January 7, 2026: Ahead of the upcoming Mumbai civic body elections, residents of Malabar Hill have released a detailed Citizens’ Manifesto calling for safer streets, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and more sustainable urban planning. The charter places strong emphasis on improving walkability, regulating redevelopment, and upgrading civic amenities to enhance the quality of life in one of the city’s oldest residential neighbourhoods.
Central to the manifesto is the demand for streets that prioritise pedestrians. Residents have urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to redesign roads as model walkable streets that could serve as a benchmark for residential areas across Mumbai. The urgency of this demand is underscored by the death of 75-year-old resident Nita Shah in August 2025, who was reportedly forced to walk on Ridge Road due to the absence of footpaths.
The charter calls for at least one major road in Malabar Hill to be comprehensively redesigned during the next civic term as a pilot project. Residents have also sought traffic-calming measures such as speed breakers, clearly marked pedestrian crossings, quality signage, and better street furniture. Proposals include benches, dustbins, adequate street lighting, tree pits with native species, and accessible ramps at intersections. To prevent encroachment on footpaths, the manifesto recommends organised, clearly demarcated parking bays integrated into road design.
To address repeated road digging, residents have demanded the creation of underground utility corridors for water, sewage, telecom, and electrical lines. The charter stresses the need for professional collaboration with urban design firms, citing initiatives such as Bangalore’s TenderSURE, and points out that many BMC projects suffer due to the absence of detailed architectural drawings. It also calls for structured community consultations with groups such as ‘The Walking Project’ and local resident associations.
Environmental concerns also feature prominently. The manifesto urges the BMC to conduct a tree census on private plots undergoing redevelopment and ensure the retention of existing trees, highlighting their role in soil stability, biodiversity, and erosion control. To ease congestion and pollution, residents have further demanded that construction activity be limited to one or two redevelopment projects per road at any given time.
Another key demand is improved pedestrian access to open spaces, including a dedicated pedestrian entry from Malabar Hill to the Coastal Road promenade at Priyadarshini Park, which residents say remains poorly connected despite being a major public asset.
