Manoj Sharma is Metro Features Editor at Hindustan Times. He likes to pursue stories that otherwise fall through the cracks.
Articles by Manoj Sharma
‘Homogenisation creates cultural amnesia’
Dikshu C Kukreja emphasizes the need for contextual architecture in India, warning against globalisation erasing local identity and cultural significance.
Published on May 05, 2025 05:56 AM IST
The rise of Anywhere City
Generic globalised architecture is erasing the memory, identity, and character of Indian cities
Published on May 05, 2025 05:48 AM IST
Driving urban mobility, hostility: An auto story
Experts say what makes autorickshaws so indispensable in Indian cities — unlike in most global metros — is their sheer adaptability.
Published on Apr 14, 2025 05:42 AM IST
Rethinking streets: Why cities need to make room for buskers
In India, informal busking hubs have emerged in various cities, but the lack of clear regulations and support leaves artistes in a legal grey area
Published on Apr 07, 2025 06:02 AM IST
Manoj Sharma, New Delhi
Marking history: How new blue plaques can promote heritage conservation in India
These plaques put up by municipal corporations aim to make the past more visible in the present
Published on Mar 10, 2025 05:08 AM IST
Where’s my bus? Stranded in the transit information void
Missing route maps and the absence of real-time tracking at bus shelters in Indian cities make commuting a frustrating ordeal
Updated on Feb 24, 2025 05:28 PM IST
Revving Trouble? What India’s two-wheeler boom means for urban mobility
Experts attribute this sudden rise in two-wheeler ownership to poor public transport in Indian cities.
Updated on Jan 27, 2025 05:28 AM IST
The names we keep: India’s unchanged urban memory
Across India, major streets in megacities have been renamed, but the new names have failed to catch on in everyday conversations.
Updated on Jan 13, 2025 03:00 AM IST
India’s many Chandni Chowks
Chandni Chowk, Delhi's historic marketplace, inspires similar markets in cities like Kolkata and Patna, each with distinct identities and histories.
Updated on Dec 16, 2024 04:48 AM IST
Crowdfunding lights up Kolkata heritage: A blueprint for urban renewal in India?
Indian cities, most of which are constrained by tight municipal budgets, have yet to explore crowdfunding’s potential for urban rejuvenation
Updated on Nov 25, 2024 05:28 AM IST
Cycle quest in Indian cities going off-track
Efforts have largely missed the mark, with minimal cycling adoption and most lanes left deserted, damaged, or encroached upon
Updated on Nov 11, 2024 03:55 AM IST
Battling paan stain: The never-ending struggle against spitting in public spaces
Connaught Place has become the site of a relentless game of cat and mouse between the errant public and civic authorities.
Updated on Oct 14, 2024 05:02 AM IST
Creating safer pathways to schools
Fatalities among school children under 18 years of age have consistently risen in India, with increases of 6.4% in 2017, 6.6% in 2018, and 7.4% in 2019
Updated on Sep 30, 2024 05:26 AM IST
The traffic light conundrum: Do they improve mobility or slow it?
Delhi has over 990 traffic signals, Mumbai has 660, and Chennai has 312, and their numbers are steadily increasing
Published on Sep 16, 2024 04:22 PM IST
Traffic lights: A boon or bane for city mobility?
Delhi has over 990 traffic signals, Mumbai has 660, and Chennai has 312, and their numbers are steadily increasing
Updated on Sep 16, 2024 05:44 AM IST
Women’s safety in building plans a must, say experts
In India, building design have historically prioritised aesthetics and economic considerations while giving little or no attention to women’s safety
Updated on Sep 02, 2024 05:26 AM IST
The struggle for study spaces in Indian cities
The brutal culture of competitive exam in India, with its rising numbers, drives countless students to these urban centres.
Updated on Aug 19, 2024 04:40 AM IST
The battle for course correction in India’s corporation-run schools
Today, MCD runs 1,534 primary schools in the city, serving over 700,000 students — the highest of any municipal corporation in India
Updated on Jul 15, 2024 05:34 AM IST
Packages by air: Drones take to city skies to deliver groceries
Skye Air has created two hubs — in Sector 30 and Sector 71 — where e-commerce and quick commerce companies send their packages to be delivered to customers
Updated on Jul 01, 2024 05:14 AM IST
How street furniture shapes aesthetics of urban life
Street furniture enhances urban spaces by improving their aesthetics, functionality, and sociability.
Updated on Jun 17, 2024 06:28 AM IST
Billboards: Cluttering urban eyeline, posing life threat
The tragedy in Mumbai starkly exposed the perilous and unregulated nature of these towering structures
Updated on May 20, 2024 01:23 AM IST
Ever-shifting colours of public transport in cities
Experts say frequent changes in colour schemes of public transport vehicles can create confusion for commuters, and ultimately dilute a city’s unique identity
Updated on May 06, 2024 05:16 AM IST
Urban apathy? Metros grapple with poor voter turnouts
India’s major cities face low voter turnout in elections despite being hubs of progress. Efforts underway to boost participation and civic duty.
Updated on Apr 22, 2024 04:40 AM IST
Adaptive reuse of old, decaying buildings in metros across India
Driven by a need for sustainable development, preservation of heritage, and innovative space use, some cities are reusing old buildings instead of razing them
Updated on Apr 08, 2024 04:07 PM IST
What is in a logo? Mysuru and Bengaluru hope to give us the answer
These two Indian cities alone have logos, though many others have sobriquets. Done right, it can offer a unifying symbol to bring people together
Updated on Apr 02, 2024 07:33 AM IST
Transforming railway stations into new city centres
India is transforming colonial-era railway stations into modern city centres under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, reshaping the city-station relationship.
Updated on Mar 18, 2024 05:36 AM IST
Urban Agenda | Beyond Google Maps: How a signage system shapes our cities
Effective signage is essential for wayfinding, it also plays an important part in a city's branding. There is no standardisation of road signage across cities
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 11:16 AM IST
To a new urban sprawl — Dwarka expressway
The Dwarka expressway, a central government initiative in Gurugram, has transformed into a microcity with rising property rates and luxury housing segments.
Updated on Mar 04, 2024 05:46 AM IST
In India, the city square makes a comeback
Over the decades, most city squares in India lost their essence as vibrant hubs of urban life, devolving into mere traffic nodes
Updated on Feb 12, 2024 06:14 AM IST
India’s cities are transforming their waterfronts
The riverfront has quickly become a popular attraction for both locals and tourists, with approximately 10,000 people visiting it daily
Updated on Jan 29, 2024 03:52 PM IST