What-is-Smart-City

WhatisSmartCityThefirstquestioniswhatismeantbya‘smartcity’.Theansweris,thereisnouniversallyaccepteddefinitionofasmartcity.Itmeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.TheconceptualisationofSmartCity,therefore,variesfromcitytocityandcountrytocountry,dependingonthelevelofdevelopment,willingnesstochangeandreform,resourcesandaspirationsofthecityresidents.AsmartcitywouldhaveadifferentconnotationinIndiathan,say,Europe.EveninIndia,thereisnoonewayofdefiningasmartcity.SomedefinitionalboundariesarerequiredtoguidecitiesintheMission.IntheimaginationofanycitydwellerinIndia,thepictureofasmartcitycontainsawishlistofinfrastructureandservicesthatdescribeshisorherlevelofaspiration.Toprovidefortheaspirationsandneedsofthecitizens,urbanplannersideallyaimatdevelopingtheentireurbaneco-system,whichisrepresentedbythefourpillarsofcomprehensivedevelopment-institutional,physical,socialandeconomicinfrastructure.Thiscanbealongtermgoalandcitiescanworktowardsdevelopingsuchcomprehensiveinfrastructureincrementally,addingonlayersof‘smartness’.IntheapproachoftheSmartCitiesMission,theobjectiveistopromotecitiesthatprovidecoreinfrastructureandgiveadecentqualityoflifetoitscitizens,acleanandsustainableenvironmentandapplicationof‘Smart’Solutions.Thefocusisonsustainableandinclusivedevelopmentandtheideaistolookatcompactareas,createareplicablemodelwhichwillactlikealighthousetootheraspiringcities.TheSmartCitiesMissionoftheGovernmentisabold,newinitiative.ItismeanttosetexamplesthatcanbereplicatedbothwithinandoutsidetheSmartCity,catalysingthecreationofsimilarSmartCitiesinvariousregionsandpartsofthecountry.Thecoreinfrastructureelementsinasmartcitywouldinclude:i.adequatewatersupply,ii.assuredelectricitysupply,iii.sanitation,includingsolidwastemanagement,iv.efficienturbanmobilityandpublictransport,v.affordablehousing,especiallyforthepoor,vi.robustITconnectivityanddigitalization,vii.goodgovernance,especiallye-Governanceandcitizenparticipation,viii.sustainableenvironment,ix.safetyandsecurityofcitizens,particularlywomen,childrenandtheelderly,andx.healthandeducation.AsfarasSmartSolutionsareconcerned,anillustrativelistisgivenbelow.Thisisnot,however,anexhaustivelist,andcitiesarefreetoaddmoreapplications.Accordingly,thepurposeoftheSmartCitiesMissionistodriveeconomicgrowthandimprovethequalityoflifeofpeoplebyenablinglocalareadevelopmentandharnessingtechnology,especiallytechnologythatleadstoSmartoutcomes.Area-baseddevelopmentwilltransformexistingareas(retrofitandredevelop),includingslums,intobetterplannedones,therebyimprovingliveabilityofthewholeCity.Newareas(greenfield)willbedevelopedaroundcitiesinordertoaccommodatetheexpandingpopulationinurbanareas.ApplicationofSmartSolutionswillenablecitiestousetechnology,informationanddatatoimproveinfrastructureandservices.Comprehensivedevelopmentinthiswaywillimprovequalityoflife,createemploymentandenhanceincomesforall,especiallythepoorandthedisadvantaged,leadingtoinclusiveCities.