Some definitional boundaries are required to guide cities in the Mission. In the
imagination of any city dweller in India, the picture of a smart city contains a
wish list of infrastructure and services that describes his or her level of
aspiration. To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens, urban
planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban eco-system, which is
represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development-institutional,
physical, social and economic infrastructure.
Some typical Features of comprehensive development in Smart Cities are described
below.
- Promoting mixed land use in area based developments–planning for
‘unplanned areas’ containing a range of compatible activities and land uses
close to one another in order to make land use more efficient. The States will
enable some flexibility in land use and building bye-laws to adapt to change.
- Housing and inclusiveness - expand housing opportunities for all.
- Creating walkable localities –reduce congestion, air pollution
and resource depletion, boost local economy, promote interactions and ensure
security. The road network is created or refurbished not only for vehicles and
public transport, but also for pedestrians and cyclists, and necessary
administrative services are offered within walking or cycling distance.
- Preserving and developing open spaces - parks, playgrounds, and
recreational spaces in order to enhance the quality of life of citizens, reduce
the urban heat effects in Areas and generally promote eco-balance.
- Promoting a variety of transport options - Transit Oriented
Development (TOD), public transport and last mile para-transport connectivity.
- Making governance citizen-friendly and cost effective -
increasingly rely on online services to bring about accountability and
transparency, especially using mobiles to reduce cost of services and providing
services without having to go to municipal offices. Forming e-groups to listen
to people and obtain feedback and use online monitoring of programs and
activities with the aid of cyber tour of worksites.
- Giving an identity to the city - based on its main economic
activity, such as local cuisine, health, education, arts and craft, culture,
sports goods, furniture, hosiery, textile, dairy, etc.
- Applying Smart Solutions to infrastructure and services in area-based
development in order to make them better. For example, making Areas less
vulnerable to disasters, using fewer resources, and providing cheaper services.
