Bengaluru’s Footpath Push Puts Walkability And Property Values In Focus 

SAMUEL JOSHUA

Better footpaths can do more than make daily walks comfortable. They can bring more customers to shops, improve access to public transport and make neighbourhoods more attractive to homebuyers and businesses. Bengaluru’s Walkaluru initiative, led by urban activist Arun Pai, highlights how pedestrian-friendly streets can benefit both residents and the real estate sector.

Started as part of the civic movement The Ugly Indian, Walkaluru aims to improve footpaths and encourage people to experience the city on foot. For property developers, the initiative underlines the importance of neighbourhood infrastructure in determining how people use an area and how attractive it is to buyers, tenants and businesses. The effort dates back to 2008, when Pai and a group of volunteers tackled a garbage dump that had existed for nearly 20 years outside Wipro’s Church Street office.

 After observing the site for 24 hours to identify the problem, the team completed the cleanup in three days. The experience convinced Pai that civic issues could be addressed through direct action rather than blaming others. The Ugly Indian reportedly attracted 400,000 social media followers by 2009 and drew academic attention from Cornell University. The group also trained municipal workers to improve public spaces.

Pai later extended this approach to Bengaluru’s footpaths, taking on the informal title of the city’s “Footpath Mayor”. Drawing inspiration from the rating systems used by consumer apps such as Swiggy and Ola, he joined local running groups to assess 100 km of footpaths, record their condition and share videos online. We analyzed all the footpaths, we ran, we took videos, and we put it on YouTube, Pai noted.

The footpath assessment led Bengaluru’s municipal commissioner to ask for a report on the problems identified and agree to fix them. Later, the campaign organised 10-km and 11-km footpath runs along MG Road, giving rise to the Walkaluru initiative. Public participation grew through a 100-km walking event that attracted 1,500 citizens. Another 26-km citywide walk on January 1 drew 350 participants, including senior citizens, ministers and senior bureaucrats.

The 6 am to 6 pm event gave participants an opportunity to experience pedestrian problems along busy city corridors. For the property market, walkability can influence the appeal of both residential and commercial locations. Convenient walking routes to shops, restaurants, parks, schools and transit stations can make neighbourhoods more attractive to residents, while pedestrian-friendly commercial streets can encourage customers to spend more time in local businesses.

Research cited in discussions on street redesign points to a 228% increase in pedestrian footfall and a 117% rise in female walking traffic in some improved streetscapes. Estimates also suggest that retail businesses on pedestrian-friendly corridors can record 15% to 30% higher sales turnover than those in car-dependent locations. Results vary by location and the type of improvements made.

Homes within a 500-metre walk of transit hubs can also command a 12% to 20% property value premium under certain transit-oriented development conditions. However, such gains depend on connectivity, infrastructure quality, local demand and access to amenities.

A project's value depends not only on its design and amenities but also on how easily people can move around the neighbourhood. Walkaluru highlights why developers and urban planners need to give pedestrian infrastructure greater attention when planning residential and commercial developments.