Integrating Master Planning with Smart City Initiative: Challenges and Opportunities in Newtown, Kolkata

Abstract

The Smart City Mission (SCM) was launched on 25 June 2015 by the Government of India to develop 100 smart cities across the country. The objective was to develop methods for making the cities ‘smart’, replicable both within and outside the Smart City. The SCM aimed to promote inclusive and sustainable cities while ensuring infrastructural development and improving quality of life. Keeping the current rate of urbanisation and technological boom into consideration, this was an appreciable step taken by the government of India. Along with the SCM, several other schemes like the Swachha Bharat Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), etc., were also launched, and these schemes are supposed to work in a coordinated and integrated manner. However, at the same time, it must be understood that the integration of the SCM with the master of the concerned city will also play a vital role in ensuring efficiency and avoiding roadblocks in the completion of projects. If this integration is lacking, then issues are going to arise. The case study of New Town (Rajarhat), Kolkata, was selected to study this phenomenon. New Town was selected in the second phase of the SCM, and it is the only city in West Bengal that is selected under the mission. New Town is a rapidly developing satellite city of Kolkata. It is situated in the North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. New Town is managed by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), and HIDCO aims to develop infrastructure in the city. New Town is being developed as an IT and residential hub in Kolkata. If we compare the vision and objectives of the master plan (VISION 2025) and the SCM (New Town) of Kolkata, we can easily observe several overlaps and conflicts. The master plans look at a much broader domain than the SCM, which is obvious. However, at the same time, the definition of the common objectives such as quality of life, Mobility and Connectivity, and Inclusivity may differ based on the scale of development. This chapter will give an insight into the conflicts between the Smart City Mission and the Master Plan in Kolkata and will conclude by suggesting integrating the SCM with the master plans of cities.