People, Places, Possibilities

Trichy, the fourth-largest civic formation in Tamil Nadu, is rapidly growing and facing the challenges of sprawl, congestion, and stressed mobility systems. Our proposal reimagines streets as public spaces for people rather than arteries for vehicles, embedding resilience, vibrancy, and equity in the city’s future. The framework introduces a three-step strategy: first, ensure safe streets through compact intersections, uniform carriageways, and organized metered parking; second, recover freed space to create green, walkable, and cycling corridors that double as recreational zones; and third, activate pockets along streets with programs such as play areas, vending zones, and community spaces. Key interventions include Municipal Office Road, where shaded parks and wide pedestrian zones integrate children’s play and civic programs; McDonalds Road, where boundary walls open to parks with gyms, libraries, and amphitheaters; and Williams Road, where a new plaza consolidates the bus stand and commercial hub. Together, these interventions form a replicable model for people-centered, economically sustainable, and climate-responsive streets.