As Indian cities grow rapidly, reimagining sidewalks and plazas with simple, sustainable green elements has become essential. From moss-filled pavement cracks to community-managed planter walls, such interventions not only beautify urban spaces but also support climate resilience, public health, and civic engagement—especially when aligned with national urban renewal schemes.

1. MIYAWAKI-style Microforests in Urban Corners (e.g., Pune, Chennai)
What was done: Miyawaki forests of dense native species (neem, jamun, amla, peepal) were planted in tiny plots near schools, sidewalks, and housing society corners.

The Mahakumbh Miyawaki:
Around 56,000 sq. meters of Dense Forests created in Prayagraj in last two years using Miyawaki Technique

Garbage dumps transformed into lush green forests, aiding environmental conservation, as part of Mahakumbh 2025
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Impact:

• Created green lungs in congested areas.
• Urban Heat Island Effect Mitigation
• Within 2–3 years, they attracted birds and pollinators, enhancing biodiversity.
• Inspired citizen-led planting drives in adjacent sidewalks and traffic islands.

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2.LIVING WALLS OR VERTICAL GREENERY SYSTEMS

.India: Mumbai – Sion Railway Station Vertical Gardens

What was done: Vertical green walls using recycled bottles and crates were installed on station pillars and walls using creepers like money plant, philodendron, and ferns.

Technique: Modular vertical garden panels irrigated through drip systems.

Impact:

• Cooled down harsh concrete spaces.
• Encouraged similar initiatives in other parts of the city.
• Reduced dust and noise levels by acting as a soft barrier.

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https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_Landscaping_vertical gardening.html

3. CRACK GARDENING
In India, an initiative for crack gardening was taken in Church Street in Bengaluru, where porous paving and rain-friendly surfaces allowed native species like Tridax procumbens, Portulaca oleracea, and small ferns to thrive without much intervention. These hardy plants were not planted traditionally but allowed to self-seed or were lightly scattered along the pavement margins. Over time, they softened the urban landscape, created cooler microclimates, and encouraged passersby to pause, observe, and engage with the environment in unexpected ways.

4. EDIBLE SIDEWALK BORDERS IN AUROVILLE( Tamilnadu)
In Auroville, Tamil Nadu, edible borders have been developed along footpaths near the Visitor’s Centre and Solar Kitchen. Residents grow Tulsi, Amaranthus, mint, and curry leaves in narrow soil strips, promoting food sustainability and encouraging interaction with nature. Passersby could pluck herbs; encouraged conversations on food sustainability and urban agriculture

5. HANGING POTS OF GOA
Panaji’s Latin Quarter, Fontainhas, integrates heritage and greenery through decorative hanging pots filled with Pothos and Bougainvillea, adding charm and cooling shade to narrow alleys.

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6. THE BAMBOO
Guwahati uses locally crafted bamboo screens with potted Areca palms and Syngonium in public waiting areas, not only greening bus bays but also promoting regional craftsmanship.

7.UPCYCLED POTS/ FLOWER BEDS
Pune has seen an artistic approach where old tires are painted and repurposed into ground-level flower beds in residential areas like Kothrud and Erandwane. These contain Petunias, Marigold, and Coleus, enhancing curb appeal while also subtly calming traffic.

8. GREENS AND URBAN ART
In Delhi, around Lodhi Colony, the NGO St+art India Foundation combined wall art with vertical climbers like Money Plant and Clerodendrum, integrating culture and green infrastructure in a high-density area.

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9. SHADES OF GREEN TO HERITAGE
Lucknow has revived historical stepwells and pathways near Imambaras by lining them with medicinal plants like Ashwagandha, Lemongrass, and Brahmi, linking wellness with green public space.

10. SMART AND LUSH
Kohima, under the Smart Cities Mission, has initiated community plant-sharing walls, where residents contribute cuttings and saplings like Succulents, Snake Plants, and Coleus into shared planters along steps and plazas, creating a collective sense of care.

Common Design Tips for Sidewalk or Plaza Greening:

• Use native, hardy species for low maintenance and high survival.(Neem, peepal)
• Integrate drip irrigation or greywater reuse systems.( Delhi's bridges)
• Modular planters allow flexibility in narrow or busy sidewalks.
• Vertical gardens work well in space-starved zones(Under bridges)
• Street tree pits (with grates) can host large shade trees without obstructing walking paths

With over 43% of India’s population projected to live in urban areas by 2035, greening public spaces is critical. The aforementioned initiatives demonstrate how low-cost, local solutions can enhance urban liveability. Under the Smart Cities Mission (covering 100 cities) and AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), cities are incorporating nature-based solutions for climate resilience and citizen well-being. Combined with community participation and Swachh Bharat’s focus on clean, healthy spaces, these green elements align with SDG 11, making Indian cities more inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to local ecology.

Ensuring public safety in low-income housing clusters and informal settlements at night is a serious urban governance challenge across the world, especially with inadequacies in CCTV coverage and street lighting.

Thus, the following multi-pronged, context-sensitive strategies across the world and Indian cities have helped enhance safety across these spaces.

COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATION
1. ENERGY AUTONOMY: Medellins, Columbia

Despite lack of technical training, this settlement comprising Columbia's internally displaced victims built a hydraulic generator using spoons, cycle wheels and computer batteries and produced electricity to light up the otherwise dark colonies.
By involving locals in design, construction, installation and management of their own energy solutions and offering free training programmes in the generation and use of solar energy, Medellin as an equatorial city has become a pioneer in developing sustainable localized solar energy solutions like solar lighting, solar ovens, distributed energy generator, solar powered local radio leading to mainstreaming of the city's marginal areas.

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Something brewing in India as well:
a. "Light Up Laitumkhrah" – Community Solar Street Lighting in Shillong’s Informal Settlements
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c. "Safe Streets for Shibpur" – Solar Lighting in Informal Settlements of Howrah, West Bengal- AI based lighting solutions .
d.Install solar-powered LED streetlights with motion sensors and CCTV-equipped poles in high-risk zones.

2. COMMUNITY BASED SURVEILLANCE:
   A. Mumbai's Women Led Night Patrols organized by the city's informal settlements, women's groups organize patrols and create "safe routes" for women and children.
   2. PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING- Pune, India
   Mohalla Committees Initiative of Pune is effective in finding solutions to local issues like poorly lit colonies in which residents can allocate municipal funds directly to safety and lighting projects in their communities. They now function at almost all civic wards of Pune.

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POLICY/SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS:
3. NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY PLANNING/ 24/7 CITIES:
The Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act 2015 was passed to permit eating joints, movie theatres, malls, and local markets with more than 10 employees to remain open round-the-clock.

The first lesson from global cities could be that there are four pillars for nighttime cities: the local government, the police, the business community, and the citizens.

Eg: NIGHT CZAR INITIATIVE, LONDON The Mayor of London in 2016 appointed a ‘Night Czar’ and also set up a ‘Night Time Commission’ for the city. The Night Czar brings together the local authorities, businesses, police, residents and workers to work towards the Night Vision,which is hinged on creating a safe, yet economically and culturally vibrant city. The Night Czar also embarks on ‘Night Surgeries’ – meeting people who work and live in the nighttime areas which include hospitals, shopping marts, restaurants and call centres. The role of the Night Time Commission is to seek the views of Londoners on policies and new initiatives to ensure that the community is involved in this endeavour.

Eg: The night life around Kathipara Urban Square, Guindy, Chennai is believed to have positive ripple effects on the surrounding areas due to its round the clock functioning making women working in the IT sector in night shifts feel more safer on their way to offices/homes.
Eg: In North Chennai’s informal settlements, reflective paint and solar string lights were added to reduce accidents and increase women’s mobility.

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN:
4. A. CIVIL SOCIETY AND SAFETY AUDITS
NGOs like Safetipin map unsafe areas using local data and advocate for lighting and policing improvements.
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Delhi's safety audits data of Safetipin has been used by the 'Mukhya Mantri Street Light Yojana' (Chief Minister’s Street Lights Scheme) as inputs to where lighting could be improved. The Delhi Police also used Safetipin’s data to reformulate their patrolling routes.
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B.MOBILE EMERGENCY MECHANISMS/ APPS- Awareness to be created
a.KAVALAN SOS App of Tamilnadu Police
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to report unsafe areas and alert authorities quickly.
b.Localized Emergency Response and Help Points: In Delhi’s JJ clusters, mobile vans equipped with lights and helpline access serve as roving safety hubs at night.

            Enhancing lighting and safety in informal settlements directly supports **Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities**, by making urban spaces inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Integrating solar-powered lighting, smart surveillance, and community participation not only improves night-time safety and mobility, especially for women and children, but also boosts liveability by enabling access to public spaces, education, and livelihoods after dark. These **locally-adapted, low-cost innovations** reduce crime, foster trust, and empower residents to co-create safer environments. Cities that prioritize such solutions build a foundation for **equitable urban growth, climate resilience, and dignified living** in low-income housing clusters.