New Centre of Excellence, to come up in city, will popularise pedestrianisation

Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Science's Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) and Urban Morph Bengaluru, a sustainability-driven organisation, are breaking new ground by jointly establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Active Mobility in Bengaluru.

The project seeks to foster a thriving culture of non-motorised transportation, including cycling and walking, within the city's urban landscape.

On Tuesday, the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their collaboration on research, planning, monitoring and evaluation of transportation modes like walking and cycling. The partnership aims to address first- and last-mile transportation challenges and enhance the overall quality of life by making cities more liveable.

The CoE will foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including think tanks, neighbourhood initiatives, citizen groups and government bodies, to launch projects that make public spaces safer, more accessible and inclusive for all ages and economic groups, with a special focus on disability-friendly infrastructure.

The centre will serve as a "one-stop shop" for stakeholders across the country, offering access to high-quality research, plans and initiatives that support the nation's health, transportation and climate goals through Active Mobility, according to a statement from the CoE.

'Living lab' approach

Prof Ashish Verma, the principal investigator of the CoE, explained that the centre will employ a "living lab" approach, piloting solutions on the ground in cities such as Pune, Guwahati, Indore and Pimpri-Chinchwad to implement active mobility projects.

"We have outlined a three-year roadmap and plan to hold our first consultation in the coming months. We are also in discussions with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to support this Centre of Excellence," Verma said.

He added pedestrianisation has a positive impact on social well-being and quality of life, revealing that the centre plans to undertake projects within large campuses and tech parks.

"Unless we work closely with communities and neighbourhood groups, we cannot devise any translatable solutions. We also want to re-initiate the focus and conversation on the active mobility bill," he said.