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The <keyword id="50190" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="asian-development-bank" source="Orion">Asian Development Bank</keyword> (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million loan to support the Indian government's <keyword id="706405" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="urban-reform" source="Orion">urban reform</keyword> agenda for creating high-quality <keyword id="557969" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="urban-infrastructure" source="Orion">urban infrastructure</keyword> and efficient governance systems. The programme also envisages integrated urban planning reforms to control urban sprawls and foster systemic and planned urbanisation through enhancing the entire ecosystem of legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms along with capacity building of ULBs and community awareness, ADB said. "The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million policy-based loan to India for Sub-programme 2 of the <keyword id="8174895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sustainable-Urban-Development" source="Orion">Sustainable Urban Development</keyword> and Service Delivery Programme. "The programme aims to support the government's urban reform agenda for improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality urban infrastructure, assured public services, and efficient governance systems," ADB said. While Subprogramme 1, approved in 2021, established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, Subprogramme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels. "India has recognised the potential for cities to be centres of economic growth and has emphasised the need to make cities livable through inclusive, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, which is also in line with ADB Strategy 2030," ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist <keyword id="86074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Joshi" source="Orion">Sanjay Joshi</keyword> said.

ADB approves $400 mn loan to support govt's urban reform agenda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The green-city model doesn't always come with environmental benefits. </li><li>Green <keyword id="12198336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gentrification" source="Orion">gentrification</keyword> is increasing nearby property values and displacing long-term residents.</li><li>Winifred Curran, a geography professor, spoke with Insider about solutions to green gentrification.</li></ul>In Pilsen, a historically Latino neighborhood in Chicago, the city plans to construct a multipurpose 4.2-mile-long path, dubbed <a href="https://elpaseotrail.org/">El Paseo Trail</a>, along the abandoned rail line.The proposed project would create more green space and access to environmental amenities. But after the 2015 completion of the nearby <a href="https://www.the606.org/">606 trail</a> dramatically <a href="https://www.housingstudies.org/releases/Displacement-Pressure-in-Context-606/">increased property prices</a>, the Pilsen community <a href="https://interactive.wttw.com/my-neighborhood/pilsen/pilsen-community-split-over-who-will-benefit-paseo-trail">worries</a> about the displacement of long-term residents. This is known as green gentrification. Public investment in green spaces - or the rehabilitation of environmental disamenities - in a neighborhood increases property values, which prices out low- and middle-income residents.In 2019, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-10/why-greenway-parks-cause-greater-gentrification">Bloomberg reported</a> that "being located within a half-mile of a new greenway park increases the odds that a neighborhood will gentrify by more than 200%."<h2>Green-city models and the perpetuation of inequity </h2>Green gentrification includes the injection of green spaces for property gains, as well as park cleanups, riverbank restorations, and bioremediation - often as a result of community activism from local groups. But once these neighborhoods receive large investments, the longtime advocates of them are unable to stay and experience the benefits they once fought for. "What we're seeing is that attempting to be green often ends up building on the same inequalities that got us here in the first place," Winifred Curran, an urban geographer and professor of geography at Chicago's DePaul University, told Insider. According to <a href="https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2021/03/Cities%20IPCC%20Proceedings%20FINAL%20for%20Email-S.pdf">UN-Habitat</a>, cities are responsible for roughly 75% of the world's CO2 emissions but occupy only 3% of Earth's total land. As rapid urbanization puts pressure on the environment and cities' public-health systems, even green safety <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/cities-fighting-climate-woes-hasten-green-gentrification/">adaptations</a> - water-absorbing green space, storm-surge-proof seawalls, elevated buildings, and more - can become a financial amenity that affects lower-income residents the most.There's a disconnect between types of projects sold as "green" and the environmental benefit they bring to city neighborhoods, Curran noted.For example, while New York's High Line rail-to-trail park preaches <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/sustainable-practices/">sustainable practices</a>, it's one of the most expensive parks to maintain: The first two sections, which opened in 2009 and 2011, respectively, have an estimated maintenance cost <a href="http://assets.thehighline.org/pdf/id_faq.pdf">between $3.5 million and $4.5 million</a> a year. On top of that, the High Line's surrounding neighborhood experienced a 35.3% <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204619314574#:~:text=This%20study%20estimates%20the%20impact,eco-gentrification%20in%20urban%20areas.&amp;text=We%20find%20that%20homes%20closest,35.3%25%20increase%20in%20housing%20values.ues.">increase in housing values</a>, which spurred the development of boutique hotels and million-dollar condos.<h2>The solution to green gentrification</h2>The case for green developments often highlights <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> but leaves out equity in the process. "A lot of greening efforts have been very superficial. It's to get credit for doing the work without accomplishing a whole lot of change," Curran said. "We need to foreground equity so that it is both inclusive of everyone who's affected but also recognizes that some people have borne the negative effects of our irresponsible environmental policies and that those same people are now bearing the ill effects of our environmental gentrification policies."The solution to green gentrification often lies in the community and rethinking the broader concept of sustainability.Groups such as Chicago's <a href="http://www.lvejo.org/">LVEJO</a>, New York's <a href="http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/">Newtown Creek Alliance</a> and <a href="http://uprose.org">UpRose</a>, Michigan's <a href="https://www.blackmillennials4flint.org/about-us/">Black Millennials for Flint</a>, and <a href="https://bostoncan.org/about/">the Boston Climate Action Network</a> are just a few of the climate-justice organizations hoping to advance environmental change through an <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/how-prevent-city-climate-action-becoming-green-gentrification">equity lens</a>, which includes <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/03/04/pilsen-little-village-voters-tell-city-officials-el-paseo-needs-a-community-benefits-agreement/">pushing for</a> affordable-housing agreements in neighborhoods with new investments. The concept of a green city must encompass more than flashy, expensive initiatives. Landscape improvements such as <a href="https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/news/2018-11-30/oysters-could-help-clean-hawaiis-polluted-waterways">setting up</a> oyster colonies in polluted waterways are one example of the ways in which cities can support neighborhoods without increasing the cost of new developments.The model, coined by Curran as "<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13549839.2012.729569">just green enough</a>," seeks to improve areas without displacing the livelihood of its residents in the process.

Prioritizing equity is needed to combat green-city gentrification and 'irresponsible environmental policies,' urban geographer says

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-habitat-iii-and-why-does-it-matter-a-beginners-guide-to-the-new-urban-agenda-65500"></a>Shutterstock</div></div></div>Habitat III - <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-habitat-iii-and-why-does-it-matter-a-beginners-guide-to-the-new-urban-agenda-65500">the United Nation's global conference on the future of cities</a> - has come to a close.About 30,000 people gathered in Quito, Ecuador, to discuss the key issues facing cities today and sign off on the <a href="https://www2.habitat3.org/bitcache/97ced11dcecef85d41f74043195e5472836f6291?vid=588897&amp;disposition=inline&amp;op=view">New Urban Agenda</a> - the global strategy which will guide urban development over the next 20 years.For four days, the Casa de la Cultura Benjamín Carrión - where most of the conference events took place - buzzed with action.A range of diverse voices was heard in the conference precinct: from high ranking UN conference officials, to activists who fight every day for a more just city. UN-Habitat can take credit for a diverse and generally inclusive conference which delivered an optimistic - though somewhat ambiguous - outlook on the future of cities.<h2>An inclusive conference</h2>Efforts to make the conference inclusive - it was free and anyone could register - materialised in a big jamboree of all kinds of people interested in urban affairs (as well as complaints about long queues). The overall message of the conference emphasised the need to address social, economic and material inequalities in cities and urban areas.Disadvantaged groups were widely represented at Habitat III. Most side events included representatives of the urban poor, such as organisations like <a href="http://knowyourcity.info/">Shack/Slum Dwellers International</a>.<keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> organisations which had previously ignored the significance of cities in international development - such as <a href="http://www.unido.org/unido-united-nations-industrial-development-organization.html">UNIDO</a> and the <a href="http://www.redcross.org.uk/">Red Cross</a> - pleaded to join an increasingly popular (and highly lucrative) urban field.Yet international experts often appeared oblivious to the enormous progress that the poorest urban communities have made to organise themselves and finance their futures. During the sessions, questions from Ecuadorian students raised eyebrows, pointing towards unexamined assumptions that international experts take for granted - such as <a href="https://ayonadatta.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/what-is-smart-about-smart-cities-a-response-from-the-global-south/">what makes a city "smart"</a>.<h2>The New Urban Agenda</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Guillermo Granja/ReutersHabitat III</div></div></div>The main outcome of Habitat III was that UN nation states agreed on the New Urban Agenda (NUA): a non-binding document, which will guide policies over the next 20 years with the goal of making cities safer, resilient and sustainable and their amenities more inclusive.The foundation for the 24-page document was <a href="http://unhabitat.org/issue-papers-and-policy-units/">a collection of papers</a> written by six policy units, made up of experts from around the world. The NUA itself emerged from a consultative process, whereby UN-Habitat collected the inputs of a diverse community of urban scholars, leaders, planners and activists.The key message of the NUA was "leaving no one behind". This points towards a vision for the future of cities, where diverse urban aspirations of prosperity and sustainable development are linked by a desire for equality.Yet the document did not escape criticism. Its reliance on experts generated scepticism about whether the NUA could actually integrate grassroots perspectives. Meanwhile, the consensual approach - which involved redrafting the NUA a total of five times - has led to the avoidance of polemic issues. For example, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/oct/19/un-new-urban-agenda-inclusive-cities-lgbtq-rights-habitat-3">LGBTQ rights were excluded</a> from the NUA at the request of a group of 17 countries, led by Belarus.The impact of the NUA will depend on how it is put into practice. Neither the NUA nor Habitat III have clarified how the ideals outlined should be achieved. So for the moment, the text can be thought of as a series of important goals - the consequences of which will only become evident during implementation.<h2>Urban leaders</h2>The role of city governments in implementing the NUA was one of the big issues discussed at Habitat III. The <a href="https://habitat3.org/programme/world-mayors-assembly/">World Mayors' Assembly</a> which preceded Habitat III asserted two key demands. One was that city, metropolitan and regional governments <a href="http://citiscope.org/habitatIII/news/2016/05/cities-clamour-seat-table-un-countries-club">should have a seat</a> at UN negotiation tables and be able to take decisions without the interference of national governments.The other was that mayors want direct access to international finance. Some proposed that 20% to 25% of global finance for development - in instruments such as the Green Climate Fund - should be allocated directly to cities.But the NUA is created by and for national governments. As a result, it often appears to prioritise the role of national policies which strategically coordinate urban development at the national level. This focus may become an obstacle for local governments seeking to implement the goals.<h2>The right to the city</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Guillermo Granja/ReutersThousands of pedestrians gather downtown for a lighting and chromalithe exhibition on a catholic church, as part of the UN Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador October 18, 2016.</div></div></div>The consensus around the "right to the city" - an idea championed by Ecuador and Brazil - was historical. The "right to the city" generally refers to the capacity of urban citizens to influence processes of urban development, and make a city they want to live in.Social movements have promoted the "right to the city" to denounce urban processes that generate injustices, such as gentrification, <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-spaces-are-going-private-and-our-cities-will-suffer-60460">privatisation of public spaces</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/vila-autodromo-the-favela-fighting-back-against-rios-olympic-development-52393">forced evictions</a> and the mistreatment of urban refugees. But the inclusion of the "right to the city" in the NUA meant watering it down, because it is not explicitly recognised as a universal human right. Instead, the NUA merely encourages governments to enshrine the right to the city in their laws.Contradictions are already beginning to emerge around the right to the city. For instance, one representative from the Senegal delegation kicked off a high level round table on financing sustainable urban development by explaining that informal settlements are often situated on high-value land. This value, he argued, can be cashed by local governments if dwellers are willing to relocate.However, this representative did not explain that this means of gathering finances often entails local governments leading a process of urban gentrification. Research on <a href="https://www.bshf.org/publications/how-people-face-evictions-lessons-from-people-led-initiatives/">forced evictions</a> has documented the tremendous negative impacts that relocation has on the livelihoods and well-being of displaced people. This is just one of many contradictions which will become visible as the NUA is implemented.Habitat III brought together thought leaders on the future of urban areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration. It will have a lasting impact on efforts to address urbanisation - one of the global challenges of our time.This is part of a series on publicly funded UK research at the UN Habitat III summit in Quito, Ecuador. It is a collaboration between the <a href="http://www.urbantransformations.ox.ac.uk/">Urban Transformations Network</a>, UK Economic and Social Research Council and <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk">The Conversation UK</a>.<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vanesa-castan-broto-226152">Vanesa Castán Broto</a>, Senior Lecturer Environment and Sustainable Development, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/ucl-1885">UCL</a>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-happened-at-habitat-iii-the-worlds-biggest-conference-on-cities-66146">original article</a>. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-bottled-water-springs-dasani-aquafina-2016-10">Animated map shows where your bottled water actually comes from</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="JzdmR1NjE6PyYq7of1kM38y5ovwgxXYM" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Here are 4 big takeaways from the world's biggest conference on the future of cities

India and Sweden have a lot in common in terms of demography, people, culture and implementation of modern technology. While the sub-continent is looking at building <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword>, Sweden’s indigenous knowledge of its smart-city building model called ‘Symbiocities’ can actually transfer best practices to make the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smart+cities">smart cities</a> in the country with economically viable infrastructures providing optimum benefit for the dwellers. There are a few key lessons that India can take away from Symbiocities that Sweden has already built since years. 
 
A large number of Indian and Swedish companies are investing in each others’ countries under various sectors with great growth potential. 
 
In order to build smart cities in India, Sweden, recently, offered its expertise in some areas that need great attention. Waste management, optimum usage of energy, digital urban land management and urban transportation can get a major fillip from Swedes knowledge. Apart from smart cities, women empowerment and self sustainable living could be Sweden’s most important contributions to India in the coming days. 
 Swedish Minister Mehmat Kaplan met Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary Swadhin Kshatriya to provide much needed impetus to bilateral relations, by way of parting with expertise in building smart cities. This will give a boost to the '<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>' initiative, with India and Sweden having signed a Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=urban">urban</a> development. 
 Minister Kaplan said, “Sweden and India have always had good relations visible through the number of exchanges on a political level as well as student exchanges and company collaborations. For a country like Sweden, striving to be an open innovation-driven <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>, India is a natural partner, and in India, Maharashtra is of particular importance. My visit to Mumbai is to the further this partnership with a focus on Smart cities and sustainable urban development an area of mutual interest for both the countries” 
 
Speaking about the collaboration between India and Sweden, Consul General for Sweden Fredrika Ornbrant said, “It is inspiring to see the broad range of engagement between Sweden and Maharashtra stretching from business and infrastructure to education and culture. Swedish companies in Maharashtra generate almost 28,000 jobs directly and a total of 1, 45,000 jobs directly in India. In line with the Indian government’s initiative to build 100 smart cities across India, the MoU on Sustainable Urban Development between our two nations will help develop, govern and manage these cities according to best practices developed through close cooperation. We are also very pleased that Minister Kaplan has come down to Mumbai to further this collaboration” 
 
Kaplan also pointed out that Sweden’s experience in developing sustainable development solutions ranging from the bio fuel buses, energy efficient solutions to combat housing shortage can be India’s typical solutions to almost similar kind of problems. 
 
Though both countries look almost similar in their structure, there are some deep cultural similarities between both countries. Apart from this, Sweden has always been a country that has a capitalist <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=economy">economy</a>, optimum social welfare programmes and high levels of resource distribution among inhabitant communities. 
 
Recently, Sweden backed India’s bid for entry into the elite group of countries seeking to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Sweden is already a key member of Missile Technology Control Regime and a very influential voice in the global arena. 
 
Here are some key areas where Sweden’s lessons can serve as key policies when India realizes its dream of smart cities. 
 
Efficiency maximized: More from less 
The key thing that India can learn from Symbiocities is high returns from basic investment. Though Indians have an indigenous way of meeting their needs with least investment, this does not hold well when planning for a massive change of mindset by way of setting up smart cities. 
 
Symbiocities are all about long term returns. Hence, India needs to look at multidisciplinary approach to make the entire process cost efficient and accountable to public. 
 
According to Kaplan, “Sweden is encouraging social scientists and anthropologists to actively participate in city planning to make solutions best fit and not just urban planning. This surely aids designing the cities of future.” 
 
Interactive urban systems 
Making every system that aids efficient way of life interactive with easy user interface can not only change the method that is used to access these systems, but also ensure people’s participation in a big way. According to Kaplan, well planned logistics when optimized, can yield better transportation systems, save energy by checking wastage and ensure judicious use of power. Ecologically, this can be an area where things can be massively improved without pushing nature to the brink. 
 
Smart housing Kaplan also stated that “decision making” is being made cheaper and faster through big data and effective data management. Using optimised life cycle calculus, and hot water economy, houses of tomorrow can be self-sufficient. India can localise this solution to include <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> panels to produce local power, rain water harvesting which can reduce the burden on urban bodies to supply with humongous amounts of water for every household. 
 
Citizen partnership 
This is a grossly neglected area that India needs to immediately pay attention to. Citizen groups are usually considered intrusive in India, since urban planning is mostly top down. This has to change in terms of smart cities, which need to tap the potential of its dwellers who may possess some great knowledge about issues relating to civic matters. Sweden enrols its citizens in most decision making processes, in order to help citizens take pride in their city. 
 
Innovation for future 
Whether it is producing clean energy or waste management, India needs to innovate since its growth potential and urban needs are going to grow manifold in the future. Sweden shows the way with bio fuels in urban areas, clean tech farming and friendly tax systems have made the country the most liveable among those in the world. 
(Image: BCCL)

5 Key lessons for Indian smart cities from Sweden

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha today interacted with the municipal commissioners of 97 cities included in the Smart Cities Mission and chief secretaries of all states and Union territories on the implementation of the programme and asked them to focus on resource mobilisation. 
 Complimenting the 20 winners of the first round of <keyword id="513113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="smart-city">Smart City</keyword> Challenge Competition, he said it said was fiercely contested based on comprehensive evaluation criteria. 
Highlighting the importance and urgency being accorded by the government to Smart City Mission, Sinha, in a video conference here, stressed that the urban sector has emerged as a major contributor of economic activity. 
 
He said that given the limitations of central and state governments in terms of resources, Mission Cities should focus more on other means of resource mobilization like convergence of various schemes, rationalization of user charges, an Urban Development Ministry spokesperson said. 
 
The Cabinet Secretary said those who could not make it to the first list announced yesterday need not be disappointed as they get two more opportunities to compete in the next few months. 
 The Municipal Commissioner of <keyword id="58537" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bhubaneshwar">Bhubaneshwar</keyword>, which topped the list of 20 winners, informed the Cabinet Secretary that sustainable urban planning, developing sound economic ecosystem and credible <keyword id="25456" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="financial-planning">financial planning</keyword> through city-level infrastructure development fund were the strong points of their proposal. 
 The Municipal Commissioner of <keyword id="2094" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pune">Pune</keyword>, which came in second, said focus on quality of life in the city, creation of qualitative economic infrastructure as a part of a 15 year master plan and sustainability features were the core strengths of the city's proposal. 
 
Sinha informed the 23 states and Union territories, which were not represented in the first list, that they could participate in fast-track competition by submitting upgraded smart city proposals of one top ranked city in each state and UT by April 15, 2016. 
 
Most of the cities who could not make to the winners list informed the Cabinet Secretary that preparation of the proposals and participation in the competition was a huge learning experience and they were determined to improve upon their proposals by working on the deficiencies. 
 
Some of them admitted to possible inadequacies with respect to certain parameters like implementation frame work, credibility of financing plans and sustainable urban planning. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Smart Cities: Cabinet Secretary asks cities to focus on resource mobilisation

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A University of Michigan study found that urban-farmed produce has six times the carbon footprint of conventional farms.</li><li>The study faced backlash from advocates and students, saying it overlooked broader environmental harms of industrial farming.</li></ul>Research <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=gKkE9A8NehnuDzRzdSau7uq09zqBFd0Sr&amp;_e=NR1opUQhz8M8yUJSUPdig3DFkL5V9rgD-5rPgW0GroA3pbpNmWwHXHGoo74aMXoja_anmr5pb3xh2lAililuTXgADjvTB3UukpAGOLG2SrF_kHfHX8zWICcHcKop4L0aKMXPonVY2xRp0XQZ64IarUuA1R8qw3q4PhAWCWLXY9G0Ydc33x8xgJlvwIMOIziP3Z-9UFI-oql6pfu6qQZ029n5vwVI8SKZfYQDpHggYmAQ4UKQidwQlNlDsWkZAuRowdkRGettNr8zhYW8J95CuNYB-Cw-9oK6upgD5EWEWS6iDszTxyLPdRKl875Oy0xrfCdQvujTUBTHwLNEkZzQUPamO9sHlTOsQ-4qdI45hc-8w4OddF1Nl87AQ7xMgakArmdYr9fCcdKuJiA_rugYKFOk-U9RjTT7RnXWsEZhTWR7O5EnVSqmCgZepdYmPbcW">out of the University of Michigan</a> sent shockwaves through the urban-farming and home-gardening community earlier this year.Fruits and vegetables grown on urban farms have on average six times the carbon footprint of produce from conventional farms, the study, which was <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=gKkE9A8NehnuDzRzdSau7uq09zqBFd0Sr&amp;_e=NR1opUQhz8M8yUJSUPdigyVBLt12lmLv8Kq9KF0cdQjoc2NlXgdVGSzgZOXMbm41vySv-6bNirXuVkKEe4zYtRkHu-IV1v-0W-C-yK4FbMXEzIDCy-JCwmYVkyCXPCIt2GwU70ZNcgMDFzgtobt0rzfExa7hjIiSLi_pcqLW2kO3pVFQcy7kUXs39I6Rq9wju-WZ0vlmecmINrxBN9ZlJ5IWP5OA4NsjW1Lcdyo2mGApareaYJhL08j0yXO26bFKkuoZpKWHf3GXRwKkOy8zXWmj-Kcrz1J0L6WBc62tiL4P3v0ro9hAQbfEHHc7kE_oV4DP2reIpebcW5qmhTJTl5SGFjtT9G7XfyABNejPDL36yWuOPnzr4CRUZtQ7yRsLaw9tRD6Q5rBum95o9X5wyvVfLtgRn8X0hgcDynU7SsN5GiVtwX7Hhsk4mjeU0PZLIyNOKWiVR8ho8NL8nP_KtJupdV9Nm8W6gMK_72cr67R_x7w6OxLbRRXv_bHKQhY-">published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Cities</a>, found.The backlash was swift. University of Michigan students organized a rebuttal letter, arguing that narrowly focusing on carbon emissions overlooked the broader environmental harms of industrial-scale farming such as biodiversity loss and water pollution. Some angry homesteaders on TikTok and YouTube circulated conspiracy theories about the government not wanting people to be self-sufficient. The research landed as cities including Detroit, <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=gKkE9A8NehnuDzRzdSau7uq09zqBFd0Sr&amp;_e=NR1opUQhz8M8yUJSUPdigxWxojJ8J5pQHuZpUrbvrUbrww7LkgQb0AoKMWISaksztKtNGWhZGbvGryiqPWhFFsNaqynonrY4jZWjZhw-pUXygoC1Auv-xnNPN7GXFHLkI2CdpXSvhXB65J1tq-Z7KNwMBrzEZeDJVuhbNpl1wQcXgx7t3XJKBmcOF4M2o9uCa8eQpctf2Vm6eOrxomO0Gzp72AUSDIcC7_kGXufuZOkPZ4a53ELdiw77soVlQrQLgIcfaMcckVhcpzwIN2IK3sXHOp2y_WBwNwwATroicweQP01heQnBSkyioVIyYhaKYUY_Cg2lsJcZ7tnqtHpYi8ABvbrVPPGavVaK6iAY6g-yusAyUHL2rTnUDi8Q5ln751TcAK2Xy9DpvP6b1qos-sp1bo2WuFLCi0n1JPwIWno%3D">Philadelphia</a>, and Washington, DC, increasingly invest in urban agriculture to promote sustainability and become more resilient to the climate crisis. The researchers told Business Insider that while the many social benefits of urban farming were well understood — such as improving access to fresh food in disadvantaged communities — some climate claims warranted more scrutiny."Urban agriculture is not a magical climate solution," Jason Hawes, a coauthor of the study and a doctoral student at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, said. "But there is evidence that with the right kind of planning and investments, it can be more climate-friendly. So we wanted to figure out what those interventions looked like."Hawes said that produce grown on 17 out of the 73 urban farms his team studied across five countries had lower carbon footprints than produce from conventional farms. The urban sites tended to have longer life spans, reuse waste for compost and building materials, reuse water, and maximize social benefits for their communities.The infrastructure used to build urban gardens matters a lot, Hawes said, because new materials come with their own carbon footprint. Choosing crops such as tomatoes or asparagus, which are typically grown in energy-intensive greenhouses and transported on a plane, respectively, also matters.<h2>Fury among urban farmers</h2>The headlines offended advocates of urban agriculture, according to interviews with a Detroit city official and other academics, as well as the letter circulated by University of Michigan students and shared with BI.These advocates questioned whether comparing the per-serving carbon footprint of produce from urban and conventional agriculture was appropriate, given the vastly different scale of these systems and the roles they serve in society.Mainly, they worried the study would let conventional agriculture — which <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=gKkE9A8NehnuDzRzdSau7uq09zqBFd0Sr&amp;_e=NR1opUQhz8M8yUJSUPdig22tyCNchXZAgdxwipimYVznOXFPGv5B5brtbrGUrJWehR9wef9PKiYCdUXXAUTzNCYnCgz5hBndgRonmOFmB8BZI1-3lB5d6Sx9aONB53xyVAKlJvXWlCjlPnSu7v9X7gCcNh3xGtMpUXVN47WmLbh2wFs0l_GI4jAPWh_pHeT7Ztm2dQTrnHg1HAWtXxEd-7j9o9KL7BxVH7ScfYjIGIec_OVLTdtt76ESASEzhfe_gQ9jq0qesHUUboO1ZbAeEC2XbWTtqDM8h-n7kl3tyPJrlQJtL8Y3N1OU6SdGlJeLKC46maN-qpJk3kfzcaBsz10HYy2wx0RZ6iDgFCzWUvQ%3D">globally accounts for about one-third of greenhouse-gas emissions</a> — off the hook and undermine a burgeoning movement to expand urban green spaces and promote food sovereignty, especially in communities of color burdened by pollution. "I thought the study took a lot of the onus off of conventional agriculture, which we are in the process of recreating," Tepfirah Rushdan, who last year became Detroit's first director of urban agriculture, told BI. "The reason for the shift is because industrial agriculture is a strain on our planet."Rushdan also argued that urban farms are a much more sustainable use of land than commercial or industrial development.The letter organized by students at the University of Michigan said the research addressed "critical research gaps" but should have been more nuanced by incorporating more of the environmental harms of conventional agriculture. The letter also alluded to the structural problems that can prevent urban farms from being more permanent, including commercial development and barriers to landownership.Hawes and his coauthor <a target="_blank" href="https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/benjamin-goldstein">Benjamin Goldstein</a>, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, said they're sensitive to the concerns, and were responding to them, but stood by the methodology."Our work does not lessen the many benefits that urban agriculture provides," Hawes said in an email. "We put one specific claim to the test with the best available data. This is not an indictment of the process as a whole. Instead, it is an indictment of the environment in which urban agriculture is forced to exist — with constant pressures on land tenure, with resource constraints, and with a constant back and forth about the 'true purpose' of the practice."Hawes and Goldstein said they had crafted policy briefs for city officials and the US Department of Agriculture that underscore how important urban agriculture is for sustainability and local food production. They also are working on a letter to Detroit farmers, many of whom reached out to Hawes to say they'd already adopted the best practices outlined in the study.Despite the controversy, the research led some urban gardeners to reevaluate their practices. Monica Fitzgerald, a backyard gardener in Boulder, Colorado, told BI that she didn't think the headlines were true at first. Part of the reason she grows her own food is to be more sustainable and improve local biodiversity.But after reading the main findings, she learned a few lessons and shared them on TikTok <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@colorado.monica/video/7328188157705424170?_r=1&amp;_t=8jiNGzWHC2d">to dispel other users' conspiracy theories</a>."Try to make things with materials you already have," she said. "Order fewer seeds online. Compost at home. Extend the lifetime of a raised bed, shed, or shovel. Not only does it save you money, it saves you carbon emissions."Are you a gardener or urban farmer who is finding ways to save money and reduce your carbon footprint? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:cboudreau@businessinsider.com">cboudreau@businessinsider.com</a>.

Gardeners are fuming about a study that found produce from urban farms has a high carbon footprint      

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11896633" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airbus" source="Orion">Airbus</keyword> has revealed a next-generation <keyword id="12144921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cityairbus" source="Orion">CityAirbus</keyword> electric plane, a "flying taxi" built for urban areas.</li><li>CityAirbus is in the design phase but is being developed to fly a range of 80 km at 120 km/hour.</li><li>Noise reduction is a key feature of the plane, which is expected to operate at lower than 70 dBa.</li></ul>Airbus has revealed the latest edition of CityAirbus, the company's zero-emission electric vehicle built to fly in noise-sensitive urban areas on Tuesday.<a href="https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2021/09/Airbus-reveals-the-next-generation-of-CityAirbus.html">The next generation of the </a>electric aircraft is part of Airbus's vision for an intra-city "flying taxi" service. The zero-emission eVTOL plane was revealed at the company's first Airbus Summit on "Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace," which focuses on concepts that enhance the urban air mobility market.The eVTOL can carry four passengers, be remotely piloted, and fly up to 80 km (50 miles) at a speed of 120 km/hour (74.5 mi/hour), according to Airbus. The body of the aircraft features a V-shaped tail and fixed wings, and its unique propulsion system consists of eight electrically powered propellers. Noise reduction is a key feature of the plane, which features sound levels less than 65 dBa during fly-overs and below 70 dBa during landing. <div type="image" title="View from the back of the CityAirbus" height="579" width="1358" msid="86407299" hostid="261"></div>"We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into the cities while addressing environmental and social concerns. Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle <keyword id="11893017" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="technology" source="Orion">technology</keyword> and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to society," said <keyword id="12144920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airbus-helicopters" source="Orion">Airbus Helicopters</keyword> CEO Bruno Even.The aircraft is being developed in Airbus' Helicopter division and is an upgraded version of the company's original CityAirbus that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cityairbus-makes-first-public-flight-airbus-flying-taxi-evtol-2020-7">debuted in July 2020</a>. The first generation CityAirbus began development in 2016 and was envisioned as a taxi service that could bypass city traffic by simply flying above it, according to Airbus. Historically, this kind of intra-city <keyword id="11894924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation" source="Orion">transportation</keyword> was conducted by noisy helicopters, like now-defunct Airbus-backed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-voom-subsidiary-closes-amid-covid-19-pandemic-history-2020-4">helicopter taxi startup Voom</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-vahana-aircraft-cost-same-taxi-zach-lovering-2017-5">Airbus' "electric flying car" Vahana</a>, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-makes-jfk-airport-helicopter-taxis-available-to-all-users-2019-10">Uber Copter</a>.<keyword id="12144922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cityairbus-nextgen" source="Orion">CityAirbus NextGen</keyword> "combines the best of both worlds" by taking successful concepts from the original CityAirbus and <keyword id="12144924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vahana" source="Orion">Vahana</keyword>, including hover and forward flight, according to Airbus. The two vehicles have collectively demonstrated 242 test flights covering over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), which has helped Airbus optimize its new electric plane, which does not require any moving surfaces or tilting parts during transition, improving its hover and cruise efficiency.CityAirbus is in the design stage of development and the prototype's first flight is planned for 2023 with certification expected for 2025.

Airbus revealed a new version of its CityAirbus flying EV built to fly quietly over urban areas

<ul><li>Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and <keyword id="5252225" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="villgro-innovation-foundation" source="Orion">Villgro Innovation Foundation</keyword>, are currently leveraging artificial intelligence to address the threats of water scarcity and flooding across the country.</li><li>These non-profit organisations have recently been selected among 13 local sustainability organisations to receive support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund.</li></ul>New Delhi, Two Indian organisations, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and Villgro Innovation Foundation, are currently leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), <keyword id="294572" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="machine-learning" source="Orion">Machine Learning</keyword> (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) to address the threats of water scarcity and flooding across the country, <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> has said. These non-profit organisations have recently been selected among 13 local sustainability organisations to receive support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund to explore new use-cases for AI, ML and IoT models that can help manage water supply and inundation risks across the country. "<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s population could be susceptible to severe water-related challenges across its vast geographic landscape and many climatic zones, if global temperatures cross the threshold temperature rise of 1.5 degree Celsius, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects could occur within this decade," said Sanjay Gupta, <keyword id="191922" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="country-head" source="Orion">Country Head</keyword> and Vice President, Google India. The tech giant supported the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, founded by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), with a $3 million grant by Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, in partnership with Asian Development Bank. This fund enables local organisations working hard to develop solutions for sustainable practices and combating the effects of climate change across APAC, be it heat waves, rising sea levels or loss of biodiversity. Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust is focused on empowering and equipping women across India to build sustainable and gender-inclusive cities, providing training and technical expertise in construction, technology, and urban governance. With the grant, the organisation aims to develop an AI-enabled model for building climate resilience in Amalner, Maharashtra to serve as an archetype for a small urban town in India. "The project will pioneer the mapping of land use and catchment areas to predict their susceptibility to floods and inundation, which will contribute to protecting natural drainage systems," said Gupta. The grant is supporting Villgro Innovation Foundation's partnership with 'CultYvate' to develop a mobile and browser-based application, IoT sensors, satellite data, and AI/ML models that will provide farmers in India with real-time insights and advice for irrigation management. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-are-vishing-scams-that-start-with-a-namaste-and-end-with-monetary-losses/articleshow/99762900.cms">What are ‘vishing scams’ that start with a Namaste and end with monetary losses</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-wh-ch720n-headphones-review-featherweight-comfort-and-impressive-sound/articleshow/99911412.cms">Sony WH-CH720N headphones review: Featherweight comfort and impressive sound</a>

How 2 Indian organisations are using AI to fight climate change in India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Adrees Latif / Reuters</div></div></div>Today, <a href="http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Highlights/WUP2014-Highlights.pdf">more than half </a>of humanity lives in cities.And we're only <a href="http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Publications/Files/Key_Findings_WPP_2015.pdf">getting more urban</a> - by 2050, at least <a href="http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Highlights/WUP2014-Highlights.pdf">two-thirds</a> of the world's population will call cities its home.Yet you can add only so many skyscrapers to squeeze in the flocking masses. Building underground, however, is an option. According to a 2013 <a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog/14670/underground-engineering-for-sustainable-urban-development">report</a> by the US National Research Council, exploring underground "may be the most successful way to encourage or support the redirection of urban development into sustainable pattern." While experts figure out whether digging into the ground can solve the urban space problem, we take you to some of the world's most unique underground marvels.

These are some of the coolest underground buildings in the world

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2016-10-03_15_53_16_View_south_along_U.S._Route_17_Business_and_east_along_Virginia_State_Route_55_(Main_Street)_at_Rectortown_Road_(Virginia_State_Secondary_Route_710)_and_Winchester_Road_in_Marshall,_Fauquier_County,_Virginia.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></div></div></div><ul><li><a href="https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/freeways-without-futures/2017#29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congress for New Urbanism</a>, an urban planning nonprofit, put together a list of highways in America that are causing blight on surrounding neighborhoods.</li><li>The list highlights how mid-20th-century urban planning is starting to fall out of favor.</li><li>Some cities are planning to remove the highways that made the Congress for New Urbanism list.</li></ul> Cities and states are starting to re-think sprawling highway projects built during the fervor of 20th-century urban development.As cars were mass produced and made widely available through financing, massive highway systems were constructed to support their ascendance.Automakers played a key role in this development: The American Highway Users Alliance, which GM founded in 1932, lobbied for tax breaks that would lead to sustained highway funding over time. Just two decades later, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Interstate Highway Act, which allocated $25 billion over 10 years toward 41,000 miles of interstate highways.All of this is to say there's a story behind America's interlocking highway system and not all of it is rosy. Highways were regularly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cities-removing-highways-cut-off-neighborhoods-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">constructed at the expense of neighborhoods</a>, often ferrying white suburbanites through minority neighborhoods. Some of these freeways developed into "border vacuums," a term coined by urban activist Jane Jacobs that refers to the role infrastructure can play in depriving growth in the surrounding area.Local governments have only recently started to evaluate what tearing down these aging highways could do for neighborhoods that were hardly considered during their construction.Congress for New Urbanism, an urban planning nonprofit, put together a list dubbed "Freeways Without Futures," as spotted by the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/style/the-end-of-freeways.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top-stories&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New York Times</a>. The list shows which highway teardown projects have the biggest potential to "remove blight" from neighborhoods.Some highways the list are already serious contenders for removal projects - scroll down for a closer look:

These are the most hated highways in America

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Saudi Arabia has embarked on its ambitious project to build a city in the shape of a line. </li><li>While the concept of linear urban design has existed since the 19th century, few have attempted it. </li></ul>Saudi Arabia is constructing a huge mirrored city in the desert.The Line, as it has been named, is actually <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neom-saudi-arabia-desert-megacity-plans-look-pictures-2024-4">a megacity consisting of two skyscrapers</a> that was originally intended to stretch out for 170km, with the aim to eventually house nine million people.Officials have called it an "architectural masterpiece" and a "revolution in urban living."Although <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-neom-megaproject-not-struggling-vision-2030-minister-2024-4">recent reports</a> suggest the plans have been scaled back, the 2.4km still due to be built will be the largest linear city in existence if it is completed.As a concept, linear living is nothing new."It is ambitious but hardly revolutionary," Anirban Adhya, a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Lawrence Technological University, told Business Insider.Following the Industrial Revolution, many urban planners looked to alternative city layouts to tackle booming populations.The Spanish architect Arturo Soria is widely credited with designing the first linear city, "La Ciudad Lineal," in 1882 on the outskirts of Madrid. Around forty years later, in 1924, renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier offered another radical alternative with his "Ville Radieuse," a linear, ordered metropolis full of green space.The Soviet urbanist Mikhail Okhitovich was sent to a gulag in 1930 for his "economically crippling" proposal to <a target="_blank" href="https://socks-studio.com/2012/07/14/mikhail-okhitovich-and-the-disurbanism/">transform the city of Magnitogorsk</a> into eight ribbon-like strips converging on a factory."It has been common for urban planners to argue for a new future as a reaction to what they claim to be an 'unsustainable;' existing situation of their time. The Line in Neom is no different," said Adhya.But revolutionary or not, is the idea of building a dense metropolis in the shape of a line a good one?<div type="image" title="The Line Neom" height="801" width="1433" msid="110639896" hostid="261" sizebytes="142404"></div>Compared to traditional layouts, the benefits of linear cities include efficient public transport, ready access to nature, and a more egalitarian lifestyle. Theoretically endless, they can easily extend as populations expand.Proposals for The Line echo many of these promises.The project's website presents the city as a solution to mass urbanization and the climate crisis, depicting it as a sustainable carless utopia that will preserve 95% of the region's land.Neom's designers claim that all essential services will be accessible within five minutes, and nature will be just a two-minute walk away. AI-powered technology throughout the city will enhance sustainability and maximize residents' life expectancy, they say."There is no right shape for a city — they typically evolve over time, based on natural, cultural, transportation, political, and economic factors," Mona Lovgreen, a partner at Canadian architecture firm DIALOG, told BI.She believes that if designed correctly, The Line's linear form would make it accessible and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources along its entire length.<div type="image" title="Neom construction." height="990" width="1980" msid="110639897" hostid="261" sizebytes="99798"></div>Though she said its goals may be exaggerated, Lovgreen believes the vision of The Line is admirable."It challenges us to rethink urban design and discover new ways to make cities efficient, livable, and sustainable."It could set a trailblazing example for how to use AI to improve sustainability and energy efficiency, something US urban planners should replicate, Lovgreen added.The focus on convenience and services being within reach also shows promise, Adhya said, pointing to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-freedom-cities-build-housing-conservatives-scoff-at-leftist-plan-2023-3">successful examples already underway</a> in cities like Paris and Portland.In "smaller chunks and pieces," the linear structure of The Line could work, Adhya said.<h2 id="54f67557-c933-4746-bf46-7f190715c720">'Bland and monotonous'</h2>While some practical sides of the structure have potential, all experts BI spoke to saw fundamental issues with the lived experience inside linear cities."The Line could be a fascinating place to visit and experience, but I'm still unsure of whether humans are designed to live in such a rigid and prescriptive structure," Lovgreen said.The Line is formed of modules that can each house 80,000 people, able to move about through a horizontal and vertical transport system.<div type="image" title="The Line, NEOM" height="1280" width="1920" msid="110639899" hostid="261" sizebytes="173552"></div>"Compared to other urban designs like grid layout, radial layout, ring layout, or some combination of these, human experience in a strictly linear urban development can lack interest and variation," explained Adhya."Certain parts of the city could become too far and segregated."The repetition of infrastructure and kit-of parts would be "bland and monotonous," lacking the unique character that other cities offer, said Lovgreen."Ultimately, the psychological impact of living in such a regimented environment may affect residents' well-being," she told BI.This type of structure is not only monotonous, but can limit social cohesion, according to John Gold, a professor of Urban Historical Geography at Oxford Brookes University."Linear cities are an extreme form of urban dispersal — community development and social cohesion still need centrality," Gold told BI.Another challenge in Neom's design is its over-reliance on technology and the public transport system, experts said. If something went wrong, the entire system would crumble, they warned."Most cities have network redundancy, where multiple options are available if a specific connection or intersection is blocked. A linear city may not have this capability," explained Lovgreen.<div type="image" title="NEOM Saudi" height="1280" width="1920" msid="110639900" hostid="261" sizebytes="210062"></div>Lastly, in spite of The Line's proclamations of sustainability, its huge mirrored walls could be harmful ecologically both in terms of unnecessary heat gain within the structure as well as being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neom-the-line-mirrored-tower-birds-kill-saudi-arabia-2024-5">detrimental for the migratory flight paths of billions of birds</a>.But the big issue, according to Gold, is "who would actually want to live in such a 'city'?""These schemes, and the Saudi one is a classic example, map out a hi-tech utopian future but never engage with people as they really are. In my opinion, linear city schemes are best left as design exercises for third-year architectural students," Gold said.

Saudi Arabia is trying to build the largest linear city ever. It's a visionary but flawed concept, urban planners say.

<keyword id="3354534" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fairwood-Group">Fairwood Group</keyword>, the group of companies in three business sectors of mobility, energy and urbanization, is banking on government's ambitious plan to develop 100 smart cities, for which it has partnered with six leading Chinese companies. The move is aimed at tapping the business potential in infrastructure, and with the tie-up, the group aims at projects worth USD 20 billion in the next eight years. 
 The six Chinese companies are <keyword id="3354964" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shanghai-Tongji-Urban-Planning-Design-Institute">Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning &amp; Design Institute</keyword>, <keyword id="3354965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shanghai-Maglev">Shanghai Maglev</keyword>, <keyword id="3354966" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="China-Rail-Construction-Corporation">China Rail Construction Corporation</keyword>, <keyword id="426187" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="China-Harbour-Engineering-Company">China Harbour Engineering Company</keyword>, <keyword id="3354967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="China-Communication-Construction-Company">China Communication Construction Company</keyword>, and <keyword id="3354968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Beijing-Origin-Water-Company">Beijing Origin Water Company</keyword>. 
 
"These companies are specialised in urban planning, engineering, railway, construction, communications and water management and will add to our strength of planning and execution of infrastructure projects. We are eyeing a business share of USD 20 billion in infrastructure and urbanisation in India in next 8 years," Fairwood Group's Managing Director RS Das said. 
 
As per the claims, they have executed marquee projects like preparation of Delhi Vision 2021; Development Plan for Bihar, Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, West Bengal; Mahindra Data Centre, Mumbai; Tell Moreeb Resort, Abu Dhabi etc. 
 
"Our plan for the future is to grow the core expertise of project development in our chosen verticals to contribute in the nation building efforts of the government. We would like to bring in a paradigm shift while doing this so that the future development in India is sustainable and appropriate to the nation's needs," Das said. 
 
<a href="http://www.fairwoodpmc.com/images/about-2.jpg">Image source</a>

Eyeing $20 billion infra business, Fairwood Group ties up with six Chinese companies

The new government headed by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> holds the promise of being ‘futuristic’ and has often spoken about the ‘modern’ India that needs to be built while remaining firmly grounded in the ‘Indian-ness’ of the country. Pluralistic as it may be, India sure needs a new perspective, new approach and a new mentor to surge ahead, especially during the times when the global map is rapidly changing. 
	 

	Modi has created a picture of modern India, right from the run-up to the elections. He spoke of developing 100 cities, which could even be twin cities and satellite towns, to help create a thriving environment for increased productivity.

	 

	And why not! As per the 2011 census, a good 4% people have moved into the urban areas (and the number is growing), adding 32% population to urban spaces, as against 28% previously. By 2020, 35% of the Indian population would be living in urban areas, with immigration rate (from rural areas) scaling up more rapidly than before.

	 

	This means urban areas, as these exist now, will not be able to hold the floating population, turning the entire situation into a tough challenge. Moreover, it won’t be the population that will suffer alone. Infrastructure is bound to crumble and real estate prices will skyrocket, thanks to the rising housing demand that does not match the supply.

	 
 According to a report published by <keyword id="6372399" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="McKinsey">McKinsey</keyword>, in the next two decades, about 300 million people from all possible economic backgrounds will move into nearest/farther urban areas in search of livelihood. Plus, about 65% of the Indian population today is below 35 years of age. Keeping the lifespan and productivity in the perspective, India will have to get ready for the generations ahead and meet their demands of excellent living conditions.

	 

	Modern cities have to be built, without a doubt. With housing posing the most concrete and important demand, India will have to focus on the asset creation and distribution of opportunities for both rural and urban areas. However, will this give rise to sustainable and innovative methods of house construction, addressing the deep concern for the environment that would perhaps suffer by that time? Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, one of the senior political minds, revealed in the recent past the basic design of the model cities that would be built. He said that twin cities like Hyderabad-Secunderabad would be a good prototype for their ‘futuristic’ cities.

	 

	And that brings us to the most crucial factor – that of land acquisition for housing projects, of related amenities for that size of population to be accommodated, creating infrastructure and opportunities to sustain the growth and keep it grounded to those cities – all these and much more.

	 

	Developing anything related to infrastructure, be it housing or workplaces, requires land. Modi’s approach to land acquisition has often been criticised as he believes that a large number of farmers will have to look at avenues beyond agriculture. He is a firm believer of systems, such as bullet trains and faster means of transportation with minimum damage to the environment, but this also gives rise to huge tracts of land being used for those initiatives. And the shrinking land will always pose a challenge to the poverty-stricken India where people die of hunger.

	 

	It means the Green Revolution, which catapulted India’s position and production post-Independence, may have to take a backseat for now as land won’t be available for agriculture.<o:p></o:p>

	 
 Creation of cities will also throw up the crucial question of uncontrolled real estate prices. Earlier, the declaration of Tier II cities by the UPA government had witnessed an artificial surge in land prices. Therefore, with the declaration of 100 <keyword id="2324077" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futuristic-Cities">futuristic cities</keyword>, the BJP government will have to ensure that the real estate prices are kept in check by the authorities, without allowing the private players to dictate terms. In spite of Modi’s proximity to entrepreneurs, mismanagement in terms of land pricing can do the new government in.

	 

	The middle class will have to be the focus of developmental activities and low-cost housing must become a viable option for people. Eco-friendly houses will have to be a norm to sustain the development, without contributing to the global warming, since India’s role in the international arena is rapidly gaining importance and closely watched by the so-called super powers.

	 

	Traffic management is a concept that India needs to approach scientifically, rather than haphazardly, as it has done so far. Planned cities can also be good experiment labs for better traffic management solutions.

	 

	The labour industry, which has so far remained exploited (by the real estate community), will have to be given due prominence – so that slums are not created alongside the gated villas.

	 

	Finally, the futuristic cities will also have to be equal-opportunity spaces for communities and must not pave the way for discrimination. This, alone, can ensure that the cities will be free from rising crime rates and unsafe living conditions.<o:p></o:p>

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