Srikanth Viswanathan, Executive Director, Jana Urban Space Foundation, and Surjyapata Ray Chowdhary, Advanced Associate – Urban Design, argue for a National Mission for Urban Roads to address the structural failures that continue to undermine road quality in Indian cities. The article examines how fragmented governance, weak utility coordination, and short-term contracting practices have resulted in unsafe, inefficient, and rapidly deteriorating urban streets.
They make a clear case for moving beyond piecemeal fixes towards standardised design frameworks, integrated utility planning, and outcome-based delivery models that prioritise safety, durability, and lifecycle value. These principles closely align with models such as Tender S.U.R.E., which demonstrate how design-led, institutionally anchored approaches can transform urban road infrastructure at scale.
