Pune: The third national workshop on ‘Streets and Public Spaces’ reached its conclusion at the Ga Di Madgulkar Auditorium in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday. The two-day seminar, jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Housing Affairs and Urban Development in collaboration with Smart Cities Mission and Pimpri-Chinchwad Smart City, brought together experts and dignitaries to deliberate on the pivotal role streets play in shaping the social and economic fabric of a city.
Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Director of Smart Cities Mission, emphasized the critical role of streets in determining a city’s future. He urged a paradigm shift from the ‘form’ to the ‘functioning’ of streets, underlining the importance of visualizing chaos, harnessing technology, and engaging with experts for innovative solutions.
During the seminar, Shekhar Singh, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner and Pimpri-Chinchwad Smart City CEO, presented the ambitious ‘Harit Setu’ initiative. This integrated approach encompasses street design, activities, and green-blue networks across 10 neighborhoods of the twin city, signifying a commitment to transformation over the next nine years.
Aswathy Dilip, Managing Director of ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) India, commended Pimpri-Chinchwad as a national exemplar of sustainable transport. She praised the city’s action-foundation-communication framework, highlighting meticulous project execution, institutional memory retention, and continuous participatory planning.
Reflecting on the civic body’s 15-year sustainable transport journey, PCMC Executive Engineer Bapu Gaikwad recognized the ongoing commitment to world-class infrastructure.
The workshop provided a platform for insightful discussions and knowledge exchange, aiming to inspire urban planners and policymakers to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches in shaping the future of streets and public spaces.
