Q&A Urban Planning Q. Comment on the need for building smart cities and the challenges posed. A. To deal with the rapid urbanization and also avoid severe strain on the existing infrastructure in cities, the government intends to create 100 smart cities as satellite towns of large cities. A sum of Rs. 7,060 crore has been allocated in the Union Budget 2014-15 for the ambitious project. A smart city is one which enjoys sustainable economic growth and high standards of living. Investments in human and social capital, physical infrastructure such as transport, and social infrastructure like healthcare, education and recreation, are the usual hallmarks of such a city. It intelligently and sustainably manages resources and uses Information and Communication Technology and technology platforms including automated sensor networks and data centers to make living convenient and efficient. In other words, a smart city has a mix of commercial (services and manufacturing), residential, social infrastructure, physical infrastructure and public utilities. A smart city could take between 8 to 10 years to build from scratch and even more time to attract businesses and people. We need to be aware of the latest relevant technologies and the technologies had to be tailor-made and used effectively taking into account the topography, location and natural resources of the area. Apart from difficulties attracting private capital, the biggest concern is over land acquisition. For example, the proposed smart city in Dholera, Gujarat, has faced resistance from the locals. Lack of coordination between various Government agencies and project execution are the other areas of concern. Government departments should not work in silos . Government should to set up a smart-city governance cell that can monitor and coordinate the projects. Another challenge is of bringing about a change in mindset. Success of a smart city depends on residents, entrepreneurs and visitors actively participating in energy saving, implementation of new technologies and decisions to improve quality of life.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:11:23 +0000
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