Abstract

This paper discusses the Smart City plan proposal of Bhubaneswar which ranked first in the national challenge round competition under the Smart Cities Mission in 2015. Bhubaneswar’s Smart City plan exemplifies a technology-enabled roadmap for a medium-sized city, towards people-centric planning with a focus oncitizen engagement and social inclusion. However, planning for smart cities is a continuous process. While the projects initiated under the Smart Cities Mission had acted as a lighthouse, ultimately, it would be important for the local governments to take ownership and move forward. Moreover, the deployment of digital technology needs to be linked to achieving specific developmental objectives in a measurable way, to optimize resource utilization. For this to happen, Smart City Plans need to be integrated with the city’s overall master planning framework.

Keywords:Smart City Plan, Participatory planning, Social Inclusion, Bhubaneswar

  1. Introduction

Over the past two decades,the smart city phenomenon had gained worldwide popularity. More and more cities are applying advanced digital technologies including big data, blockchain, the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence to addressurban planning, management, and governance challenges. Indeed, the application of digital technology and data in city systems can help to optimizeresource allocation, improve functional efficiency, reduce wastage of time and material; improveperformance monitoring and widen scope the for citizen engagement(Alizadeh, 2021; Schiavone, Paolone, & Mancini, 2019).

However, the smart city phenomenonhas drawn criticism.Global technology corporations have been promoting the concept of “smart cities” for the past 20 years, and their roles in urban affairs are steadily expanding. Yet,there is no commonly accepted definition or set of characteristics that define what makes a city “smart.” Without a clear definition, there are concerns that the idea will be used for corporate branding activities(Hollands, 2008). It is also being argued that digital technology is not an end in itself, andthere are concerns about what smart cities have provided in terms of actual results. International organizationslike the OECD advocate for smart cities to include a balanced combination of human, social, cultural, economic, environmental, institutional,and technological factors(OECD, 2020). UN-Habitat advocates smart cities be linked to sustainable development goals. Thus, technology is seen as an enabler to achieve larger planning goals. There is also a need for smart city impact assessment – to evaluate to what extent smart citiesare able toimprove the quality of life for people. Over the past years, many smart cityranking, and assessment frameworks have come up(Giffinger, Haindlmaier, & Kramar, 2010; Sharifi, 2020). However,these assessment frameworks tend to be context specific, as there is no universally accepted definition of a smart city. When the Smart Cities Mission was launched in India, participating cities were encouraged to define their own goals, according to their specific local requirements. This was deemed necessary as the scope of the Smart Cities Mission included 100 cities of very diverse characteristics(Sharma, 2018).

This paperdiscussesthe Smart City plan proposal of Bhubaneswar which ranked first in the national challenge round competition under the Smart Cities Mission in 2015. The plan later won the American Planning Association’s Pierre L’enfant International Planning Excellence Award 2017 for its use of contemporary technology to articulate a citizen-driven future vision (APA, 2017). The standout feature of the plan is the customized approach, toward citizen engagement. Targeted use of in-person interactions and social media platforms allowed the strategy to reach 32% of the city’s 0.97 million residents and win support from a broad swath of the populace(BSCL, 2015).

The paper is organized as follows. The next section provides a brief snapshot about the city. The third section discussBhubaneswar’s economic transformationas a business services hub and various planning interventions. The fifth section then highlights the Smart City Plan and its key features. The sixth section wrapsup the discussion by highlighting the lessons learnt. The last section provides a way forward.

  1. City Profile

The modern city of Bhubaneswar was developed in 1948-49, to shift administrative functions away from congested and flood prone Cuttack. The new city was located beside a historic settlement with several architecturally significant temples dating back to the 11th the century. It was designed by German architect Otto Koenigsbergerbased on the neighbourhood concept (Kalia, 1995).

With the establishment of the new state capital, Bhubaneswar had witnessed astronomical population growth. as various government departments began to consolidate their operations in the newly built state capital; significant expansion in state apparatus also took place in the era of public sector-led development. Starting from a low population base of only,16,500 in 1951, the city witnessed a decadal growth rate over 100 percent during 1951-61, 1961-71 and 1971-81 census decades (See Figure – 1). As per Census (2011), Bhubaneswarhad a population of 8,40,834 with a slum population of 3,01,611.

Figure 1: Bhubaneswar Population Growth

Source: Census (2011)

The core part of the city is administered by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area, which covers 186 sq.km, in area divided into 67 wards(BMC, 2022). Planning responsibilities for the capital city and its surrounding regions are handled by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), which was constituted in 1983.Currently, the planning jurisdictions of BDA covers an area of 1100 sq.km, with a population of about 1.3 million, which includes Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Jatni Municipality, Khurda Municipality, Pipli Notified Area Committee, and several panchayat areas(BDA, 2022). Figure 2 shows the municipal core and the city-region.

Figure 2: Bhubaneswar Development Authority Area

Source: Bhubaneswar Development Authority (2022)

  1. Economic Transformation

Until the late 1990s, economy of Bhubaneswar was mainly centered around government-related administrative functions. It was also partly related to tourism sector, as gateway to Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar cultural heritage tourism circuit. However, from the early 2000s, the economy of Bhubaneswar started to diversify as the Odisha state government stepped up efforts to attract private investmentsand over the next two decades the city has grown into a leading business destination among the Tier-II cities in India(Chatterji & Maitra, 2019). Bhubaneswar had been particularly successful in attracting investments in the IT (Information Technology) enabled back offices and tertiary educational institutions.Bhubaneswar quickly climbing up to 9th position nationally in terms of IT services exports(NASSCOM, 2016). In addition to IT-enabledservices, companies engaged in mining, mineral processing and various otherindustrial activities elsewhere in the state,opened their regional offices in the state capital. The education segment has also expanded substantially.Multiplier effects of the knowledge services production economy have contributed to further downstream investments in consumption sectors related to retail, housing, specialty medical and hospitality segments.

  1. Developmental Challenges and Planning Interventions

Koenigsberger’s Plan (1954) envisaged Bhubaneswar to be primarily an administrative centre and had a target population of 40,000. This population threshold was crossed by the early 1960s. During the next three decades (see Figure 1), when the city went through extremely rapid urbanization, planning did not receive adequate policy attention.Following the establishment of BDA, an Interim Development Plan was prepared in 1993.With faster economic growth from the 1990s onwards, the city started to expand outwards.A need was felt for a metropolitan regional plan. Subsequently, Perspective Plan-2030 for the Bhubaneswar Cuttack Urban Complex (BCUC) was preparedin 2006 covering 722 sq.km area(Anand & Deb, 2017). Then, within the framework of the Perspective Plan, a Comprehensive Development Plan for the Bhubaneswar Development Planning Area of 419 sq.km was prepared in 2010.

In addition to the statutory plans, plans of more strategic nature were taken up to meet requirements for funding schemes, includingthe City Development Plan prepared under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM); Service Level Improvement Plans (SLIPs) under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Plan under the Smart Cities Mission. However, the statutory plan had faced implementation difficulties andareas demarcated as Environmentally Sensitive Zone got encroached upon(Anand & Deb, 2017). Unplanned urbanization of the peri-urban areas without provision of trunk infrastructure and indiscriminate construction activities through filling up of paddy fields and rural waterbodies are leading to flood hazards, depletion of ground water and loss of green cover.

With population pressure outpacing urban infrastructure investments, Bhubaneswar is facing deficiencies with regards toprovision ofwater supply, sewage disposal, solid waste collection and storm water drainage. According to the Service Level Benchmark data 2018-19sewage system is highly inadequate, the network coverage is only 27%, and treatment plants are yet to be operationalized. Althoughwater supply at 218lpcd is well above the stipulated standard of 135lpcd, but the distribution network covers only 71.61% households, indicating localized problems of access. Municipal solid waste collection is 70%, but segregation and recycling capacities are lacking(Housing and Urban Development Department, 2022).

Although, being a planned city, Bhubaneswarhas better roads compared to most Indian cities, nevertheless, the city is facingchallenges regarding traffic congestion andair quality is worsening. Share of public transportation in the city’s mobility system is low andover 80% of the commuters in the city are dependent on private vehicles, with two-wheelers being the dominant mode. In 2019, the city had 14 lakh registered private vehicles, which are about 1.4 times higher thanthe estimated city population of 10 lakhs(GIZ, 2019).Bhubaneswar has initiated a Low Carbon Mobility Plan for the city.

  1. Smart City Plan

The Smart Cities Mission in 2015offered a fresh opportunity for Bhubaneswar to develop a futuristic vision. Bhubaneswar’s proposal was developed by the BDA and BMC with the support of international consulting firms Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and the IBI Group. Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd. (BSCL) a Special Purpose Vehicle formed under the Companies Act (2013) is the single point nodal agency entrusted with planning, execution, management and operational responsibilities with all smart city related projects. The Board of BSCL is helmed by the Chairman who is ex-officio Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha. The Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporationis the ex-officio Managing Director. The Chief Executive Officer is in charge of the day-to-day operations(BSCL, 2022a).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs guideline suggested that projects under the Smart Cities Mission to be dividedinto Pan City and Area Based Development components. Pan-city envisages application of selected Smart Solutions to the existing city-wide infrastructure, (i.e. transportation, water, waste, security). Area-based development aims at comprehensive urban renewal / retrofitting a designated city district on a pilot basis, which can act as a lighthouse for future developments. However, in addition to the pan-city and area-based developments, Bhubaneswar’s Smart City proposal comprises of an additional ‘Social’ component, to induce social equity, equal accessibility and enhanced economic opportunities to citizens.

Bhubaneswar’s Smart City Plan is anchored around the following key vision elements(BDA-BMC, 2015):

  • Livable City – by providing a diverse range of housing, educational and recreational opportunities and enhancing heritage conservation
  • Child Friendly City–byproviding safe and accessible public spaces
  • Eco City–by co-existing in harmony with nature for nurturing a resilient, clean, green, and healthy environment
  • Transit Oriented City–by promoting a compact urban form that encourages active, connected and sustainable mobility choices
  • Responsive Governance–participatory decision making and citizen engagement.
  • Regional Economic Centre – by encouraging knowledge-based enterprises, start-ups and sustainable tourism

The vision elements are being realised through five integrated strategic pillars:Responsive governance, TOD based planning and design, Fiscal sustainability, Infrastructure and Socio-economic development. These five pillars are then sub-divided into 10 Strategic Directions and 30 City Goals – which in-turn lead to catalyst projects grouped around pan-city, area-based development and social development components: The key project level interventions under Bhubaneswar Smart City are as follows(BSCL, 2022b):

  • Pan City Componentprojects are a range of urban management interventions designedto address traffic system, transit system, parking system, emergency response & incidence management system;Common Payment Card System for encouraging digital payment eco system; Enterprise Resource Planning and e-Governance for the four city level organizations i.e. BDA, BMC, CRUT (Capital Region Urban Transport) and BSCL. It also includes setting up an Intelligent City Operations and Management Centre (ICOMC) for managing differenturban services on a common platform in an integrated manner.
  • Area Based Development is focused upon an area of 985 acres of at the heart of the city orBhubaneswar Town Centre District (BTCD) (See Figure 3). The land use plan of the Town Centre District has earmarked 31 per cent of the land for residential usage, 15 per cent for mixed-use and 12 per cent for commercial activities, to encourage round the clock activities. The central commercial street Janpath, with a right of way of 60m and 5km in length, has been re-developed, with designated pedestrian walkways, cycle tracks, automobile lanes and bus lanes. Densification of the stretch has been planned to encourage transit-oriented development. Apart from these, several other projects / programmes for social awareness, capacity building and overall urban planning & design involving holistic improvement of living conditions in the city are being taken up under area-based development.
  • Social Developmentprojects are being implemented through capability building and awareness creation modules which are contextualized to suit the local requirement of the city and its residents through Project Kusum, Project Kutumb and Project Swabhiman. Project Kusum comprises of early childhood education and digital education for children of all segments; Project Kutumb relates to development of social equity centers to cater the needs of homeless and other residents, migrants and tourists through one stop provision of food, water and shelter; Project Swabhimaan aims towards economic opportunity improvements for slum dwellers, street hawkers through micro business incubation, skill development and quality improvement programs.

Figure 3: Map showing Bhubaneswar Town Centre District Area

Source: Bhubaneswar Smart City Proposal (2015)

Seven years since its inception, projects funded under the Smart Cities Mission are in various stages of completion. In terms of overall progress in achieving project completion, Bhubaneswar is ranked among the seven best performing cities nationwide(Economic Times, 2022). Bhubaneswar’s Smart Cities proposal had a total budget of INR 4,537 cr. Out of this, INR 950 cr is Smart Cities Mission fund, INR 2563 cr was projected to be raised through Public Private Partnerships, while the balance amount was projected to be raised from various other sources, as shown in(BDA-BMC, 2015). According to data available on Smart Cities Mission dashboard, Bhubaneswar has provided fund utilization certificate for 80% of the Central Government grants (INR 392cr out of INR 490cr) and 75% of State grants (INR 295cr out of 392cr)(Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 2022).

  1. Achievements and Lessons

Bhubaneswar’s Smart City Plan demonstrates innovative approaches towards citizen engagement and social inclusion. However, they also difficulties and roadblocks in the implementation process.

The most standout feature of Bhubaneswar’s plan was extensive public consultation. It included all five steps—information, consultation, engagement, cooperation, and empowerment—and was based on the “spectrum of public participation” paradigm developed by the International Association of Public Participation (IPA2).At the outset, the city launched a three-month long ‘Citizen Connect Initiative’ to get inputs from city’s residents through discussion channels and face-to-face meetings with slum dwellers and street vendors, online polls, social media platforms, idea papers and design competitions. Stakeholder interfaces involved engagement with politicians, government officials, media, NGOs, slum dwellers, women, youth and children, senior citizens and the physically challenged.Street plays, flash mobs and informational kiosks were organised for youth engagement.Theoutreach was ableto engage with 32 per cent of the city’s population and created a ‘buzz’ about the Smart City Plan. Public personalities also actively took part in the campaign. The Smart Cities proposal were finalized based on this elaborate citizen engagement.Subsequently, after Bhubaneswar ranked first in the National Challenge Round, it generated tremendous amount of civic pride and popular support behind the plan. (BDA-BMC, 2015)

Bhubaneswar’sinnovative application of online and offline channels,demonstrate how modern communication technology can be effectively used in planning communication, and reach out to diverse sections of the society. Encouraged by the positive public response during the proposal phase of the Smart Cities project, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd has now launched a ‘My City My Pride’ (MCMP) program to empower citizens to bring about transformation, mobilize the public, and connect with the government on a regular basis. MCMP with its mobile app and website allows citizens to view the status of their complaints, learn about other issues in their locality and get attention from the authorities (BSCL 2017).

Moreover, Bhubaneswar shows a socially inclusive, people-centric approach towards development ofsmart cities.Going beyond the mandate of area-based and pan-city components suggested under the Smart Cities Mission, Bhubaneswar incorporated a specific ‘social’ component by focusing on livelihood needs of the urban poorthrough skill building programs. The city has also initiatedseveralsteps towards digital inclusivity by launching programs for digital education of children from underprivileged background.

The inclusive approach was also visible while dealing with informal sector street vendors impacted by the area-based development component of the Smart Cities Mission. Comprehensive urban renewal of the railway station area and the Janpath corridor. BMC engaged with the vendors and organized the area into vending and non-vending zones. Vendors were also provided with special uniforms. It is pertinent to note that even before the Smart Cities project was launched, Bhubaneswar was one of the very few cities in India which took proactive steps to setup vending zones in consultation with the street vendors.

Furthermore, ICOMC, the Intelligent City Operations and Management Centre, the nerve centre of the smart city Bhubaneswar has taken steps to streamline inter-agency coordination. It has set up platforms for data-sharing, transactions, and integrated Management Information Systems.These steps are likely to bring in greater operational efficiency in delivery of civic services; reduce pilferage, transmission and distribution losses, through service level benchmarking and real-time monitoring.

However, Bhubaneswar Smart City has also come under some amount of criticism. According to the Smart Cities Mission data, the area-based development component, has received about 80% of the Smart Cities Mission fund (Rs 164,204 cr) nationally, while the pan city component has received only 20% fund (Rs. 38,914 cr.) (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 2022). In Bhubaneswar, the area-based development of the town centre has it has received 90% of the smart city budget (INR 4095 cr), even though at 985 acres, it accounts for less than3% of BMC area (186 sq.km).The pan-city component has received just about 10% (INR 442 cr). It was envisaged that urban renewal of the central part of the city through high value projects like the multi-modal transit hub at the railway stationwould help the city financially. However, some of the projects having PPP arrangementsare facing delays due to contractual issues.

Secondly, some of the Smart City projects were rushed through to meet tight deadlines without adequate planning and had not delivered expected results upon implementation. One such example is Mo Cycle the app-basedbike sharing scheme, lunched by BSCL in November 2018, to reduce traffic congestion, enhance road-space efficiency, and improve air quality in the city. Dedicated cycle lanes were demarcated and cycle docking stations were developed It was designedaround bus stops and other important public spaces. However, ridership of the scheme started declined from 37,008 in December 2018 to 6216 in March 2019,asinitial enthusiasm waned(Mishra, 2021). Again, it needs to be pointed here, that Bhubaneswar is not the only city to face problems with popularizing public bike sharing scheme and similar problems were also witnessed by Mysore, Bhopal and Ahmedabad as well. A report by the GIZ (2021) had suggestedneed fordetailed planning before introduction of schemes, including: better integration between the public bike sharing scheme with other modes of transit; clearer policy objectives behind the scheme introduction; and greater attention towards operations and maintenance issues.

Way forward

Nationwide, the Smart Cities Mission had triggered a qualitative change about how Indian cities are planned, managed and governed. It has also been the catalyst behind several innovative approaches. Bhubaneswar’s Smart City plan exemplifiesa technology-enabled roadmap fora medium sized city, towards people-centric planning with a strong focus towards social sustainability. However,smart cities are not built in a day, it is a continuous process. Indeed, it is neither a single time activity, nor can have a definitive timeline. While the projects initiated under the Smart Cities Mission had acted as a lighthouse, ultimately, it would be important for the local governments to take ownership and move forward. Centrally funded programmes have specific time schedule, but the plans initiated needs to be continued.

Until now, area-based development has received maximum attention and budgetary allocation. However, in future, the focus has to shift more towards technology, as Bhubaneswar is an emerging education and business services hub with a large youth population. However, the city is facing several environmental challenges like rising air pollution and road congestions which could be directly attributed to the changing economic orientation of the city. Under the circumstances, Smart City plans should not be treated in isolation, but instead integrated with the city’s overall planning framework, and it should be linked to achieving specific developmental objectives in a measurable way, to optimize resource utilization.

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