Four Indian Cities selected by World Economic Forum to pioneer roadmap for Smart Cities

On November 18, 2020, the World Economic Forum selected 36 cities from 22 countries for pioneering a policy road map for smart cities. These smart cities are being developed under the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. Of the 36 cities selected, four are Indian cities. The four Indian cities selected are Bengaluru, Faridabad, Indore and Hyderabad.

What is the new roadmap for Smart Cities?

The selected 36 cities will collaborate with global experts and enhance their city policies in areas ranging from cyber security to services to be provided to physically challenged people. These 36 cities will adopt five policies namely better broadband coverage, privacy protection, accountability for cyber security, better accessibility to digital city services for physically disabled and increased openness of city data. With these inputs they will frame a road map to become a smart city which will then be used by other cities in the world in following phases of the initiative.

What are the other cities selected?

The other cities selected under the programme are Toronto, London, Moscow, Brasilia, Dubai, Melbourne, etc.

What is G20 Global Smart City Alliance?

The G20 Global Smart City Alliance was established in June 2019 during the Osaka G20 Summit (held in 2019). India joined the alliance as a founding partner. The main objective of the alliance is to accelerate best practices, foster greater openness and mitigate potential risks and public trust.

What is Pioneers of Change Summit, 2020?

The Pioneers of Change Summit is to be inaugurated by World Economic Forum between November 16, 2020 and November 20, 2020. The summit will discuss on sustainable production, digital business, health, infrastructure, financial innovation new work models and frontier technologies. The outcomes of the summit will be used to frame the roadmap for smart cities.

What is the need for the new roadmap for smart cities?

The COVID-19 is increasing adoption of new technologies in cities. This is occurring as the Governments are trying to manage COVID-19 pandemic with limited resources. The inputs from these upcoming smart cities will help Governments fast track their adoption of new technologies. This will help to make lives much more easier amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2020