Smart Cities - An urban challenge or unnecessary deviation.pdf

“Cities in the 21st century will account for nearly 90% of global population growth, 80% of wealth creation, and 60% of total energy consumption. It is a global imperative to develop systems that improve the livability of cities while dramatically reducing resource consumption.” - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Urbanization in India has historically been viewed as a by-product of failed regional planning. It is only now that it is being realized that it is inevitable. However, the policy and practice surrounding urbanization will only change when the benefits of urbanization overtake the costs involved, it is an opportunity for achieving faster growth. Indian cities will grow faster than those of any other country in the coming years. By 2050, India will add over 400 million urban inhabitants, while China will see an increase of 290 million inhabitants over the same period.8 By 2030, seven Indian cities will have a population of over 10 million; in 2011, only Mumbai and Delhi had populations over 10 million. This amounts to a 37% increase in India’s urban population. Cities will generate over 70% of the GDP and 70% of new jobs by 2030, driving a four-fold growth in per capita incomes nationwide. Indian cities are projected to require 700-900 million square meters of new commercial and residential space by 2030, or the size of a new Chicago every year.9 Overall, 2.5 million square meters of roads and 7,400 kilometers of metros and subways must be added to India’s urban expanses. This is 20 times the capacity that has been added over the last decade.

Purpose- In an increasingly global world, there is an additional pressure on urban infrastructure. The available infrastructure in Indian cities is deteriorating under the pressure of growing population. Building smart cities seems to be the answer to tackling the issues. Keeping in view, the Government of India has announced 100 smart cities and the same are scattered among the different states/union territories on an equitable criterion basis. However, building the smart cities is not the responsibility of the Government nor is it the domain of large enterprises alone. There are several issues which create the hurdles in the implementation of the smart cities project. This paper aims at discussing some of the significant issues concerning to smart cities project that would direct to urban development with reference to India. The purpose of this paper is to decide whether smart cities are boon or bane for overcrowded urban India. Design/Methodology/Approach-There is an emerging need for the smart cities in India. Therefore, the Government of India rolled out the ambitious smart cities project on 27th August, 2015. Further, the Government of India has declared Rs. 48,000 crore for growth and development of 100 smart cities. However, out of 100 smart cities, 98 names of the cities are declared while remaining two names will announced in due course. The Central Government will provide Rs. 100 crore per city per year over the next five years for making 100 chosen cities smart. This project is announced first time in India. Therefore, required documented evidence of such project in India is not available. The study is based on the secondary data and the findings are based on the available information. Findings-The prime objective of the smart cities project is to improve the quality of urban life by tackling insufficiencies in main infrastructure required for better living. This smart cities project will link all cities, citizens, government and many more with each other on a real time basis. The smart city concept is a great idea as the Government of India wants to develop India as a powerful nation. However, lack of infrastructure, lack of basic amenities, poverty etc have created a lot of challenges. The government should try to attend basic issues such as providing good water, proper drainage system, public transport, sanitary and health care facilities etc. Research Implications/Limitations-This study is limited to the smart cities project announced by the Government of India. The Government has announced 100 cities under Smart cities project. Hence, further research would involve in-depth study of many aspects. While this paper throws the torchlight whether it is boon or bane for urban India, the process and views of the citizens also add insight. Practical Implications-This paper proposes that in smart cities project, the rapid growth of cities causes a large number of challenges. These smart cities are currently attracting global investment, which will create new job opportunities and ultimately improve the quality of living. Originality/Value-There is no any literature available or documentary evidence of such smart cities project in India. However, this paper is an attempt to study whether smart cities project is boon or bane for overcrowded urban India. Keywords-smart cities, urban areas, infrastructure, population, urbanisation, urban India

Cities are engines of growth for the economy of every nation, including India. Nearly 31% of India's current population lives in urban areas and contributes 63% of India's GDP (Census 2011). With increasing urbanization, urban areas are expected to house 40% of India's population and contribute 75% of India's GDP by 2030. This requires comprehensive development of physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure. All are important in improving the quality of life and attracting people and investments to the City, setting in motion a virtuous cycle of growth and development. Development of Smart Cities is a step in that direction. In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of 'Smart' Solutions. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities.

Smart City is the product of accelerated development of the new generation information technology and knowledge-based economy, based on the network combination of the Internet, telecommunications network, broadcast network, wireless broadband network and other sensors networks where Internet of Things technology (IoT) as its core. The main features of a smart city include a high degree of information technology integration and a comprehensive application of information resources. The essential components of urban development for a smart city should include smart technology, smart industry, smart services, smart management and smart life.

Scholedge International Journal of Business Policy & Governance ISSN 2394-3351

After coming to power in 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government announced the ambitious programme of building 100 smart cities in India. The idea behind is to rejuvenate the ailing urban system, improve urban infrastructure, quality of life and achieve sustainable and inclusive development besides other things. Tremendous demographic pressure, inadequate infrastructure and resources to cater to the population which runs in billions, unplanned growth of the peri-urban sprawls characterize India's urban environment. Socioeconomic imperatives are the key factors behind the rapid urbanization in India. Livelihood, security and prosperity are some prime movers. Ironically, cities, which on the one hand are considered the growth engines of economy, also attract poverty (socio-economically marginalized population) in large proportion. Consequently posh urban sprawls in Indian cities exist amidst impoverished habitats called slums where the poor inhabitants are condemned to live in subhuman condition. Reconciling growing affluence and abject poverty in cities is a difficult task too. In the backdrop of India's urban challenges this paper seeks to examine some critical issues associated with the development of smart cities to understand: Will smart cities serve India's aspiration or fulfill its urban needs? Can it address the contemporary and future needs of India's urbanization? How will it ensure the participation of the urban stakeholders? How will it ensure social inclusion and finally, whether India needs smart cities or smart urban solutions for sustainable development?

IJRASET, 2021

Urban transformation is very important with rapid migration taking place from rural to urban sector. Smart city mission which was launched in 2015 , is a revolutionary approach to reform and rebuild old cities and develop 100 satellites based cities which will provide maximum benefit to people at a minimum cost with better infrastructure and services , smart agriculture and smart health care system , the smart cities are environmentally friendly and runs on technology , provide housing for all , it will also help to end poverty and alleviate the issue of urban slums. Smart cities is an area based approach for which India also needs to upgrade its cyber infrastructure and provide digital education to its citizens , a collaborative approach by the state and central government will make India's smart city success. Decent cities which have no space left for accommodation is also rebuilding itself to make the standard of living better for people with sustainable development , promoting green economy , green energy and green funds .

Smart cities optimize the use of technology in the design and operation of infrastructure and buildings in a way which meets the current and future needs of their citizens. To be truly ‘smart’ they also require consideration of governance and growth, urban development and infrastructure, the environment and natural resources, society and community. Physical digital integration of infrastructure will be of utmost importance for the success and survival of the next generation of cities. From mandating the con struction of energy efficient buildings to create intelligent networks, cities are seeking to become “smarter

This paper looks at the Smart City Initiative taken by Government of India and its impact on the country's urban poor.

Cities have been the engines of economic growth since the industrial revolution. While effective at catalyzing prosperity, city development has not always been " smart" sacrificing human health, for instance, for greater productivity. Smart cities are now emerging. Leading smart cities such as Stockholm, Barcelona, New York, Vienna, and Toronto have incorporated efficiency into buildings, infrastructure, and social spaces using technological advancements, increasing the livability, workability, and sustainability of these places. Inspired by these smart city developments, India is planning to build 100 smart cities in various parts of the country. This research presents insight into how smart cities are likely to evolve in India, by studying the priority areas considered in planning smart cities. It presents both the citizen and city official perspectives of smart cities. The results indicate that citizens value living, followed by mobility, environment, governance, and economy, whereas the city officials prioritize living, followed by environment, economy, mobility, and governance. This research further evaluated the titles of planned smart city projects to determine how many of them can be categorized as smart. The analysis also revealed how city size influences the priorities of citizens and city officials, indicating that the notion of a smart city in India may be context specific.

2018

The conceptualisation of Smart City…varies… depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and aspirations of the city residents…there is no universally accepted definition of a Smart City.' Government of India, 20152 1 "I only want to stress on one thing…smart cities require smart people. They must be willing to reform, because it is going to be (a) PPP model, people has (sic) to participate, they have to pay for the user charges and they have to follow (a) certain amount of discipline. Then only (sic) you can make your city smart." Venkaiah Naidu (Minister of Urban Development