Review of Smart City

AGRA

SUBMITTED BY-
SHAAZ BAZMI
M. Arch (1st Year)
Urban Regeneration
 SMART CITY AGRA

 Smart City proposal of Agra aims retrofitting of 2250 acres of selected local
area-Taj Mahal and area comprising Tajganj, Agra Fort, Jama Masjid and
Fatehabad road till inner Ring Road.

Image 1 Development profile of Agra Smart City (Source- Agra Smart City)
PROPOSAL-
 The proposal revolves around mainly street improvement, beautification,
decorative flyovers, murals and some facade improvements in the old city.
 Construction of various infrastructures like Mughal Museum, Skill development
center, literary center etc.
 PAN city initiative include garbage collection and solid waste management
system, redesigning of 28 major road junctions, installing demand responsive
traffic signals etc.
(Area Based Development plan to rejuvenate an existing location through retrofitting or redevelopment.
The Pan-city plan would provide smart solutions for city wide infrastructure to improve the infrastructure and
services available to all citizens.)

AREA BASED DEVELOPMENT PLAN-

Image 2 SOURCE- Agra Smart City Ltd.

DEVELOPMENT OF TAJ GANJ & RAWAT PARA AREA-

 Facade Improvement of Traditional Houses-

- Replacement of cracked stone brackets and chajja
- Removal of cement plaster and re-plastering with lime
- Traditional workmanship and material adopted.

Image 3 Facade improvement of traditional Houses

 Upgradation and Streetscaping of Fatehabad Road-

- To provide improved access to vehicles and Pedestrian
- To relieve congestion and beautify the area
- To connect the new urban nodes and tourist sports outside /nearby.

Image 4 Fatehabad Road Map (Source- Agra Smart City Ltd.)

 Development of Heritage Walk

Image 5 Proposed Heritage Walk

- To preserve urban morphology, a 3-km heritage walk will be conducted around the
old market area, which showcases marble inlay and zardozi work, and the flower
market.
 Figure 1 Wall painting to beautify Heritage walk

 Road Junction Improvement with Roundabouts and Traffic Lights

Figure 2 Conceptual Sketch of Junction Improvement

Observations-
The economy of Agra depends on the tourism sector, hence the smart city missions
are mainly focused on the improvement of tourism related zones.
The total area of Agra city is 29,900 Acres; while the area choosen for smart city
development is 2,250 Acres (Only 7.5%, which caters just 9% city population).
More concern is given on beautification of the city.

What is Ignored?
 The major portion of the city is neglected, like the high dense area of Nai ki Mandi,
Hing ki Mandi, Khatik Para etc.
 No plan is formulated for the upgradation of residential areas in the city.
 Agra has a major problem of sewage and parking, which is neglected or ignored
in Agra Smart City Mission. (Proposals are given for only Smart City Area
development region)
 Safety, Security and Comfortability of Residents of Agra is given second priority.
(the first priority is given to the tourists)
 Lacks High security concerns as Taj Mahal is an international destination.
 There’s a need to change dependency of Agra economy on tourism alone as in
case of a global shutdown, like in pandemic, it affects the people of Agra who
are directly or indirectly depend on tourism sector.
 Planning for the revival of river Yamuna as the river is highly polluted, and all the
major monuments of the city are located within the bank of river Yamuna.