation.
MoHUA launched the Streets4People Challenge and the Nurturing Neighborhood Challenge in collaboration with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Bernard Van Leer Foundation to inspire cities to create walking-friendly streets through quick fixes and to improve public space, mobility, neighborhood planning, and access to all ages and amenities.
The initiative was supported by the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) India.
Under Streets4People and Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenges, Kochi has been actively working toward creating inclusive multifunctional streets. Through the challenge, the dialogue has been initiated with the citizens to help in more effective bottom-up approach and prepping citizens to embrace the vast changes in the urban landscape which is shifting from being dominated by motor vehicles to being streets for people.
said Shanavas S IAS, CEO CSML
