The Urban Lab participated in the ‘SCHOOL TRAVEL IMPROVEMENT PLAN’ organised by the Pune Municipal Corporation in August, 2022. The design aims to promote safe and independent mobility among the children. The Urban Lab team redesigned the Vadgaon area of Pune, which has 9 schools accommodating around 9,636 children between the age of 10 to 18 years.

The design envisions streets as vibrant open spaces that ignite and inspire young minds by engaging them in learning that extends beyond the classroom. The design incorporates tactical urbanism measures to slow down traffic speeds, create shared streets, widen sidewalks, and provide play areas with floor patterns. To inspire and encourage innovation among the young minds, the design provides spaces for displaying creativity and experimentation like installations made from waste, wall art, and provision for rainwater harvesting. The design development is based on the following strategies:

1.Macro level recommendations
2.Strengthening street network by connecting missing links to reduce dead ends
3.Rerouting PMPML bus movement
4.Developing Bus and feeder network
5.Strengthening pedestrian and NMT network
6.Micro level interventions
7.Interpreting ‘Special school zones’
8.Creating slow and shared street access
9.Redesigning junctions
10.Introducing place making for children
11.Transforming entry nodes

Clients
Pune Municipal Corporation

Period
July 2022 – July 2022