Proposal to make Metro station pedestrian-friendly.

In an effort to re-establish pedestrian pathways in the city, the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has, in a proposal to the Ministry of Urban Development, proposed to revamp the site below the elevated corridor of the Netaji Subhash Place Metro station. The study proposes to develop an exclusive pedestrian route surrounded by green cover, an amphitheatre and a shopping arcade to best utilise the urban space.

Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung had recently advocated providing walking spaces for pedestrians. Taking the idea further, the DUAC has conducted a study on the 1.87-hectare linear corridor below the Metro station, which is flanked by Shakurpur ward No. 64 on the southern side and Wazirpur ward No. 67 on the southwestern side.

'The DUAC has been advocating the creation of pedestrian-friendly areas time and again. As mandated by the Ministry of Urban Development last year, we had identified the Metro station because the land below the station is unused and can easily be utilised to create a broadway with ample green cover,' a senior DUAC official said, adding that the proposal highlights the use of natural stone throughout the space.

'The space is lying vacant and has absolutely no green cover. Since the Metro is an urban concept, the idea of allowing a pedestrian space will complement the landscape,' the official said.

Accordingly, the study proposes an entrance plaza, a broadway with seating and assembly spaces, which will be created using trees so that people can rest and enjoy the view. The study also proposes a shopping arcade as also modifying the Delhi tourism office in the area, which officials believe will complement the space.


THE INDIAN EXPRESS