Model Question and Answers for APSC | With a brief background of the quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme’.
With a brief background of the quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the ‘Smart City Programme’.
Bhadra IAS Academy 
Ans: According to Census 2011, nearly 31% of the total population lives in cities, a figure that is expected to rise to around 50% by 2030. The quality of life in urban areas is extremely diverse. For example, on the one hand, we have planned developments like Chandigarh and, on the other hand, slums like Dharavi in the heart of Mumbai.
A brief background on the quality of urban life in India: Positive:
- Better health and educational services
- More choices for jobs and livelihood
- Better public services compared to villages
Challenges:
- Affordable housing crises and slums
- Crowding and depersonalisation
- Water Supply and Drainage
- Transportation and Traffic
- Power Shortage
- Sanitation and Pollution
In this context, the Government of India launched the Smart Cities Mission to identify and implement smart cities in order to drive economic growth, strengthen governance, and improve people's quality of life.
Objectives of “Smart City Programme”:
- To promote cities that cater to core infrastructure and provide a decent quality of life for their citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, and the use of 'Smart Solutions '
The strategy for creating smart cities:
The Smart Cities Programme's strategic objectives are city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment), and city extension (greenfield development), as well as a Pan-city initiative in which Smart Solutions are applied to larger areas of the city.
- Retrofitting entails implementing planning in an existing built-up area in order to achieve smart city objectives, as well as other goals, such as making the existing area more efficient and
- Redevelopment will result in the replacement of the existing built-up environment as well as the co-creation of a new layout with improved infrastructure through the use of mixed land use and increased
- Greenfield development will implement the majority of Smart Solutions in a previously vacant area by utilising innovative planning and plan implementation tools (e.g. land pooling/land reconstitution) with provisions for affordable housing, particularly for the
- Pan-city development envisions the integration of selected Smart Solutions into the city's existing infrastructure. Smart Solutions will involve the use of technology, information, and data to improve infrastructure and services.
Smart city initiatives are key for fulfilling many Sustainable development goals like Sustainable Development Goal 11, titled "sustainable cities and communities", Decent Work (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9).
