Urban governance frameworks are being upended by projects under the Smart Cities Mission, further widening inequity and hampering sustainable development.
Smart roads, smart parking, green markets, water ATMs and the most celebrated Doon Integrated Control & Command Centre (DICCC) — hear about the various smart city projects underway in Dehradun from the CEO of the city’s smart city mission.
53 projects in all are envisaged under the Shimla Smart city mission, all to be completed by 2022. But a severe crunch of funds, coupled with an NGT ban on new construction to arrest haphazard and risky sprawl, makes it all seem unrealistic and unattainable.
Countless trees have already gone under the axe and several thousands are at risk in Bhopal’s Tatiya Tope Nagar, where a government housing project under the Smart Cities Mission is in progress. Environmentalists fume at the toll that such projects are taking.
At a time when our cities are gasping for breath and grappling with problems galore, would it not be wiser to strengthen our village infrastructure and diversify the rural economy to check rural-urban migration?
Out of 27 projects proposed by these twin cities in North Karnataka under the Smart Cities Mission, only one has gotten off to a start. An interview with the Special Officer of the SPV on the challenges and overall progress so far.
A new report from policy think tank, Housing and Land Rights Network, has strongly criticised the Smart Cities Mission for neglecting the rights and concerns of the poor and marginalised. A look at what the report recommends for truly inclusive cities.
India’s smart cities aim to provide essential infrastructure, decent quality of life, sustainable environment and smart solutions for citizens — to do more with less! Take a quick look at what the top 5 chosen cities are prioritising in the process.
A new study by the Housing and Land Rights Network (HRLN) finds the government scheme seriously lacking in inclusivity and social justice. Patralekha Chatterjee reports.
