BMC Plans India's First City-Wide Pedestrian Network for Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court of India outlining its preparation of India's first city-wide master pedestrian network plan for Mumbai. The initiative aims to transition the city away from fragmented footpaths and establish a continuous, connected, and universally accessible pedestrian infrastructure.
According to the affidavit, the civic body is currently undertaking a city-wide geospatial mapping exercise to identify existing footpaths, roads where footpaths are absent, missing links, and accessibility gaps. The BMC is collecting ward-wise data to build a comprehensive geospatial inventory of Mumbai's pedestrian infrastructure.
To execute the plan, the BMC will integrate its 3D city model with Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, satellite imagery, LiDAR surveys, drone mapping, development plan data, and other geospatial datasets. This digital platform will allow authorities to digitally visualise roads, footpaths, transport corridors, and public utilities on a single platform.
The master plan aims to identify missing pedestrian links, prioritise connectivity corridors, improve accessibility, and coordinate with various municipal departments to integrate pedestrian infrastructure with public transport.
To oversee the project, the BMC told the court that it is establishing an institutional mechanism under its Chief Engineer (Roads & Traffic) Department. This department will coordinate data collection, GIS mapping, planning, implementation, and monitoring of the pedestrian infrastructure projects.
Regarding street vendors, the BMC stated that the regulation and rehabilitation of hawkers will continue to be managed by the Town Vending Committee under the Street Vendors Act of 2014, the Maharashtra Rules of 2016, and the Street Vendors Scheme of 2017. The civic body noted it will take appropriate steps to balance pedestrian movement with accessibility.
The Supreme Court's involvement follows an application filed by advocate Sunil Ahya in a long-pending public interest litigation concerning pedestrian safety. In November 2025, a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan issued a notice on the application, which sought directions for geospatial mapping and digital inventory publication.
In January, the Supreme Court asked the BMC to consider auditing at least one kilometre of footpaths in crowded areas of every ward. Following the submission of the BMC's May 20 affidavit, the court has scheduled the next hearing for September 3.
