Megapolis Chennai:The city we want

CHENNAI: Early this week, Resonance Consultancy published their annual ‘World’s 100 Best Cities’ list. If you have not guessed it already, Chennai is not on it.

Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad feature in the list of the ‘Global 100’, which according to the research group is based on three key metrics - liveability, lovability and prosperity.

Whether other urban centres in India qualify above Chennai is the perfect fodder for whataboutery, but let’s not make that mistake.

The city that has been topping the global list for over a decade is London, the oldest municipal corporation in the world. Chennai, according to several reports, is the second oldest municipal corporation in the world, and has a lot of catching up to do.

“Chennai is a name, Madras is an emotion”, a nostalgic bait meme made by a city dweller, does its fair share of circulation every year, even as new batch of young internet users gets added. Well, it is about time, Chennai makes a name for itself.

While interacting, thought leaders and stakeholders involved in urban planning and administration told DT Next what needs to be done Clean, safe city

Nothing screams ownership than a clean city. As of 2025, the city generates close to 6,000 MT of garbage every day and it is projected to rise exponentially in the next 20 years as the city expands. The garbage hillocks at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur are testaments to the lack of thought on waste management from the earlier administrators. Efforts are underway to reclaim the landfill sites.

No amount of sugar-coating can hide the fact that Indians are notorious for littering, and Chennaiites are no exception. “Bulk generators like shopping malls, apartment complexes, educational institutions – any facility that generates more than 100 kg of waste per day – were directed to treat their own waste, but enforcement is not effective yet,” notes a former Chennai Corporation official. “Hefty fines on citizens and institutions can stop littering, but for that the civic body has to get their act right first.”

World-class public transit

More than 90% of the population living in major European cities can access any form of public transport within a walking distance of 500 metres (for low capacity systems like buses and trams) and/or 1,000 metres (for high capacity systems like railways) along the street network, according to the UN Urban Indicators database. With the addition of Metro Rail network, Chennai would get a robust public transit system.

The challenge is in making it appealing and sustainable in an aspirational economy, say urban planners.

Walkable city

On paper, Chennai has a non-motorised transport policy aimed to promote walking and cycling. In reality, the city is not pedestrian- or cyclist-friendly. It would be a welcome change to imagine Chennai as a city with streets and neighbourhoods that are linked by continuous footpaths. Let there be a day when a Chennaiite does not have to drive all the way to the Marina or Elliot’s beach to experience a footpath or any path that’s free of vehicles and encroachments.

Parks, riverfronts, beach front

Early this year, the State government haD begun steps in converting the 148-acre land retrieved from the Madras Race Club, Guindy, into a public park, modelled after the Central Park in New York. A welcome move. Singapore has 27% green space and in London, it’s 46%. Chennai has just a little over 5%. The need for a massive green space cannot be stressed enough. Restoration and revival of Cooum and Adyar rivers can bring the old world charm with modern possibilities. There have been several examples from around the world, most notably the revival of the River Thames in London. Home to the Marina (second longest beach in the world), urban planners say Chennai has not still tapped the potential for waterfront development along the shores.

Sporting culture

For a city that’s sunny for most part of the year, Chennai should be the ideal location for outdoor activities and sports. As a way to promote a healthy lifestyle, the civic body can encourage its citizens to take up sports. A starter would be in providing those safe bicycle tracks and continuous footpaths.