Why The Real Walk-To-Work Project Still Remains A Dream

Gujarat International Fin-Tec City (GIFT City) is experimenting with a project that could be a dream come true for many. The idea is to encourage those working here to buy homes within premises, fostering a culture of walk-to-work. The housing project will be governed by its own set of rules and formulations. It would also have offices, entertainment and commercial arenas as well as educational institutions to be used by homebuyers. The concept is very appealing.

The long commute to workplace is a harrowing experience. In India, almost every city is congested, and has roads which are bumpy or in disrepair.  There are even construction dumps along roads that make your commute longer. The number of vehicles has bumped up as well and while it does indicate happier pockets, it is the last thing on your mind when you are another hour away from home. According to Census 2011, there are more than 1.14 crore four-wheelers (up by 4.10 per cent since 2001) and about 5.18 crore two-wheelers excluding bicycles (up by 10.40 per cent since 2001).

The latest World Health Organization (WHO) reports that four Indian cities of Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur have made it, sadly, to the list of top ten polluted cities in the world. Delhi is at number 25 this time, and is three times more polluted than Beijing, according to a World Bank report. While environmentalists and community activists have emphasised the need for municipal and inter-sectoral cooperation, the real estate sector can do much to help by resorting to social urban planning where concepts like walk-to-work are inclusive. This is a smart model suited just for these times.

However, the cost of construction of such townships, limited availability of land, and maintenance and management of centrally operated technological systems often deter developers. The purchasing power of prospective homebuyers is also an issue. The burden of capital costs is often transferred to the buyer, and at a time when affordability is the focus, higher prices may be a deterrent too. If walk to work were easier on their pockets, the concept would have had many takers. At the moment, there are more preachers of sustainable housing practices than practitioners and actual buyers.

The GIFT city was just one example of walk-to-work. Another opinion that floats around is that it need not always be a project close to your workspace. Why? It is not feasible to have factory workers living in the immediate vicinity of an industrial set-up. It is also not very easy to build an exclusive colony or a township just for software developers, analysts, journalists, environmentalists, or teachers. So the concept of walk-to-work has already dwarfed itself there.

At most, what is feasible is what AK Jain, former Commissioner of Planning, Delhi Master Plan 2021 puts across. He says that business districts whether central or peripheral should be planned in a way that it gives an opportunity to everybody to cut down on travel. Housing should be developed in areas that do not compromise on either affordability or amenities in terms of connectivity. The census data shows that out of the 20 crore people surveyed, 4.5 crore walk to work (agricultural and domestic helps excluded). Not all of them are willing to. This makes it far more important to talk about affordable walk-to-work projects. Some others point out that if projects cannot be developed close to work, skywalks and rapid transit should be ensured to make the concept feasible.

By 1997, almost 7 per cent of New York's population chose walk-to-work. The New York State Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan urged to capitalise on the benefits of this. There was also greater emphasis on pedestrian advocacy, improved medians, refuge islands, enhanced crosswalks, speed controls, traffic cells, suburban sidewalks, high visibility crosswalks and link transportation. This will bring down dependency on vehicles as well as lower the number of road accidents. In India, according to the data with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways indicates that about 1,46,133 road accidents leading to death were recorded in 2015. So, it is very important to prioritise walk-to-work.

When the smart city project was rolled out, many developers aligned their launches with the goal. Hence, walk-to-work projects appeared, though at a premium price. How many Indians can buy this dream? The data indicates that the average income in India is still a little over Rs 2 lakh.