How many ways from here to there

Last month the Ministry of Urban Development released it's Smart Cities Mission Guidelines. The release was greatly anticipated with several forums, discussions and white papers released about what constitutes becoming a 'Smart City'. With varying definitions and propositions, the city development/management must have been waiting with baited breath to see how the MoUD defines a 'Smart City'. Predictably, the release of the mission statement and guidelines did not quite answer that question. It refreshingly asks the cities to outline a concept of what they believe would be a Smart City for themselves.  The first question is what is meant by a ‘smart city’. The answer is, there is no universally accepted  definition of a Smart City. It means different things to different people. The conceptualisation  of Smart City, therefore, varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the  level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and a...

Johannesburg, Jo'burg, Jozi.... the largest city, commercial capital and the place to be in South Africa. I was on assignment as an independent consultant in a suburb of Johannesburg for a three month stint. I was very excited to get the opportunity to have an extended stay in the this beating heart of Southern Africa. As with any new place visit, I started reading about Jo'burg and got a varied picture that was exciting, intimidating and confusing at the same time. Exciting - I was going to back Africa after 29 years. I spent my childhood in a small university town in Zaria, Nigeria. A lot of fond memories had me all nostalgic. I also was going to the haloed ground of two of the greatest leaders of the 20th century - Mahatma Gandhi and (Mahatma) Nelson Mandela. All the songs, skits, plays I participated in my middle school (Blue Bells International) showing Indian solidarity for the Apartheid struggles of South Africans, had me pumped up. and, of course the wild life ha...

This letter was sent to the new Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, from my father who has been a Professor of Urban Planning at the School of Planning and Architecture. He lists seven aspects about urbanization and development in India that he believes the Modi government should closely consider : - Re: DEVELOPMENT PLANNING CONCERNS OF THE COUNTRY Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, As Team Leader of the project Perspective Plan for Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), of the Central Government, I visited Gujarat Government in 2010, seeking its approval. I was pleasantly surprised to be told that the proposals were in line with the vision of the Hon’ble CM and I should make a presentation before him. However, due to preoccupation he could not spare time for the presentation. But eventually the proposals were approved and I felt greatly honoured and professionally satisfied. With such personal experience and encouraged by your determined pro-active instance,...