Every morning and evening, Srinagar reminds us that it has reached a critical point in its urban journey. Traffic congestion, pressure on roads, shortage of parking, shrinking open spaces, increasing demand for housing, and mounting stress on civic amenities are no longer isolated problems. They are symptoms of a city carrying a burden far beyond what it was originally designed to bear.

Over the last three decades, Srinagar has witnessed unprecedented growth. The city has become the administrative, educational, medical, commercial and tourism capital of Kashmir. People from every district travel daily to Srinagar for employment, education, healthcare, business and government services. Simultaneously, tourism has expanded manifold, with millions of visitors arriving annually. The result is that a city planned for a much smaller population is now struggling to accommodate residents, commuters, tourists and businesses alike.

The traditional response to congestion has been road widening. While necessary in certain locations, global experience shows that widening roads alone rarely solves urban congestion. New road space is quickly filled by additional vehicles, and traffic bottlenecks simply shift from one junction to another. Srinagar is already witnessing this........

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