The Mumbai/New York Photo Project: On the Sidewalks

This is the second installment in Nisha Sondhe’s Mumbai/New York photography project. View part one, “On the Waterfront,” here. Read more about the project here.  

Mumbai and New York are both crowded cities teeming with traffic - not just in the streets, but on the sidewalks, too. The New York City Transportation Department estimates that the city has 12,750 miles of sidewalk, which are becoming more congested each year.

A city government survey alculating the “pedestrian volume index” suggested that since 2007, the number of people walking on New York’s sidewalks had risen over 10 percent by May 2011. That’s a good thing: the city government is attempting to encourage the walking habit by widening streets, adding more benches and improving cleanliness.

Mumbai is also already a very pedestrian-heavy city. The pavements of Mumbai host about 15 million walking trips each day, with about 55 percent of Mumbai residents walking some distance to work.

However, dilapidated sidewalks and an ever-increasing volume of cars mean that safety is a pressing issue in the city. According to a study, 78 percent of Mumbai’s road fatalities involve pedestrians. The Walking Project, an initiative by a group of Mumbai activists, is advocating for better provisions for pedestrians in the city.

To the uninitiated, it may seem that the sidewalks of Mumbai are meant for almost anything except for walking. In fact, they play an integral role in the city’s vibrant informal economy. You can find a barber for your morning shave or someone to mend your shoes, clean your ears or sharpen your knives. A recent study estimated that there were nearly 250,000 street vendors in the city.

New York City’s sidewalks are also littered with vendors selling everything from hot dogs to fake designer handbags and cheap electronics. In some cases, it seems ew York City takes its inspiration from Mumbai. Thirukumar Kandasamy, also known as “the Dosa Man,” runs one of New York’s most well-known street stalls and claims to be listed in the guidebooks of 42 countries. The Street Vendor Project estimates that New York City has about 20,000 street vendors.

In both cities, the sidewalk often becomes an important spot for the city’s artistic expression. Along the many of the sidewalks of New York City are interesting murals, art installations and often-irreverent graffiti. New York City’s Transportation Department encourages urban art projects, collaborating with different artists and groups to brighten up the city.!

Me! anwhile, artistic graffiti is slowly gaining popularity in Mumbai. The Wall Project, started in 2009 with the blessing of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, saw over 400 Mumbai resident volunteers painting the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) stretch that spans Tulsi Pipe Road. The stretch of wall along a busy road was once the city’s most derelict.

In both of these cities, a walk down the street is never a dull affair.

Look for the next Mumbai/New York photos on Feb. 5.