Digital City Briefs

Life after the Olympics - London

Olympic Size Nightmare - London

2012 TED Prize Winner: City 2.0

Fundraising Through Advertisements on City Assets

Can Architects Design for the 99 %?
Sharing Power with Citizens Through Participatory Budgeting

Game Theory World Congress in Istanbul

Monday, July 2, 2012

The City of the Future: Part 2

Part 2 of the City of the Future:

Other Recent Posts:

A Vision for Inclusive Cities

100 Years as the capital of India

A Vision for Inclusive Cities

India’s urban population will grow from 288 million in 2000 to 590 million in 2030. Such massive urban transformation would require a change in national thinking and resource allocation from its current focus on rural areas to cities. With 2/3rd of GDP coming from the urban areas, there is an economic argument as well.

Inclusiveness is defined as the provision for employment opportunities, a minimum level of basic services, a voice in decision making, an access to common facilities and safety, for all city dwellers. At the present time, those employed in the informal sector make up 2/3rd of the urban population, and are vulnerable to being excluded from the city’s services and infrastructure.

Reference: Inclusive Cities Workshop - June 7-8, 2011 in New Delhi, The World Bank, June 7, 2011

Other Recent Posts:

Monday, June 18, 2012

100 Years as the capital of India

New Delhi celebrated 100 years of its founding as the newly planned capital of India on December 12, 1911. It was founded by King George V of Britain who relocated the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

The city of New Delhi was built over a period of 20 years based upon a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Many villages were razed and hills flattened to create a gleaming jewel for the British Empire.

New Delhi is the eighth city of Delhi. Seven previous empires built their capitals in this ancient city. New Delhi's history is rich with architectural monuments and legends.

Reference: Ward, Mariellen, Aging gracefully: New Delhi at 100, thestar.com, December 9, 2011

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New Delhi Food Bank and Distribution Network

India Food Banking Network (IFBN) was launched recently in New Delhi to collect excess food at various parties, functions and wedding receptions, and distribute it to the hungry people in poor neighborhoods. A website has also been created through which people can offer food online and get details about the food bank.

The network is modeled after the World Food Bank which supports a chain of NGOs in 21 countries and feeds around 41 million people each year. Such efforts are critical because hundreds of tones of food is wasted in cities such as New Delhi in the developing world, because they lack efficient food storage and distribution infrastructure. Additional food banks will be setup in other cities in India in the future.

Reference: Press Trust of India, Delhi to have food banks to help distribute food among poor.

Other Recent Posts:

Remaking LA’s Boulevards as Public Places

The City of the Future

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mega Housing Projects and Residential Towers

Various sectors in NOIDA are experiencing construction of mega housing projects. With the growth in disposable income of IT based young professionals, people are buying flats for living as well as investment. The pace has been rapid, and developers are working hard to come up with projects for different income groups. For example, a development known as Floraville by the Paramount Group in Sector 137 will have a thousand units surrounded by landscaped areas on all sides. The development will feature remote controlled appliances in all homes, solar street lighting, security, surveillance, WiFi connectivity, fire alarm system, intercom, boom barriers and ample parking spaces. The community will have amenities such as a school, a salon, a swimming pool with spa and sauna, a club, a shopping center, health center and retail areas.

A 60 story residential tower known as the North Eye is under construction in sector 74. The price of apartments will range from $ 80,000 (Rs. 40 lakh) to $ 450,000 (Rs. 2.25 Crore).

Here is a brief video on the North Eye:

Reference: NOIDA HOUSING HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, 7bigha.com, 2012

Beijing’s $40 billion Urban Transformation

Urban Spectacles and Global Appeal

Hudson Yards

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Thoughtful Urban Planning to Combat Greenhouse Gases

Cities are the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, and more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Thoughtful urban planning and well designed urbanization are critical to protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gases.

Citing the examples of cities such as New Delhi, Dhaka and Colombo, David Satterthwaite, an urban specialist at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development and editor of the journal Environment and Urbanization states that “Creating a relatively dense structure, putting in place good public transportation systems and ensuring residents can walk or bicycle to many services they need without having to drive or even take public transport.”

Sustainable Urban Design for Delhi:

Reference: Goering, Laurie, Careful urban planning can help hold line on emissions – study, Alernet, January 26, 2011