India is developing these projects.
Many private investors have also shown interest, as have developers, designers, service providers and consulting firms. There are obviously vast opportunities for private players in every sector on the path of making the mission possible. One must realize that building a city is a very long-term undertaking that takes upwards of 10 to 25 years, so the urban planning must be robust taking into account changes over such long periods of time, interactions with the regional development and interaction with the hinterlands. It is not only important to focus on a single city but on its interactions with the whole region.
While India embarks on this journey, early movers will definitely have a massively uphill task.
Major Challenges
SMART CITY is likely to face
Regional plan: Urban planning is the backbone of every city development; however, as already noted, Smart City planning is not a 1-year exercise but more of a 20-year plan with high importance given to the region ' s overall development. What this implies is that the city must be envisaged vis-a-vis its existence as a member of the region, and the interactions and impact must be carefully studied. The region ' s planning must augment the city ' s plans to be able to provide a uniform experience
Economic drivers: Economic drivers are the key for the setting up of a Smart City. A clear plan of vibrant economic growth of the city based on multiple economic drivers must be the focus area of smart city, especially if it is a Greenfield city.
Obsolescence of technology: In the Indian context, control of infrastructure and resources is envisaging huge investments in technology. Whilst the investment is a small percentage of the overall infrastructure, all this investment is being done with a horizon of between 5-10 years- and technology leapfrogs in much shorter times than that. For example, we have quickly moved from 2G to 3G and on to 4G, from a wired world to a wireless world and from cables to optical fibers. Technology evolves faster than a city, and there must therefore be options to adapt as technology changes or gets obsolete. Technology protocols must be amenable to modification and upgradation.
Urban mobility: A smart city encompasses many dimensions, and a reliable, affordable and sustainable transport system is at its core. Along with public transport systems, development of last-mile connectivity is necessary for optimal utilization of mass transit systems. This is why Smart Cities around the world think about urban transport in a comprehensive manner to improve accessibility and mobility. India ' s public transport has not been adequate because of the high density of population, poor urban planning and zoning and also lack of investment. As we build new cities, public transport must be the key focus.
A new city ' s mobility system must be integrated with the regional transport system and may need augmentation of existing regional infrastructure. For instance: Pune ' s MIDC has a developed an infrastructure network; however it is not matched by the
November 49 www. smartgovernance. in