Streets are our commons, shared spaces that are to be used, accessed and enjoyed by all residents of the urban space equitably.
Slowly, steadily, the urban residents have forgotten their right over the commons. Life has moved away from the commons to the privacy of the built environment. The streets, the footpaths, the parks, the forests, the lakes, the streams, the air and the water are our commons. We all are guaranteed equitable access to these spaces and resources. Yet, in practice, the streets are engulfed by the speedy cars leaving the pedestrian at a complete loss as if he has invaded the space that belongs to another. The children have to play indoors because they could be run over by the bike.
The street vendor, the joy and life of the street, is asked to move away because there is no space for the aesthetics of informality in the image of a world class city. Street vending is an extremely sustainable model. It does not require large physical built spaces thereby saving high environmental cost. By not investing in built spaces, the vendors are able to price the products of sale at a lower price compared to a built setup.
Let us get together and walk in large numbers , cycle in big groups on the streets and reclaim it from the motor vehicles. Let us be able to play and eat and hop and skip on the streets again. A street play maybe? Enjoy a snack at the street vendor. There is so much we can do on our streets if the cars stopped moving. Car free stretches can be declared in the city, some roads can be made car free on sundays.
They are OUR spaces. They are for us to enjoy equitably while ensuring the commons are protected for posterity. Protection, not by fencing them, but by reclaiming them.
