Urban Planning and Development, Smart Cities and Ease of Living in India

Urban population in India is projected to grow to about 600 million by 2031 and cities would contribute up to 70 percent of India’s GDP. Urbanization has gathered considerable momentum in recent times and resultantly, urban infrastructure and services have been under severe strain. To address the rising challenges emanating from rapid urbanization, the Government of India has embarked upon several initiatives and schemes including Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission and HRIDAY, to enhance the liveability of Indian cities, improve urban governance and city planning, and augment availability and quality of urban infrastructure—all aimed at sustainable development. To foster the objective of promoting climate-smart urban development, the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: 2021-2030—as part of the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC)—aims to: (a) promote low-carbon urban growth to reduce GHG emissions intensity, to achieve India’s NDC, and (b) build resilience of cities to climate change impacts. The future of urban missions rests on mitigation and adaptation strategies including, energy and green buildings, urban planning, green cover and biodiversity, mobility and air quality, water management, and waste management. Systemic issues in urban planning capacity need to be reviewed and addressed on a priority basis to keep up with the pace of urbanization in India. The present book explains and examines various aspects of rising urbanization in India and the problems arising thereof. It particularly focuses on the development of smart cities, ease of living and the role of digital technology.…