The Footpath Warriors of Bengaluru Went on a Walk

You could call it a double peak Bengaluru moment, combining as it did two of the city's abiding passions—technology and citizen activism.

- Shrabonti Bagchi

You could call it a double peak Bengaluru moment, combining as it did two of the city's abiding passions—technology and citizen activism. Early in May, around 20 people assembled near the Chinmaya Mission Hospital in Indiranagar at 11.30 on a Saturday morning to loiter with intent. They were volunteers who had shown up to conduct a "walkability audit" as part of a project called Bangalore Ethereum Localism (BEL), which is using a Web 3 tool to gather data about Bengaluru's footpaths.

"We wanted to explore how this technology, its verifiability and transparency coupled with digital rewards and community coordination could support and benefit lives," says Madhav Sampat, founder of Bangalore Ethereum Localism. It is a global movement at the intersection of blockchain technology and local community, which uses tools built on peer-to-peer technology frameworks to power on-ground change. The tool included a survey for participants to gather visual data such as images and videos, locational data, as well as their observations from the footpaths.

"There were participants from various parts of Bangalore... some founders and developers, some students, but all interested to see how they can be involved and create change," says Sampat, who works with a Web 3 development platform, where he helps create tools on climate and sustainability. The aim was to gather data and share the results on social media to create awareness about the condition of footpaths.

A series of citizen-led initiatives in Bengaluru are tackling the city's footpaths using a mix of community engagement, technology, and data-driven audits. While each group has its own approach—from Web3-enabled surveys to grassroots walkability challenges—they all reflect a growing demand for safer, walkable cities.