‘Vizag Square’ to soon come up at Dutt Island in tactical urbanism trial in Visakhapatnam
The Hindu
Inspired by the concept of ‘tactical urbanism’, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is creating an exclusive space for pedestrians in the heart of the city, in a novel initiative aimed at promoting social cohesion
Inspired by the concept of ‘tactical urbanism’, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is creating an exclusive space for pedestrians in the heart of the city, in a novel initiative aimed at promoting social cohesion.
On a trial basis, a 100-metre space near Dutt Island was identified and is being painted by artists. The space, which is going to be named as Vizag Square, will soon be thrown open to the public for social activities such as an impromptu live session by a musician or a small exhibition by a budding painter.
“In Dutt Island, there is some portion of land, which is not being used properly. So, we have planned to implement a concept called tactical urbanism. We are sprucing up the area and soon, we will also place some furniture for seating. We will gauge the public response to the initiative and its impact on traffic movement. If it turns out to be positive, we will come up with more such spaces in the city,” said GVMC Commissioner C.M. Saikanth Varma.
A senior official from the smart city wing of the GVMC said that a classic example of tactical urbanism is the Times Square in New York City, an important space that is only used by pedestrians.
“Some corporations have developed such spaces even in other parts of India, which are being used for cycling and fun activities by denizens. A few corporations in North India implemented tactical urbanism on roads and bridges where the accident rate was high, but they have now improved pedestrian safety after its implementation.
A traffic police official from the city said a large number of people visit Dutt Island as there are many food zones, coffee shops and shopping avenues, making it an ideal location to implement the idea. Hopefully, this initiative won’t impact traffic movement much, he said.