The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) was close to winning the title at the World Smart City Awards competition organised recently by the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
After a gruelling round with 46 countries, the GVMC was one among the three participants from three countries to reach the finals, where it was inched out by a whisker.
According to GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana, the World Smart City Awards is a prestigious international competition that seeks to recognise pioneering projects, ideas and strategies that make cities around the world more liveable, sustainable, and economically viable.
“Reaching the finals itself is an achievement,” said senior officers in the GVMC.
The GVMC and the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL) participated in the competition and submitted the project — Social integration through creation of all-ability public spaces – parks for all abilities — under the Living & Inclusion Award category.
This is awarded to the most innovative and successful projects being implemented and developed in relation to inclusive and sharing cities.
Ms. Srijana said the entries for this edition had come from 46 countries. “The Visakhapatnam Smart City project was selected for the finals. Also, it was the only project from the country to be selected to the final list,” she said on Thursday.
Visakhapatnam competed with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey, and the Government of the State of Alagoas, Brazil.
However, the award was bagged by the Government of the State of Alagoas for its project ‘A new life in the Grotas: evidence based slum improvement and urban development’.
“We are happy that Visakhapatnam made it to the final list from our country by competing against 46 countries. It gives us more encouragement to take up such projects and win awards at the international level,” Ms. Srijana sadi.
The All Abilities Park was developed under the Smart City Mission on the Beach Road in Visakhapatnam in 2018. The park had attracted a number of delegates who visited the city for various programmes.
