24 October,2026 08:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BMC chief Ashwini Bhide. File Photo
Planned development around metro stations can encourage more people to use public transport, improve daily commuting and support long-term economic growth, Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, said on Saturday.
Speaking at the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference in Bhubaneswar, Bhide highlighted the importance of coordinating transport infrastructure with urban development to improve mobility and ensure sustainable growth in cities.
She was chairing a session on land use and transport beyond city limits, where discussions focused on the need to align urban expansion with public transport networks and improve planning across administrative boundaries.
Bhide outlined Maharashtra's efforts to promote transit-oriented development, a planning approach that encourages housing, commercial establishments and essential services near public transport facilities.
She said the policy had been introduced in Nagpur and Pune. In Mumbai, a policy encouraging higher-density development within approximately 500 metres of underground metro stations has also been implemented.
The approach aims to create areas where residents can access workplaces, shops and essential facilities more easily through public transport. By bringing different activities closer to metro stations, the policy seeks to reduce dependence on private vehicles and make public transport a more convenient option for daily travel.
The policy also links development permissions with funding for public infrastructure. Additional premiums collected for allowing higher construction areas are directed towards local amenities and transport infrastructure, helping support the development of areas around metro stations.
Bhide said planned development around metro stations could increase ridership by making stations more accessible and improving the convenience of daily travel.
Concentrating residential and commercial activity near public transport corridors can help commuters reach workplaces and essential services without relying as heavily on private vehicles. Such development can also support better use of existing transport infrastructure and reduce the need for long journeys across the city.
For Mumbai, where commuting demand remains closely linked to the distribution of housing, jobs and commercial activity, coordinating land use with metro expansion could play an important role in improving urban mobility.
However, the effectiveness of such policies depends on the availability of supporting infrastructure, including roads, pedestrian access and local transport connections. Coordinated planning is therefore necessary to ensure that higher-density development does not place additional pressure on existing civic facilities.
Bhide also stressed the importance of coordination among government departments and local authorities to improve transport planning and manage development in areas beyond city limits.
As urban areas expand, commuting patterns increasingly extend beyond municipal boundaries. Transport networks and land-use policies therefore need to account for travel between cities and their surrounding regions, rather than focusing only on development within individual administrative areas.
She pointed to experiences from cities such as London and Singapore, along with recommendations from urban planning experts, as potential inputs for shaping future mobility policies.
