RSTV - The Big Picture: Smart City Mission @ 100

• The union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced the final list of smart cities in the Smart Cities Mission project, the flagship scheme of Narendra Modi government.
• The 9 cities announced by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri include Silvassa (Dadra and Nagar Haveli), Erode (Tamil Nadu), Diu (Daman and Diu), Bihar Sharif (Bihar), Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Kavaratti (Lakshadweep).
• The 10th city on the list was not announced because Shillong (Meghalaya) hadn’t yet submitted its proposal.
• The 9 cities will have about 409 projects and a proposed an investment of Rs12,824 crores.
• The money will be spent on area-based development and pan-city initiatives, which will impact the living of 35.3 lakh people.
• The newly announced smart cities will have smart roads, rejuvenation of water bodies, cycle tracks, walking paths, smart classrooms, skill development centres, upgradation of health facilities, among other things.

Smart Cities Mission:

• The Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.
• The Housing and Urban Affairs ministry has till now announced the names of 90 cities that the government aims to help under the scheme.

Smart City Features

Some typical features of comprehensive development in Smart Cities are described below.

1. Promoting mixed land use in area based developments–planning for ‘unplanned areas’ containing a range of compatible activities and land uses close to one another in order to make land use more efficient. The States will enable some flexibility in land use and building bye-laws to adapt to change;
2. Housing and inclusiveness – expand housing opportunities for all;
3. Creating walkable localities –reduce congestion, air pollution and resource depletion, boost local economy, promote interactions and ensure security. The road network is created or refurbished not only for vehicles and public transport, but also for pedestrians and cyclists, and necessary administrative services are offered within walking or cycling distance;
4. Preserving and developing open spaces – parks, playgrounds, and recreational spaces in order to enhance the quality of life of citizens, reduce the urban heat effects in Areas and generally promote eco-balance;
5. Promoting a variety of transport options – Transit Oriented Development (TOD), public transport and last mile para-transport connectivity;
6. Making governance citizen-friendly and cost effective – increasingly rely on online services to bring about accountability and transparency, especially using mobiles to reduce cost of services and providing services without having to go to municipal offices. Forming e-groups to listen to people and obtain feedback and use online monitoring of programs and activities with the aid of cyber tour of worksites;
7. Giving an identity to the city – based on its main economic activity, such as local cuisine, health, education, arts and craft, culture, sports goods, furniture, hosiery, textile, dairy, etc;
8. Applying Smart Solutions to infrastructure and services in area-based development in order to make them better. For example, making Areas less vulnerable to disasters, using fewer resources, and providing cheaper services.

Guest –

1. Prof. PK Sarkar, Head of the Department, Transport Planning of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
2. Anupam Mishra, Economic Advisor (EA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
3. Srikanth Viswanathan, CEO, Janaagraha

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