Social and Technical Challenges in Eco-Sustainable Smart City in India—An Analysis

Abstract

AbstractSmart City is defined as the use of technology and ICT based innovation to provide efficient services within a system. Smart Cities concept increases the efficiency of urban services, enhancing quality of life and generates new economic opportunities. But to wonder, the debate on the term “SMART CITIES” still continues. It is a dynamic term, having variation in its definition across places to places and from people to people. Basically, smart cities refer to the use of digital innovation to make urban service delivery more efficient. Our honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always focused on the digitalization of our country. His dream of creating 100 smart cities and subsequent emphasis on creating self-sufficient smart villages can be only be achieved by integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) to provide interface between denizens and governance with improved infrastructure. This chapter is basically based on creating better neighbourhoods by combining technology interface with community participation for inclusive development. Smart Communities also play a major role in achieving the target of smart cities. Smart communities can be global as they exist all over the world as well as local since they are based on efforts on local level. Smart Community is described as a geographical area ranging in size from neighbourhood to a multi-country region whose citizens, governments, organizations use information technology to convert their area in efficient and beneficial ways. This needs cooperation among government, industry, citizen etc. This chapter also compares different approaches towards the smart communities. Also, this chapter presents various challenges that hinder the process of smart cities development.