Building safe cities needs a radical surgery of existing urban safety and security mechanism. There is a growing need that local governments improve their safety mechanism to make cities impregnable through traditional ways and means such as
improving intelligence systems and also through enrooting integrated technological tools for crime and conflict prevention
Public spaces paramount for building great cities
When we think of cities, we tend to think of skyscrapers, crowded metros and buses,…
IoT to revolutionise city management
Internet of Things supported technological solutions are leveraging ubiquitous connectivity among complex sets of distinct…
Dawn of Aspirations:Smart Cities
2015 was a landmark year for cities all over the world and paved a concrete path for a bright urban transition. The UN released its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for the next fifteen years; in Paris, 195 countries signed an agreement at the Conference of Parties-21 (COP-2) and committed themselves to take sincere steps to save the environment; and the Indian government launched an array of city-centric initiatives. 2016 will be a crucial year as it will see the initial implementation of these flagship missions and schemes. How India crafts its urban development vision this year will profoundly impact the future of our cities
Failing of A City System
Incessant rains over a couple of weeks inundated one of the major cities of India-Chennai. The disaster tells the story of the ability of urban infrastructure systems in Indian cities to handle natural calamities. The situation would not have been very different in any other city in a similar situation since the state of infrastructure and modus operandi of municipal corporations are not very different. Indian cities need to mull over their priorities and augment the pace of building an efficient city system that takes into consideration natural disasters, especially in these times when the threat of climate change induced calamities is looming large
Are Indian Cities Liveable?
Cities are not mere engines of growth. They are inhabited by people and people develop…
Painting the cities ‘green’
Indian cities urgently need to devise an urban development strategy that is in harmony with…
Revelling in urban night life
Many cities around the globe claim to be cities that never sleep but the hustle-bustle in most of Indian cities ends when the clock strikes 12. Revival of night life in metro cities is on the agenda of many state governments
Smartening coastal cities for sustainability
Coastal or port cities are the centres of business and trade. To improve the basic infrastructure and promote sustainable development in these cities, the Ministry of Shipping has proposed to build 12 smart port cities. In an interview with Urban Update, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, and Shipping talks about his action plan for improving civic services and operational efficiency of port cities
Sea, cities & beyond
Coastal cities have been hubs of economic activity for centuries. These cities attracted the rich and the poor alike. The poor came for jobs and the rich for business and living a fulsome life along the seaside. However, climate change is affecting coastal urban settings like never before. It is likely to worsen access to basic urban services and quality of life in coastal regions. Indian coastal cities need to expedite formal processes for enhancing climate resilience and facilitating sustainable urban development for over 200 million people living in 96 coastal districts along the 7517 km long coastal line