New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- Dear reader,

A few days ago, Canadian vlogger Caleb Friesen was filming in Bengaluru's Indiranagar when he came across a barely usable pavement. The footpath under the Domlur flyover, on a busy pedestrian route, was full of reeking garbage, making it impossible to walk.

After Friesen's video went viral on Instagram, residents of Indiranagar and Domlur came together to clean, restore and paint the pavement, making it walkable again.

This incident raises a bigger question. How bad are India's pavements in general? Are our cities really walkable or a downright health hazard to pedestrians?

Urban design in India still struggles to support active lifestyles. Unlike cities such as London, New York, and Singapore, most I...