Smart cities or autocracies?
9 years, 2 months ago

Smart cities or autocracies?

Deccan Chronicle  

Mumbai woke up on Friday morning to a blanket of smelly smog all over the city and advisories from the authorities asking people to remain indoors if they did not have any reason to step out. No one knows the criteria of the selection process, but many see it as a calculated political snub to the BJP’s ally, the Shiv Sena, which controls the city’s rich municipal corporation. Union minister of urban development M. Venkaiah Naidu has said, channelling Victor Hugo, that “nobody can stop an idea whose time has come and this applies to the Smart City as well”. An integral part of a smart city will be the creation of a special purpose vehicle which will “plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects”. The Sena sees the smart city idea as a clever way to hand over control of Mumbai to a non-elected body and thus separate it from Maharashtra; a happy by-product from the BJP’s point of view would be the resultant irrelevance of the troublesome Sena But this is not just about the Shiv Sena’s wishes or indeed about the internecine politics between it and the BJP.

City Smart City Smart Cities Bjp Spv Running Mumbai  idea  autocracies  running  mumbai  land  shiv  city  spv  smart  cities  state

History of this topic

Will new cities be added under 'Smart Cities Mission'? Check Modi govt's response
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Will new cities be added under 'Smart Cities Mission'? Check Modi govt's response

India TV News  

Will new cities be added under 'Smart Cities Mission'? Check Modi govt's response The Smart Cities Mission has played a pivotal role in redefining urban spaces by integrating technology, enhancing infrastructure, and addressing the challenges of urbanisation. Smart Cities Mission: The central government clarified on Monday in the Rajya Sabha that there is no current proposal to expand the ambit …

Blueprint to reality: Impact on urban development
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Blueprint to reality: Impact on urban development

Hindustan Times  

In the shadow of India’s historic palaces and ancient bazaars, a new kind of monument is rising: The smart city. India's ambitious journey towards urban development, fueled by cutting-edge technology, is transforming age-old city landscapes into digital hubs equipped to handle the 21st century's demands. The urban development models that emerge from India's smart city projects could serve as blueprints …

Blueprint to reality: Impact on urban development
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Blueprint to reality: Impact on urban development

Hindustan Times  

In the shadow of India’s historic palaces and ancient bazaars, a new kind of monument is rising: The smart city. India's ambitious journey towards urban development, fueled by cutting-edge technology, is transforming age-old city landscapes into digital hubs equipped to handle the 21st century's demands. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} The backbone of these smart cities is a series of innovative …

Three really smart cities and the impact on people’s lives
1 year, 1 month ago

Three really smart cities and the impact on people’s lives

Hindustan Times  

The National Democratic Alliance government's flagship Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, aimed to bring transformative changes in urban governance in 100 selected cities. Ruban Suresh Ponnaiah, chief engineer at the Madurai Smart City Limited, said among all the projects taken up, the renovation of the Periyar bus terminal, spread over 30,500 sq metre, and the construction of the new …

Smart City Roads: Standards diluted, footpaths remain pedestrian
1 year, 5 months ago

Smart City Roads: Standards diluted, footpaths remain pedestrian

The Hindu  

Wide, uninterrupted footpaths often beckon walkers in big numbers. They had high expectations since the Smart City upgrades were modelled after the TenderSURE makeover of St. Mark’s Road, Cunningham Road, Residency Road, and other streets in the city’s heart. The left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing.” Lack of detailing The original set of six Tender SURE roads …

Smart City with Sustainable Ecosystem of Urban Planning: How Smart Are Our Cities - News18
1 year, 11 months ago

Smart City with Sustainable Ecosystem of Urban Planning: How Smart Are Our Cities - News18

News 18  

The ingenuity of a ‘smart city’ aims to determine digital innovation to improve the lives of citizens and make urban living sustainable by excelling in governance, economy, transport, environment, resources, and people’s services, such as healthcare, education, housing & living etc. Last year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organised a series of events & conferences in the name …

The status of the Smart Cities Mission
3 years, 3 months ago

The status of the Smart Cities Mission

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Centre used a competitive process to select 100 cities for upgradation with significant investments through the Smart Cities Mission launched on June 25, 2015. In September 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs expanded the emphasis on climate-friendly infrastructure in smart cities through the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0 and a “Streets for …

‘Building smart cities starts with people, not technology’
5 years, 5 months ago

‘Building smart cities starts with people, not technology’

Live Mint  

When The Jetsons, the candy-coloured cartoon family, came on TV screens in the 1960s, they presented a utopian world powered by technology. It means using technology and data in a way that it improves the lives of its residents and helps them make better decisions, insists Emma Greer, a senior architect at Italy-based design firm Carlo Ratti Associati that works …

New-Age Infrastructure: Redefining India's Future with Smart Technologies
6 years, 9 months ago

New-Age Infrastructure: Redefining India's Future with Smart Technologies

Live Mint  

New-age infrastructure projects in India are redefining the country as Smart India. The focus is on smart railways, smart cities, and smart highways. In the realm of smart railways, Indian Railways is leading the charge with the introduction of Wi-Fi at railway stations and the introduction of SMART coaches. In the realm of smart cities, the urban development ministry is …

There's a much smarter way for cities to plan their futures
7 years, 1 month ago

There's a much smarter way for cities to plan their futures

Salon  

U.S. cities, it seems, sometimes are setting themselves up for decay, with big tax giveaways, ever-rising prices and systems that put the bulk of the tax burden on the poor. “Smartness is defined by its level of impact on the citizen and not on the level of the technology.” Often cities look at growth rates or traditional economic indicators, Abu …

Budget 2018: Promises of smart cities, employment and housing displaying little progress in India
7 years, 2 months ago

Budget 2018: Promises of smart cities, employment and housing displaying little progress in India

Firstpost  

Less than a quarter of central funds for four major national programmes for India’s urban renewal have been used. A further disaggregation of central funds data from the ministry of housing and urban affairs reveals: • Upto February 2017 – the last release of data – no more than 3 percent of smart-city projects were completed and 12 percent of …

African smart cities: A leap into the future?
7 years, 3 months ago

African smart cities: A leap into the future?

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Meet the innovators and inventors who are driving Africa’s tech revolution. Story highlights African cities plan new high-tech urban areas Could large satellite 'smart cities' solve the housing deficit? One idea gaining traction is newly developed satellite “smart cities:” ambitious multi-billion dollar, hyper-livable tech cities populated with bustling, beautified boulevards, private condos and luxury cars. Urban horizons While …

Guest column: Smart City vision lacks parity, decentralised approach the only way'
7 years, 4 months ago

Guest column: Smart City vision lacks parity, decentralised approach the only way'

Deccan Chronicle  

What makes a city smart? In the wake of rapid urbanisation and the dawning realisation of the economic importance of urban areas, the initial focus was on presenting technology-led improvements in administration as the essence of smart cities. The stumbling block at the heart of the Smart Cities mission is the selective focus on some cities and some neighbourhoods within …

Smart City: Do you have what it takes, BBMP?
7 years, 4 months ago

Smart City: Do you have what it takes, BBMP?

Deccan Chronicle  

Determined to bring tech-savvy Bengaluru its Smart City tag, the BBMP, which is going all out, hopes to raise Rs 2,200 crore over the next five years for a slew of projects like smart bus shelters, smart parking, smart bins and e-rickshaws. While the Smart City move has been welcomed by welfare associations and urban experts alike, the BBMP’s hopes …

Taking stock of smart cities project: So far so good; implementation challenges continue
7 years, 9 months ago

Taking stock of smart cities project: So far so good; implementation challenges continue

Firstpost  

Ideally it is hoped that along the course of these 5 years when the cities would be financed, there would be a proportional allocation towards maintenance of these facilities. It is then that one can be satisfied that the entire edifice is in place The Smart City Plan of the government introduced in June 2015 is one of the largest …

To succeed, citizens must have more say in the Smart Cities Mission
8 years, 7 months ago

To succeed, citizens must have more say in the Smart Cities Mission

Hindustan Times  

The Smart Cities Mission, a flagship programme for urban India, has been presented as a participatory and inclusive development programme aimed at enhancing the lives and livelihoods of citizens. One of the significant resistances to the mission has come from West Bengal, where the state government has decided to opt out of competition and not submit proposals for any other …

Smart Cities Mission: Flaws in a flagship programme
8 years, 9 months ago

Smart Cities Mission: Flaws in a flagship programme

The Hindu  

The Narendra Modi government would be celebrating a year of the launch of its flagship urban programme, the >Smart Cities Mission, this month. Aimed at allocating Rs.10 billion to each selected city over a span of five years, the mission has been claimed by Venkaiah Naidu, the Minister for Urban Development, as a “first in the country and even in …

Smart City project a mass movement: PM
8 years, 9 months ago

Smart City project a mass movement: PM

The Hindu  

“People of the cities have to decide about the development of their urban spaces and such decisions cannot be taken in Delhi,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, speaking in Pune on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Centre’s ‘Smart City mission’ project. Remarking on the robustness of the ‘Smart City’ project, he said the project in …

Enter PM Modi’s smart city contest, win Rs 1 lakh
8 years, 9 months ago

Enter PM Modi’s smart city contest, win Rs 1 lakh

Hindustan Times  

The Narendra Modi government has decided to encourage people’s participation in its flagship smart city mission with a design contest for cities picked for the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a ceremony at the launch of Smart Cities Mission in New Delhi Prime Minister Modi will launch the open competition in Pune on June 25, the first anniversary of …

33 cities in Smart City list: on the road to smartness
8 years, 10 months ago

33 cities in Smart City list: on the road to smartness

The Hindu  

With the second round of >13 cities making it to the Centre’s list, there are now 33 urban agglomerations that have made a successful bid to become “smart cities”. Cities in the developed world are focussed on self-driving cars, electric vehicles and smart grids, while those in India are yet to meaningfully address basic issues such as walkability, public transport, …

10 things to expect from India’s 20 smart cities
9 years ago

10 things to expect from India’s 20 smart cities

The Hindu  

The buzzword ‘Smart Cities’ has gained a lot more meaning now after the selection of 20 cities out of a total of 98, through a competitive selection process. This fact clearly evidences firm intent and interest of the involved city managers and citizens to have their cities included in the Smart Cities programme. All cities participated with proposals to develop …

Technology, infrastructure or people: What makes a city smart
9 years, 2 months ago

Technology, infrastructure or people: What makes a city smart

Hindustan Times  

The Centre’s ambitious scheme to develop 100 urban centres as smart cities kicked off on Thursday with the government announcing the names of the first batch of 20 cities from amongst the 98 that were chosen in stage one of the scheme through an intra-city competition last August. Besides, scalable cloud computing will ensure that you use and get only …

Giving cities the smart edge
9 years, 2 months ago

Giving cities the smart edge

The Hindu  

The Central government’s framework for >20 cities to become ‘smart’ over a five-year period can cover new ground if it makes intelligent use of information technology to deliver better civic services. Rapid and poorly regulated urbanisation has overwhelmed urban governments, rendering them >incapable of providing even basic services such as clean water, sewerage, pedestrian-friendly roads, public transport, uninterrupted power, street …

Resource management, not gadgets, make cities smart
9 years, 2 months ago

Resource management, not gadgets, make cities smart

Hindustan Times  

The New Delhi Municipal Council area is on the first list of 20 zones which the Centre promises to smarten up for future urbanisation. While every fourth person in Delhi gets just four litres of water supply daily, the NDMC zone consumes more water per capita than, say, London or Paris. Under the smart city project, the NDMC now wants …

Are smart cities green?
9 years, 2 months ago

Are smart cities green?

The Hindu  

We are living in the era of slogans, which in many ways is fruitful, for it wakes us from a slumber and in other ways is like opium, providing a mere temporary intoxication. Many reasons have been cited that include the known ones like rapid growth and lack of infrastructure; besides the lesser understood phenomena like short-sighted goals, impact of …

As 20 cities gear up for smart makeover, it is a bonanza for real estate: All you need to know
9 years, 2 months ago

As 20 cities gear up for smart makeover, it is a bonanza for real estate: All you need to know

Firstpost  

The government on Thursday released the list of 20 cities that have won the smart city challenge, with Bhubaneswar getting the first rank. “The idea of smart cities has aroused an unprecedented enthusiasm ever since it was first mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014,” Naidu said at the presser. “The really smart cities will build on the effort …

Govt names 20 cities for smart makeover; Bhubaneswar tops list
9 years, 2 months ago

Govt names 20 cities for smart makeover; Bhubaneswar tops list

Hindustan Times  

Urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday announced the first list of 20 cities to be developed as Smart Cities, with Bhubaneswar topping the list and Pune and Jaipur coming in second and third respectively. Urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu announced the list of first 20 cities selected for the Smart Cities plan on Thursday. “The Smart City Challenge …

Govt. announces list of first 20 smart cities under 'Smart Cities Mission'
9 years, 2 months ago

Govt. announces list of first 20 smart cities under 'Smart Cities Mission'

The Hindu  

The list of 20 smart cities out of the 98 shortlisted for the 'Smart Cities Mission' was released on Thursday. These 20 cities will be the first to receive funds, thus kickstarting the process of developing them into 'smart cities'. Of the 98 cities and towns that five years down will graduate into smart cities, 24 are capital cities, another …

Smart Cities: What are they?
9 years, 2 months ago

Smart Cities: What are they?

The Hindu  

Will they, won't they? The list of 20 smart cities out of the > 98 shortlisted for the Smart Cities Mission is > was released on January 29. Of the 98 cities and towns that five years down will graduate into smart cities, 24 are capital cities, another 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are culture and tourism influenced …

Smart City Mission underway
9 years, 5 months ago

Smart City Mission underway

The Hindu  

Chennai is among 12 cities in Tamil Nadu identified by the Ministry of Urban Development under the Smart Cities Mission. The State Government has appointed consultancy firm JLL, along with Townland Consultants and Tata Consulting Engineers, to assist the Corporation of Chennai in preparing the city’s smart city proposal. Smart processes and systems will run the urban administration, where delays …

Needed, smart solutions
9 years, 7 months ago

Needed, smart solutions

The Hindu  

After the >unveiling last week by Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu of the government’s list of 98 cities that it wants developed as smart cities, companies ranging from “smart” energy management firms to surveillance equipment providers have typically welcomed the “great clarity and focus for industry players to engage with the cities’ administration”. So far it has maintained …

Smart City project to boost economy with investment, says Naidu
9 years, 7 months ago

Smart City project to boost economy with investment, says Naidu

Firstpost  

Smart City Plans will be implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle to be set up for each identified city to enable a focused effort for effective implementation. New Delhi: The Centre today rolled out the ambitious Smart City project and hoped that it will attract investment to boost the economy. “The Smart City project requires investment and I can assure …

Involve stakeholders in preparing Smart City vision document: Expert
9 years, 7 months ago

Involve stakeholders in preparing Smart City vision document: Expert

The Hindu  

With the Centre on Thursday naming three cities in Andhra Pradesh and two in Telangana in the list of 98 Smart Cities, the governments in both the States would now have to involve all stakeholders in each of the selected city to prepare “Collective Vision Document” that would reflect the aspirations of the people. President of the Foundation for Futuristic …

Smart-City Challenge: Building on pillars of good governance- India TV News
9 years, 10 months ago

Smart-City Challenge: Building on pillars of good governance- India TV News

India TV News  

The second budget of the Narendra Modi government has been presented. The idea of selecting pilot cities under the Smart Cities programme at the state level has been so far understood as a political decision. The two primary objectives of a pilot project would be to enhance: 1)The probability of success - so as to enhance the buy-in of the …

What the hell is a smart city anyway?
9 years, 10 months ago

What the hell is a smart city anyway?

Hindustan Times  

We the people of Gurgaon heard great laughter fill its haze. It was probably desert delirium that made us hear these sounds, but our enquiries revealed there was indeed an occurrence that could cause such behaviour: A cabinet minister had stated, “Gurgaon will become a smart city in the next one year.” Officials-at-the-Ghitorni-station-were-caught-collecting-tokens-from-passengers-at-exit-gates-and-reselling-them-to-other-passengers-Pankaj-Savita-HT-File-Photo It was only recently that we had …

Guidelines for Smart City project likely to be finalised soon
9 years, 10 months ago

Guidelines for Smart City project likely to be finalised soon

The Hindu  

Gearing up to roll out its ‘100 smart cities’ scheme across the country, the government is likely to finalise the guidelines for the Rs. The NDA government’s flagship project got Cabinet’s approval last Wednesday, paving the way for the Ministry of Urban Development to work out details for the selection of cities for the project. “The detailed guidelines of the …

Modi's urbanisation dream takes wings: Cabinet nod for 100 smart cities project
9 years, 11 months ago

Modi's urbanisation dream takes wings: Cabinet nod for 100 smart cities project

Firstpost  

Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to NDA government’s flagship 100 smart cities project and the new urban renewal mission with a total outlay of about Rs one lakh crore. New Delhi: Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to the NDA government’s flagship 100 smart cities project and the new urban renewal mission with a total outlay of …

What makes cities really smart
9 years, 11 months ago

What makes cities really smart

The Hindu  

>There is no one definition for India’s proposed smart cities. The Ministry of Urban Development provides benchmarks for various services — maximum commute time should be 30 minutes in medium-sized cities and 45 minutes in metros; water availability must be 135 litres per capita per day; 95 per cent of homes should have shops, parks, primary schools and recreational areas …

Smart cities are engines of growth
10 years ago

Smart cities are engines of growth

The Hindu  

ECIL Chairman and Managing Director P. Sudhakar said on Thursday that smart cities would emerge as engines of growth. In his keynote address at the inaugural of the two-day national convention of Computer Society of India, he explained how issues like water scarcity, energy crisis, health and hygiene, employment challenges, traffic congestion, safety and security, and environmental pollution had to …

Smart Cities project to be rolled out in April- India TV News
10 years ago

Smart Cities project to be rolled out in April- India TV News

India TV News  

Smart Cities project likely to be rolled out next month New Delhi: The much awaited Smart Cities project is likely to be rolled out next month as the extensive consultation process with all stakeholders has concluded.“We are close to launching the much awaited Smart Cities New Delhi: The much awaited Smart Cities project is likely to be rolled out next …

Smart vs decent cities
10 years, 4 months ago

Smart vs decent cities

Times of India  

The blogger is an IAS officer of 2002 batch in West Bengal. He informed about the government’s plan to build satellite towns near existing urban areas on the smart city template, to upgrade existing mid-sized cities and to build settlements along industrial corridors. When we have failed to provide even the bare minimum urban amenities for the citizens, the “Smart …

States should take the lead in smart cities project: Venkaiah
10 years, 6 months ago

States should take the lead in smart cities project: Venkaiah

The Hindu  

The smart cities project is a long-term plan and expecting results overnight will be immature, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said here on Friday. “It is an important initiative by the Prime Minister … We have formulated a draft which was placed before secretaries and now it will be discussed with the government,” Mr. Naidu said addressing a …

Smart city plan out soon, wide scope for private sector: Government
10 years, 6 months ago

Smart city plan out soon, wide scope for private sector: Government

India TV News  

New Delhi: The Central government said that framework for government's stated goal of developing 100 smart cities will soon be finalised and the plan would allow plenty of opportunity for participation to the private sector. Builders and developers for the smart cities would be adequately incentivised, the senior official said, adding that while two or three new cities would come …

Smart city plan to be finalised soon: Govt
10 years, 6 months ago

Smart city plan to be finalised soon: Govt

The Hindu  

The framework for the NDA Government’s stated goal of developing 100 smart cities will soon be finalised and the plan would allow plenty of opportunity for participation to the private sector, the Centre said on Wednesday. He said there will be a lot of job opportunities during the implementation of the smart city plan and added that, “all the proposed …

Modi's Smart Cities vision will catalyse new IT-driven jobs
10 years, 7 months ago

Modi's Smart Cities vision will catalyse new IT-driven jobs

Firstpost  

The first and foremost job that’s going to come up is of a ‘City CIO’ - a role which is already in vogue in other cities that label themselves smart cities. Narendra Modi’s dream of developing ‘100 smart cities’ - which has been allocated Rs 7,060 crore in Union Budget 2014 - is a major project that will rely heavily …

What are smart cities?
10 years, 7 months ago

What are smart cities?

The Hindu  

Across the world, the stride of migration from rural to urban areas is increasing. Though this may sound futuristic, it is now likely to become a reality as the ‘smart cities’ movement unfolds in India. The concept of smart cities originated at the time when the entire world was facing one of the worst economic crises. The cities with ongoing …

Uncertainty over Smart city project
10 years, 8 months ago

Uncertainty over Smart city project

The Hindu  

The land rates are skyrocketing and increased beyond the reach of industrialists in the Muthukur and Nellore rural mandal limits after the announcement on Krishnapatnam smart city was made in the Union Budget for 2014-15. For the smart city to take full shape near the Krishnapatnam port in Muthukur mandal, industries relating to varied sectors like manufacturing, electricals and electronics …

Smart cities: The future of urban infrastructure
11 years, 4 months ago

Smart cities: The future of urban infrastructure

BBC  

Smart cities: The future of urban infrastructure Infrastructure is not exactly the sexiest word in architecture. After Sandy and Katrina, for example, solutions were focused on future sea level rise driven by climate change and the infrastructures necessary to “protect” these cities from future flooding. Conventional infrastructure repairs have used a robust engineering approach, elevating hard floodwalls to predicted future …

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