Manipal: As part of Pro-Active streets, KNMTA (Karnataka Non-Motorized Transport Agency), a registered society under DULT (Directorate of Urban Land Transport) had floated an Expression of Interest in TIER 2 & TIER 3 cities in Karnataka for design & implementation support to improve the walkability of streets.

KNMTA involves various stakeholders of society in the design process. In this aspect, City Municipal Corporation, Udupi had expressed their willingness to participate and had pitched Dr V S Acharya Road to be taken up for design development. The stretch is approximately 1.8 Km in length starting from the Syndicate circle to the District Commissioner’s office.

As part of this program, DULT, Bengaluru floated a monsoon studio for a duration of eight weeks and collaborated with the Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, MAHE, Manipal. The first-year students of M. Arch, Urban Design and Development took part in this studio along with two faculty coordinators, Prof.TN Trivikram, and Prof. Akshatha Rao. Students had done an initial study and documentation to get hold of the activities on the street in the first three weeks. Two experts from DULT, Bengaluru visited the site along with Mr Mohan Raju, Assistant Executive Engineer from CMC, Udupi.

As part of the monsoon studio, a two-day workshop was organised by DULT on October 14 and 15, 2022, at their head office in Bengaluru, where the students and one of the studio coordinators, Prof. TN Trivikram took part. The students presented an initial imprint of the study conducted on the road and later worked on conceptual design.

The conceptual design was presented to Smt. Manjula IAS, Commissioner, DULT, Bengaluru and other technical members of the organisation. The two-day workshop was helpful to ideate possible design interventions. The designs are now being refined for further details.