Will India's Smart Cities Be Equitable and Sustainable?

Abstract

In June 2015 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Smart Cities Awas Yojna Mission. Smart Cities Mission is an urban development initiative designed by the Indian Government with a mission to improve and develop 100 cities all over the country. The aim of this mission is to offer a good quality of life through smart solutions like assuring proper water and power supply, sanitation, improving accountability in management of solid waste, efficient urban mobility and public transport, citizen’s safety, IT connectivity, e-governance etc. Will India succeed in this mission, and would smart cities be equitable and sustainable? This paper examines the equitability and sustainability of smart cities and concludes that citizen participation along with government is very essential for achieving this particular mission.

Keywords: Population, Slums, Pollution, Smart Cities, Citizen Participation

JEL Classification: H89