Smart cities should create wealth and employment while protecting natural resources, said former Secretary of Ministry of Urban Development Sudhir Krishna.
School Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada, organised an international seminar on “Shaping our Cities for Smart, Inclusive and Sustainable Future”, here on Wednesday.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Krishna said that urban development would create wealth and riches. But, urbanisation was far less in India compared to other developed countries.
Cities should be developed into hubs for economic growth. Per capita income and economic growth would be less if urbanisation was less, he said adding focus should be on making cities smarter besides ensuring efficiency, transparency, sustainability, inclusiveness and additional features like safety. Urbanisation posed some challenges too. Financing urban infrastructure was a major challenge, but raising tax levels should be explored as the last option. Financial resources could be augmented through levying user charges and selling recycled waste etc., he said.
Stressing on improving urban infrastructure, particularly solid and other waste management and water supply, Mr. Krishna said that planners should work towards zero waste and zero landfill. The plan should encompass waste reduction, composting, recycling and reuse among other things.
Emphasis should be on recycling and reuse of waste water and solid waste generated in the cities. In a zero waste approach, waste management should not be left only to politicians and technical experts, rather, everyone should own up responsibility, he added.
SPA Director N. Sridharan, Dean and Head of the Department (Planning) Abdul Razzak, Head of Department (Architecture) Ramesh Srikonda and others spoke.
The seminar deliberated on planning sustainable urban development, inclusion-exclusion: people, participation and policies, smart infrastructure and smart cities. The SPA students made a presentation on capital city regions and capital complex (3D walk through).
