PowerPoint Presentation

[Virtual Presenter] Good morning everyone! Today we will be discussing the development and operation of Smart City Mission through a comparative study of two cities. We'll be focusing on the importance of community engagement emphasizing an intelligent development and wise governance as well as considering the technological economical and community aspects. Let's get started..

[Audio] Urban populations in developing countries have been steadily rising as our world becomes increasingly urbanized. In 2007 these urban populations surpassed rural populations. This brings advantages but also creates challenges for cities to deal with. As a result Smart Cities have been proposed as a solution. Figures show that this trend towards urban populations has grown in the last few decades and is predicted to continue. This growth is expected to happen in Asia Africa Europe South America North America and Oceania. To face this challenge governments and citizens need to work collaboratively to manage population growth and benefit from the opportunities presented..

[Audio] Smart cities are having a considerable impact on our cities and communities. Studies have established that community involvement is essential for successful development and operation of smart cities. Through the use of I-C-T-s and by emphasizing the importance of wise governance intelligent development and government policies we can ensure that everyone living in urban environments benefits from the implementation of smart cities. The research on smart cities has been evolving since the 90s comprising of technology and infrastructure community engagement economy and government policies. Examining two cities' cases more closely can help us understand better the role of community engagement in the development and operation of smart cities..

[Audio] Research has shown that community involvement in smart city projects is crucial to their success. Examples of successful projects include Euro City the Smart City Challenge in Canada and Albany Government's Stoop Survey. These projects have been successful through conducting traditional face-to-face meetings and focusing on the technology relevance age and access of their respective communities. This kind of engagement is essential to guarantee that smart city projects are successful and inclusive..

[Audio] The National Smart Cities Mission is aiming to create 100 smart cities across India by incorporating land use practices sustainability infrastructure and transport facilities improved air and water quality and improved health of citizens. Two cities have been selected for this mission and the figure shows these two cities. Our research will compare the levels of community engagement in the development and operation of the smart cities between these two areas. We anticipate the results of this comparative study..

[Audio] We employed a mixed research method to conduct our study. This included collecting data from online media government documents informal and formal interviews. Additionally we used triangulation of data and comprehensive content analysis to gain a better comprehension of the results. Moreover online methods including social media and official Government sources were utilized to aid in the research. All of these methods enabled us to compare and analyze our findings..

[Audio] The Smart City Mission developed and operated in the city of Pune set out to make Pune one of India's most desirable cities by harnessing its rich cultural and natural heritage robust human resources and thriving business ecosystem. Its projects such as infrastructure improvement cleanliness green spaces beautification and overall livability addressed these issues in order to create a better quality of living. Physical infrastructure I-C-T-s goods and services riverfront and affordable housing were the aspects of the mission that the city focused mostly on. An initiative was launched to ensure that information was easily accessible and shared to the public..

[Audio] Citizen engagement is essential for the successful implementation of Smart City initiatives as has been proven by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Involvement throughout all phases of the process should be prioritised and extend beyond the initial enthusiasm of the public. Effective communication of the progress of the projects to the citizens transparency in all proceedings and taking prompt action on the feedback received should also be emphasised. In order to ensure sustainability and efficacy citizen-centric approaches should be taken into consideration when designing and implementing Smart City projects..

[Audio] Indore is taking decisive steps to become a globally prestigious smart city while preserving its historic character. To fulfill this goal the city is carrying out numerous initiatives like waste and water management redevelopment retrofitting information and communications technology implementation and riverfront development. This demonstrates that Indore is really devoted to obtaining its dream of a smart and sustainable city. In recognition of its effort and progress Indore was awarded the Smart City award in 2023..

[Audio] As seen in Fig 15 and 16 the City of Indore took an important step towards realizing their smart city mission: Community Engagement. Through effective phases of consultation the city was able to identify key areas of improvement and move ahead with successful projects. As a result it has achieved remarkable success winning the Best Smart City Award in 2023 and the Most Clean City Award for six consecutive years. The city has continued to involve citizens in its initiatives with methods like group consultations and surveys. This example of success has shown how important it is to include citizens in the process of urban development and how it leads to better outcomes and increased levels of satisfaction..

[Audio] It is evident from the data in front of us that smart cities are chosen based on various criteria. Both Pune and Indore have their own strengths and weaknesses. Pune has a larger population and has had the highest citizen engagement in 2016 while Indore has won accolades for being a cleanliest city in India multiple times in a row. Moreover the majority of participants in both cities is youth and the level of community participation is high in both cities. This brings us to the conclusion that community engagement is a major factor in the successful development and operations of smart cities..

[Audio] Citizen involvement is a key component to the success of smart city initiatives. Evidence suggests cities that engage with citizens from the start of smart city projects have seen more positive outcomes than those that do not. Pune and Indore provide a useful example of this. In Pune efforts were made to engage citizens in 9 phases such as organising in-person meetings creating digital platforms holding competitions and implementing awareness programmes in schools and institutions. Nevertheless lack of continuous operational support no response to citizen feedback a lack of communication from officials and no updates on progress hindered citizen engagement leading to lower rankings. In contrast Indore developed their smart city projects in 3 phases and connected with people of diverse backgrounds. The Clean Indore Initiative for instance incorporated citizen feedback into the conception and execution of projects. What's more citizens were kept informed with updates published on online platforms as well as transparency throughout the process. Consequently Indore achieved a higher smart city ranking as citizens felt satisfied with the outcome. This exemplifies the importance of citizens playing a role during the development and operation of smart city projects as is evident from the improved outcomes. It is therefore essential for cities to include citizen involvement in their smart city initiatives..

[Audio] Our research reveals significant findings concerning the role of community involvement in establishing and running a Smart City Mission. In particular we discovered that while Pune had a higher initial response to community engagement Indore had a better implementation of the feedback it received. Indore's citizens were more invested in the mission due to its proactive engagement feedback collection and successful implementation of the received data. Despite both cities' significant decrease in community involvement Indore preserved its dedication to community engagement initiatives. Our research highlights the significance of continuing and inclusive community engagement in Smart City Mission planning and implementation..

[Audio] This study compared the differences between traditional urban development and smart cities. The Eurocity model saw local citizens actively engaging with their cities to co-create and influence their development and the city responding quickly and effectively to their needs and aspirations. In contrast the Indian Government's Smart Cities Mission consulted with communities to produce comprehensive plans that addressed local needs. The Smart Cities Mission was based on principles of inclusivity transparency equity social inclusion and sustainability. This research underscored the importance of community engagement in the development and operation of smart cities for improving the quality of life for citizens..