People – the essential piece of a smart city

The process of urbanization is developing at a rapid pace throughout the world. 55% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, up from 30% in 1950.

But the level of urbanization varies by region and country. North America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean are largely urbanized. On the other hand, most of the population in Africa and Asia live in rural areas. The UN report shows that urbanization will continue and concludes that Africa and Asia will urbanize faster than the rest of the world. The report also states that approximately 90% of urban population growth is expected to be on the two continents.

India is the largest democracy in the world and has grown in the global economy by being an emerging economy and occupying an important position in South Asia and the world. In recent decades, the Indian government has brought in various structural and economic reforms that have sparked investment and growth.

India’s pace of urbanization is an unprecedented challenge for policy and governance. Aware of this challenge, the Indian government has launched the ‘Smart Cities with a Mission’ project to comprehensively develop physical, institutional, social and economic programmes.

Before the Smart Cities Mission, India had the Urban Development Program (CDP) as part of a national program called the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM). Research was conducted to review and evaluate the impact of the CDP, its shortcomings and ways to improve the program.

In planning the transformation of the “smart city”, for different cities in different regions of the country, interactive consultations with the government, official reviews, local government systems and surveys on the problems and expectations of citizens were carried out.

The concept of Smart City is defined by different people in different ways. The concept of Smart City in Europe will be different from the meaning of smart city in India. It depends on the stage the city is in; resident needs; and the desire for development. In India there are cities that vary in terms of the level of development and diversity of culture and traditions and it cannot have a common definition for Smart City.

Therefore, to transform a city into a smart city, the initial task is to assess the current situation, understand the priority needs of citizens and prioritize the list of works to be done in terms of creating physical and social infrastructure and ensuring the provision of qualitative, efficient and economical services. Based on the priority list of works, the design and development of plans and projects requires the adoption of appropriate information technology to ensure a “world-class” service.

It is important to understand that the objective of the Smart City is to provide basic infrastructure and provide a decent quality of life to city dwellers through cleanliness and sustainable environment and the application of “smart” solutions. The intended beneficiaries of Smart City are citizens. Therefore, addressing the needs and identifying the challenges they face are paramount measures. It is important to recognize the needs and priorities of citizens.

However, too often the focus on people is neglected. To succeed as a ‘Smart City’ the task must be people-centred.

It is extremely important to ensure citizen participation in all decision-making processes, from sanitation to security systems. Citizen participation generates their satisfaction of being considered a part of the city and in the process motivates maximum cooperation and support, which makes a city a better place to live.