New Delhi: The first apex conference for Smart City CEOs, held in Bhopal last week from 8-9th May 2018 emphasized on cross learning amongst the Smart City CEOs to accelerate the progress of the Smart City Mission projects. The two-day conference provided a unique platform for the city leaders and various stakeholders in the Smart Cities Mission for convergence of ideas and sharing of best practices which will enable other’s to fast track their Smart city projects.
During the Conference, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) launched their Programme to fund Smart City projects through a challenge process. They have made available Euro 100 million to finance 30- 80 selected projects, and Euro 6 million will be available for technical support. The objective is to promote sustainability, innovation and participatory approaches in the Smart Cities.
Seven Smart Cities showcased their projects in an exhibition organized at the conference. Detailed panel discussions across the following nine themes took place during the First Apex Conference of Smart City CEOs:
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- Development of walkable streets
- Creation of universally accessible public spaces
- Digitally Integrated Smart City Centers
- Creating Vibrant Urban Spaces (Waterfronts, Squares and Plazas)
- Addressing women safety in Smart Cities
- Promotion of Arts, Crafts and Culture in Smart Cities
- Smart Education and Skill Development
- Inclusive cities
- PPP and Bonds for Urban Infrastructure
The CEO’s Conference also focused on implementation of the following –
Smart City Centres: To be conceptualized with usefulness in mind: for citizens, businesses, decision makers and stakeholders. Uses could include information capturing and its analysis, monitoring and decision-making while making no compromise on integration aspect
Area Based Development (ABD): To integrate as many elements as possible including smart streets, impactful (experiential) projects.
Human Resources: The PMC professionals to regularly upgrade skills.
Way forward: For speedy implementation focus to be on tendering activity and planning and preparation of charts of milestones and timelines to avoid time overruns. To ensure completion of liveability survey and using the resulting data for evidence based planning and thereafter work on financial aspects.
During the event, the Bhopal Smart City also launched a cloud-based Common Integrated Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Centre and Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC). This will help to monitor and administer several utilities and citizen services across seven cities in the state: Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Ujjain, Satna, and Sagar. An incubation centre, to promote entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth, researchers, engineers and society at large, was also launched.
