Experts push for human-centric street design, data sharing among transit systems at Urban Adda 2026

The speakers agreed that mobility should be viewed as a key determinant of economic growth, public health and quality of life in urban India.

Urban mobility planning in Indian cities needs to be better synchronised, with agencies sharing data instead of working in isolation, to address urgent urban challenges more quickly and efficiently, experts said at Urban Adda 2026 at Delhi's India Habitat Centre on Monday.

The panel called for stronger governance, open access to transport data and more human-centric street design to make cities future-ready. (HT Photo)

Speaking at a session titled “Beyond Congestion: Urban Mobility as India’s Next Growth Engine”, experts said mobility planning needed to move beyond the traditional focus on reducing congestion and instead prioritise liveability, road safety, public health and commuters’ everyday experiences.

They also called for stronger governance, open access to transport data and more human-centric street design to make cities future-ready.

Data sharing among transit systems

Bhaumik Gowande, researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), said transport systems needed to account for the different ways men and women navigate cities. Policy and infrastructure, he said, should be designed around real-world behaviour and daily movement rather than rigid technical parameters.

“Data sharing is necessary in urban mobility and planning. It is important that multiple stakeholders work together for solving issues,” he added.

Other panellists highlighted gaps in the availability and accessibility of urban mobility data. Avinash Dubedi, programme head, transport, World Resources Institute India, said large amounts of transport data existed across municipal ecosystems but often remained inaccessible to stakeholders who could use it to address urban challenges.

Cornelia Stolzenberg, project director, GIZ, called for a stronger sociological approach to transport planning. She pointed to the lack of gender-disaggregated data and said the experiences of women and marginalised groups needed to be incorporated into the design of safer and more equitable transport systems.

Master plans, EV adoption and street design

Governance reforms were another key theme. Sanjay Sridhar, strategy and policy adviser, Urban Movement Innovation Fund, said city master plans needed enforceable targets and clear accountability mechanisms.

The panel also discussed the transition to electric mobility. Trupti Deshpande, associate partner and lead, electric mobility, Energiva Ventures, said a clear government vision and strategic use of data would be crucial as EV adoption expands.

Dr Anupam Sobti, assistant professor at Plaksha University, said emerging technology, open-source data and public health priorities needed to be aligned with human-centric street design to create accessible and resilient cities.

The speakers agreed that mobility should be viewed not merely as a transport issue but as a key determinant of economic growth, public health and quality of life in rapidly urbanising India.