The Central Vista Avenue was designed as a grand ceremonial approach to the Viceroy’s House and an iconic symbol of the British Raj. Inspired by Washington’s National Mall and Paris’s Avenue de Champs-Elysées, the Avenue comprised a 3 km long tree-lined stretch from the Viceroy’s House to the All-India War Memorial, flanked by lawns, formal gardens and water channels. It was designed using classic city planning instruments, with a strong axis (from the ridge of Raisina Hill towards the Jamuna river), an emphasised focal point, formation of important nodes, and a definitive termination point.

At Independence, along with the buildings, the avenue streets were also renamed: King’s Way became Rajpath and Queen’s Way became Janpath. The Viceroy’s House became Rashtrapati Bhavan and the All India War Memorial became India Gate, now magnificent icons of the Republic of India.

Several modifications were made to the Central Vista Avenue after independence. An additional cross street (Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg) and node was added, to cater to the increasing city traffic by improving north-south connectivity. The landscape also started getting altered, with a new row of trees added in the 1980’s. These changes also had an impact on the water channels and formal gardens of the original design.

Despite the changes, the Avenue continues to retain its basic character and serves many important functions even today. It is the setting for the annual Republic Day parade, a setting for national and public events, a precious civic garden for the city and an important tourist attraction.

The formal gardens and lawns were never planned for heavy public use and have now become increasingly stressed and uncomfortable to use. The Republic Day arrangements can be better planned and provided for, so as to cause less disruption to public movement and less damage to the landscape every year. The facilities for civic users, including pathways and street furniture, need refurbishment. The objective of the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue is to make the Avenue an icon that truly befits India’s administrative capital. It intends to achieve this by refurbishing, strengthening and restoring the Avenue’s landscape and tree cover; providing amenities that make it comfortable for civic users and tourists to use; and making it more pedestrian-friendly and easier for traffic to negotiate. The design also provides space and facilities for vendors, ensures that arrangements for national events cause minimal disruption, and ensures integrity and continuity of the Vista’s original layout, its geometries and its architectural character. The refurbishment of Central Vista Avenue will increase usable public space to the Avenue and enhance the quality and experience for tourists and local residents.