Ahmedabad recently hosted a two-day workshop focusing on active mobility to enhance its urban transport planning. The event, organized by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aimed to promote walking and cycling for safer and healthier streets. The workshop, part of the Sustainable Urban Mobility – Air Quality, Climate Action, and Accessibility project, included international experts sharing global best practices in pedestrian- and cycling-oriented urban planning.
The workshop gathered government agencies, urban planning experts, researchers, and students to develop a more people-centric transport network in preparation for the proposed 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympic Games. Experts from the Dutch Cycling Embassy and the ACTIVE Programme, supported by the Netherlands government, led the training sessions. Participants engaged in discussions on adapting successful urban planning approaches to Indian cities and identifying local challenges and priorities.
The capacity-building program combined classroom sessions, group discussions, and practical design exercises covering various aspects of urban mobility. It emphasized complete streets, safe intersection design, universal accessibility, cycling infrastructure, pedestrian safety, and integration of walking and cycling with public transport. The workshop also included on-site learning sessions and a guided cycle ride to provide firsthand experience of Ahmedabad’s cycling infrastructure and encourage participant feedback on improving the city’s roads and public spaces.
