URBAN VAASTU - Building modern India Magazine - November 2014

In this issue

Smart cities are the talk of the world. Ever since IBM fi􀀚rst coined the term Smart Cities, several defi􀀚nitions have emerged to defi􀀚ne them. These defi􀀚nitions refer to sustainable infrastructure, local economy, social awareness and more, elements that defi􀀚ne urbanisation itself, but what is common to the defi􀀚nitions is the introduction of information technology to minimise complexity, optimise
resources and to bring in innovative solutions to solve the city's challenges. The core outcome of smart city efforts is to drive sustainable economic growth and prosperity for the citizens.
The cover story, Smart City: Challenging Journey raises the question, is it too expensive to build green-fi􀀚eld smart cities, those that are built from scratch? Such green-fi􀀚eld smart cities carry heavy cost implications. Given this fact, in order to ensure that the 100 smart cities promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are built, we need a mix of brown-
􀀚field cities – converting existing cities into smart cities –and green-fi􀀚eld ones.
While online payments and information related to public services are already available in India's metros and large cities, much needs to be done to bring the bulk of public physical infrastructure within the ambit of IT. From transport schedules and optimal routing knowledge to common payment modes and citizen's usage data and much more, the path is clear. At the same time, innovative solutions that solve problems of traffic congestion and pollution are essential to create healthy urban living spaces. Leading smart cities around the world stand as examples in this regard.