Target is to develop more than 4,372 cities as smart cities: Housing Secy DS Mishra
- IICCI_Communications
- Jan 25, 2021
- 2 min read
Stating that the smart cities concept does not have a single dimension of focusing on just big or small cities, Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has said that the target is to develop more than 4,372 cities as smart cities.
“Our target is to develop our 4,372 cities, along with other cities, like smart cities. To make this happen, cities should use their land, resources, local people, and skills to move on a different path,” he said at the virtual 4th Smart Cities Summit & 2nd Smart Urban Innovation Awards, organized by FICCI in the Capital.
He said that the learning of one city chosen under 100 smart cities should be spread to other cities so that it becomes a lighthouse. “We need to focus on ensuring that these lighthouses help other cities become smart and that the government is working to standardize these learnings.”
He said that the smart cities concept does not have a single dimension of focusing on just big or small cities; any city can become a smart city. “Every city will have its own path of smartness. Employability, sustainability and liveability are the core things on which the cities move,” he added
Smart cities have played a very important role in dealing with the COVID-induced crisis.
Many of the smart cities effectively used their Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) for city’s operations management as COVID-19 War Rooms for analysing city-specific data, coordinating activities of various state, city agencies and connecting with citizens.
Using the data collected through various sensors and smart solutions, cities carried out data modelling and predictive analytics, creating dashboards, scenario visualization and simulation models to analyse the virus spread and plan their response.
“There were 49 working Integrated Command and Control Centres, which has now increased to 53 and 30 more will be added in the forthcoming months. It is not only the technology but how technology is impacting the livelihood of citizens which is important,” said Mishra.
Other experts said that as a growing number of cities have begun their urban transformation, there is an emerging trend of using human-centric and cloud-based technologies to automate and integrate urban services. “Such technologies are resulting in significant data generation that can be further used to effective urban development,”
Source: moneycontrol
It’s encouraging to see the vision of developing thousands of smart cities, as this kind of large-scale urban planning can significantly improve infrastructure, governance, and living standards if implemented with proper execution and inclusivity, especially ensuring smaller cities are not left behind in terms of resources and technology; in well-managed urban systems like those seen in the UK, effective property coordination also plays an important role in city maintenance and sustainability, such as in block management London where structured oversight helps maintain residential and commercial buildings efficiently, which can serve as a useful reference for developing smarter and more organized urban environments.
Great insights on the future of smart cities and urban housing development. As cities continue to evolve, efficient property handling becomes just as important as infrastructure planning. For those interested in professional rental management in London, there are services that ensure properties are managed smoothly in growing urban environments.
This is a really interesting insight into how the idea of “smart cities” is evolving beyond just a few flagship projects into a much broader national transformation. The focus on scaling development to thousands of cities highlights a shift toward more inclusive, technology-driven urban planning that prioritizes livability, efficiency, and citizen-focused services across all regions, not just major metros. It’s encouraging to see such long-term vision being tied to real infrastructure and governance improvements.
At the same time, initiatives like this also show how important strong housing and urban frameworks are, where models such as guaranteed rent services can help bring stability and structure to rapidly developing urban spaces while supporting sustainable city growth.
Insightful perspective, this highlights how large-scale smart city initiatives are becoming a key driver of real estate and urban development. Expanding the vision from 100 cities to over 4,300 shows a clear shift toward nationwide infrastructure modernization and housing improvement.
From a real estate standpoint, this kind of policy direction can significantly boost long-term property value, attract investment, and improve livability through better infrastructure and planning. The real challenge, as always, will be consistent execution and ensuring these benefits translate across all cities, not just a select few. Visit london guaranteed rent
Great insight this article really highlights how India’s Smart Cities Mission is moving beyond just a few select urban areas and aiming for large-scale transformation across thousands of cities. The idea of improving infrastructure, housing, and governance through smart planning is a strong step toward sustainable urban development, especially when cities focus on livability, technology integration, and citizen services. As mentioned, the long-term vision of expanding smart solutions across thousands of cities shows how urban growth is being reimagined at a national level . For stakeholders in the property sector, adapting to these changes is also key, and working with a trusted property management uk service can help ensure smoother operations and better value from real estate investments very informative read…