Evaluation of the pedestrian environment – A Qualitative approach – Case study of Theagaraya Nagar – the commercial hub of Chennai city

There have been no comprehensive standards developed for the Indian context especially in metropolitan cities as far as accessibility criteria and pedestrian spacing is concerned. The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) has stipulated standards for pedestrian facilities like Sidewalks, Guard Rails and Pedestrian Crossings – both at-grade and grade-separated (Indian Roads Congress, 1998 ). But these lack the “human” element like aesthetics, scale, form and proportion. Pedestrian amenities and street furniture do not find a place in these standards. Context specific standards according to the location in the city, hierarchy of streets and functions of streets have not been thought of.