City governance is a complex system. The governance framework at the city level must be in sync with the with the culture, heritage, economy, competitiveness and institutions. That is the reason just constituting special purpose vehicle is not enough for the success of the Smart Cities in India. D. Dhanuraj, Chairman of Centre for Public Policy Re-search (CPPR), a think tank dedicated to research on current economic, social, and political issues, in conversation with Chahat Jain of BW SmartCities talks about the city governance, the need for financial and administrative autonomy of the cities and the various transportation models, which are required for the success of Smart Cities in India. An edited excerpt:
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In many National Capitals of the world, public spaces are seen as an opportunity for displaying Creative Art Work. Such creative and artistic works not only beautify the city but also capture its soul, says Puri
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Each city in India can capitalize on its diversity and uniqueness in its quest to smartness rather than following a unilinear path determined by smart technologies only. A shift in thinking from technology driven solutions to people centric solutions could help us work towards more inclusive smart cities.
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Pune has been the biggest achiever in the progress under the smart cities mission, says the AmCham and PwC report titled ‘Snapshot of projects under Lighthouse Smart Cities’. In an interview with Manish Arora of BW SmartCities, Kunal Kumar, Municipal Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation tells us about the progress of Smart City Mission and his vision for the next two years.
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Sikkim being a fortunate state having beautiful tourist destinations and a part of 100 smart cities of India is situated at a strategic location for defence. “We see the existing conditions as an opportunity where we can strengthen the value proposition of the city and provide more economic opportunities to the young entrepreneurs”, said Navin Rai, Joint Chief Town Planner and Nodal Officer, Smart Cities Mission, Sikkim in an exclusive conversation with Chahat Jain of BW SmartCities.
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Cities are doing everything to become smarter. But, are they paying enough attention to safety as well?
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Ahmedabad was amongst the first slot of cities to be selected for the Smart Cities Mission. Ranked at sixth, the city was be-hind Pune, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur Kochi and Surat, however, the recent tag of becoming India’s first heritage city has boosted the enthusiasm of the city officials who are trying their best to maintain the status of India’s first heritage city and at the same time transform it into a smart city. According to Rakesh Shankar, CEO- SPV (Smart City), Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, in the last few months, the city has taken many steps to transform the city. And he feels that with its latest prepaid Jan Mitra card, the city has really taken a smart leap in this direction.
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The Uttar Pradesh Government, under the new dispensation has come up with a new industrial policy, which is particularly aimed at facilitating ease of doing business, promoting employment generation, and also in reviving the old industrial cities in the state. What the new policy is offering is ease of doing business for the investors, assuring them of ‘zero tolerance’ with regard to law and order situation and better business climate and substantial policy framework. Manish Arora of BW Smart Cities talks to Satish Mahana, Minister for Industries Uttar Pradesh, about the new industrial policy, chang-ing perception of the investors in the state, reviving the old textile units of Kanpur and restore its lost glory as the Manchester of the East.
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