The study found that 89% of women surveyed reported feeling safer, pedestrian activity increased across age groups, and particulate pollution was 22 to 23% lower..
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
Pondy Bazaar generates ₹66.6 lakh annually through organised parking, according to a study by ITDP India. The study, “The Healthy Street Dividend,” focused on how remodelling street redesign can improve business activity, safety and environmental outcomes while creating recurring revenue streams for urban local bodies.
It covered 10 cities and more than 3,000 respondents. It found that shopkeepers on Healthy Streets recorded an average increase of ₹4.37 lakh in annual turnover.
Commercial properties along such streets attracted premiums ranging from 10% to over 60%.
Of the surveyed street vendors, 73% of shopkeepers saw profits due to increased foot traffic while some reported a 50.6% rise in sales.
It also found that 89% of women reported feeling safer, pedestrian activity increased across age groups, and particulate pollution levels were 22 to 23% lower. Footpaths on such streets were also significantly cooler due to better shading and design interventions, the study added.
Ashwathy Dilip, Managing Director, ITDP India, said on social media, “Many of the Healthy Streets in the study have evolved into vibrant public spaces where people walk, meet, play, and spend time together. That’s the true value of people-first streets: they bring cities to life.”
“If anyone is questioned about the cost of investing in a street, we hope this resource helps them speak about the full value that Healthy Streets create, economic, social, environmental, and fiscal,” she added.
“I truly hope that, in the not-too-distant future, people-first streets will become the norm rather than the exception,” she said.
Published – June 23, 2026 12:36 am IST
