Smarter Cities and Healthier Communities

Smart cities are increasingly AI-integrated, citizen-centric, and designed holistically from the ground up—marking a turning point beyond pilot projects into scalable, governance-aligned innovation.

Gujarat Unveils “Urban Development Year 2025” Vision

• Gujarat’s Chief Minister launched a sweeping urban development initiative across cities in the state, emphasizing citizen-centric, sustainable smart-city planning. The program features a 40% increase in urban development funding—raising it to ₹30,000 crore (~USD $3.6 billion). Key elements include rainwater harvesting (‘Catch the Rain’), urban forest expansion, a ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ tree-planting campaign, rooftop solar adoption, and promotion of electric mobility.
• Impact: This initiative sets a robust foundation for eco-smart urban growth, fostering resilient infrastructure, green energy use, and public participation. It aims to transform Gujarat’s urban centers into sustainability and innovation leaders under the “Viksit Bharat@2047” vision.

Chandigarh Launches EV Portal & Completes Government Solar Rollout

• Chandigarh introduced a public-facing Electric Vehicle (EV) Portal offering real-time subsidy tracking, grant application status, and maps of charging station locations. Simultaneously, solar PV systems were installed across all government buildings to bolster renewable energy infrastructure.
• Impact: The portal enhances transparency and simplifies EV adoption by empowering citizens. The solar rollout strengthens energy resilience and signals a commitment to electrified, cleaner urban operations.

Mangaluru Deploys AI-Powered Traffic Enforcement Cameras

• What happened (trial phase concluded July; enforcement active by early August): The city installed nearly 200 AI-enhanced traffic cameras to detect violations—including helmet, seatbelt, and signal breaches—with alerts currently sent via SMS; enforcement mechanisms are being fully activated.
• Impact: This technology-driven approach enhances road safety and enforces traffic compliance in real time, paving the way for broader adoption of AI-based traffic management in mid-sized urban areas.

Eurocities Promotes Ethical Use of Public Sensors

• Eurocities launched a Digital Forum Lab focused on integrating public sensors responsibly, covering domains such as traffic, air quality, and smart lighting. The initiative emphasizes trust, transparency, and ethical governance—encouraging cities to define clear purposes for sensor deployment and communicate data use to citizens.
• Impact: Embeds a human-centered, accountable approach to smart city infrastructure. This advance strengthens public trust and ensures technology supports, rather than overshadows, community needs.

Summary Table