Bloomberg team, UD Min officials discuss smart city scheme

Senior Urban Development Ministry officials and a Bloomberg Philanthropies delegation today held discussions for over five hours to advance the government's ambitious smart cities initiative, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a partnership with the foundation.
The discussions focused on the criteria for selection of cities to be developed under the scheme, its components, essential reforms required to be implemented, capacity building of urban local bodies and the road map with emphasis on citizen participation in development of smart cities.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies, led by former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, was informed of the implementation of urban development schemes so far in the country including JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission), experiences there of, intended outcomes of the smart cities and other new urban development initiatives.

Modi and Bloomberg had yesterday announced a partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Urban Development Ministry to advance the government's ambitious smart cities initiative, under which the foundation will assist in selection of cities, focusing on people's involvement both in design and execution of city development plans.