The Supreme Court’s recognition on June 19 of the right to walk safely as part of the right to life has implications that extend well beyond pedestrian safety. It raises a broader question about what Indian cities choose to build and what they continue to neglect.Walking remains the most common mode of transport in Indian cities, accounting for roughly one-quarter to one-third of all trips according to the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy India. Yet pedestrians receive among the least attention in urban planning and public investment.For decades, urban development has been measured through highways, flyovers, expressways and metro corridors. New roads and projects completed are announced frequently, while the public spaces people use every day – pavements, crossings, bus stops and road edges – remain poorly planned or absent altogether.The result is that Indian cities have invested heavily in roads without investing enough in the streets that make those roads usable.This distinction is important because roads and streets serve different purposes. Roads are designed to move vehicles efficiently. Streets support everyday urban life. Every metro journey begins and ends with a walk. Children walk to school, workers walk to bus stops and elderly citizens walk to neighbourhood markets.Streets simultaneously accommodate public transport, utilities, drainage, vending and green cover. They are among the most intensively used public assets in any city, yet they are rarely planned or managed as complete public systems.Ownership gapAround the locality in which I live in Delhi, metro construction has continued for several years. Along one stretch that I walk regularly, I instinctively cover my face as vehicles pass because construction material remains exposed and dust accumulates along the edge of the road. Pavements disappear without warning and walking becomes an exercise in avoiding debris, traffic and uneven surfaces.This experience is hardly unique to Delhi. Across our cities, pedestrians navigate roads where footpaths were never built or exist only in fragments. Dusty shoulders become informal walking space until they are occupied by parked vehicles, shop spillover or construction material.Where pavements do exist, they are frequently blocked by electric poles, transformers, utility trenches or encroachments. These are often treated as isolated civic complaints, but together they point to a complex governance challenge.Indian cities and pavements are basically an obstacle course — this level comes with extra bollards 😂🤣😳😁📍Punjagutta, Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/VdzTHczyiY— Aravind Unni (@aravindunni23) May 13, 2026