Prioritizing accessible transit systems for sustainable urban development: Understanding and evaluating the parameters of a transportation system in Mumbai

Sustainable cities normally have numerous urban environments that are not merely dominated by private vehicles but aim to promote pedestrian mobility, cycling routes, and public transport systems. Regulating the use of automobiles and providing efficient public transport options are essential in designing a city to move from car dependency to gradual restructuring of both locally and regionally peripheries, thus freeing up spaces for other potential uses such as ecological landscaping and food production within the city environments and as well as providing better-quality living environments. Transportation problems intensify significantly when infrastructure cannot operate efficiently with the increasing demand of commuters. The transportation system of the city of Mumbai, as the financial capital of India, is selected as a case study for the authors to review and analyze different aspects of sustainability on one basis of transportation. Through critical analysis of Mumbai's transportation system, a methodology emerges to understand the parameters of a sustainable transportation system. Furthermore, this paper offers a guideline plan with a suggestion of a timeframe (i.e., short-term to long-term), a diagrammatic model including sociospatial, economic, and policy approaches, and a list of parameters for consideration with suggestions for implementation at both policy and practice levels.