New Delhi, Oct. 29 -- The recent protests against the Election Commission have brought to the fore an under-studied aspect of urban life in the country: the lack of adequate public spaces.

In Delhi, activists have decried the new rule barring protests at Jantar Mantar. In Bengaluru, social activists are up in arms against city and state officials for restricting protests anywhere outside Freedom Park. Traders want protest sites at a safe distance from commercial centres to avoid traffic snarls.

The dispute over protest sites should make us question why our cities have so few places where people can gather without disrupting everyday life. Indian cities have been adding buildings and vehicles without creating adequate streets, squares, p...