Historical Overview of Smart Cities
12:00 PM, 4th November, 2013
Presented by: Maulik Yagnik, Edson Mnkande, Velyne Ingti Katharpi, Mukhtar Ahmad
Advisor: Arpita Dayal
Advisor: Arpita Dayal
TODAY. We live in a world with depleting natural resources and increasing communication, decreasing personal interactions and increasing competition. Some are aware of the situation, some are un-phased and some are trying their level best to make the world a better place for the current generation and the future generations to come. Is it justified? Do we continue to sit back and watch the competition slowly turn into a race for the depleting resources, or can we find a solution to save the planet from our ignorant use of our surroundings?
WHERE DO WE START? WHERE DO WE STAND? We can’t take a decision for or against a situation, unless we understand what is wrong with it. Like every problem solving process, we need to get to the root of the problem. We need to understand its pros and cons, if it would be the best to completely remove the seed causing the problems or do we mould it and use it to our advantage? TOMORROW. What is in store for us tomorrow? With the advancement of technology and communication, we are able to reach anyone/ anything with the push of a button, or in some cases, with the mention of a word or sound, or even the swipe of a finger or a card. Accessibility has increased in the context of information exchange, but where are we really headed? ‘Smart Cities’ is a fairly new concept that cities in Europe and the west have adopted to be better than they were before. It is an idea to make the best of our surroundings and resources to meet the demands and requirements and also create a better place to live in all aspects that collectively make a self-sustaining city. But there is a shortcoming in assuming that the European and western explanation of ‘smart cities’ can be accepted as the global understanding of smart cities. We do not live within the same context; our history, traditions, culture, customs, architecture, socio-economy, etc. are different. Applying the same understanding and solution to a problem with a different context would not be wise. It could only deteriorate the situation, if not heal. In our seminar, we are looking at cities today and trying to understand how we arrived at this point from the origin of settlements keeping Delhi as the context of our study in mind. We will try and break down the city in parts with regards to the issues that city dwellers and the environment face every day; and along the way, we re-invent the concept of smart cities in the Indian context for a better future. |