What is a 'Smart City?' All you need to know

The Smart City Mission launched on 25 June 2015 now has 90 cities under it as of now

The Government on Friday announced the fourth list of 'smart cities', with Thiruvananthapuram topping the list, 30 new cities added to the existing 60 cities that are under transformation.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu released the list of new smart cities taking the total number of smart cities to 90. Total 100 cities were supposed to be selected for the Smart Cities Mission in total.

For the remaining 10 spots, 20 cities are in competition - Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Biharsharif in Bihar, Diu in Daman & Diu, Silvassa in Dadra and Nager Haveli, Kavaratti in Lakshadweep, Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai and Amaravati in Maharashtra, Imphal in Manipur, Shillong in Meghalaya, Dindigul and Erode in Tamil Nadu, Bidhannagar, Durgapur and Haldia in West Bengal, Meerut, Rai Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Sharanpur and Rampur in U.P.

The Smart City Mission launched on 25 June 2015 now has 90 cities under it as of now.

Then, what is Smart City?

According to Ministry of Urban Development, the concept of smart city aims 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 a sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act as a light house to other aspiring cities.

The core infrastructure elements in a smart city would include:

• Adequate water supply
• Assured electricity supply
• Sanitation, including solid waste management
• Efficient urban mobility and public transport
• Affordable housing, especially for the poor
• Robust IT connectivity and digitalization
• Good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation
• Sustainable environment
• Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly
• Health and education

What are smart solutions?

• E-Governance and Citizen Services
• Waste Management
• Water Management
• Energy Management
• Urban Mobility

This is not, however, an exhaustive list, and cities are free to add more applications.

Thus, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes.

Application of Smart Solutions will enable cities to use technology, information, and data to improve infrastructure and services. Comprehensive development in this way will improve the quality of life, create employment and enhance incomes for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, leading to inclusive Cities.

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