Smart CitySmart cities and Urban PoorUrban poor: Can They Coexist?

The Smart City as a concept is a new government initiative in India since last 5 years. The way the initiatives are going around in identified cities of India are widely seen as localities that actively embrace new technologies to achieve desired outcome. However, the way the concept of smart cities being implemented in India has three dimensions: the heavy techno centricity, highly complex and interconnectedness along with the ad hoc conceptualization of projects. The “Urban Poor” issues are being closely discussed as we are heading towards the implementation of “Smart City” projects in the most part of India. In the process of implementation, the Urban Poor settlements are constantly relocated to the city fringes. There are cases when the relocation is voluntary, but most of the cases involve forceful evacuation to cleanse an area in the garb of development of city infrastructure. Are these newly developed localities, do help the Urban Poor in meeting their basic needs? In a planned (so-called) localities on the city fringes, are these people not segregated to a world thrust upon them? What are the support systems provided to continue with the same lifestyle enjoyed by them earlier? In respect of people forcefully uprooted, is there life for rebuilding? These are the few questions which were the subject matter of a survey in the city of Bhubaneswar. The data revealed spectacular findings in respect of Urban Poor which stands contrary to the general belief.