Urban Design

Model Colony- A smart neighbourhood

1764 I SHRUTKIRTI SUPEKAR I FIFTH YR. B.ARCH I SIR J J COA

CONTENT

1. Smart City Definition ...1

2. Smart City Principles
2.1. Pillars of Smart City ...2
2.2 Core Guiding Principles ...3
2.3 Goal & Objectives Of A Smart City ...3
3. Streets
3.1. Street Design Elements ...4
3.2. Bus Stops ...8
3.3. Interim Design Strategies ...9
4. Neighbourhood
4.1. Dynamics of a Smart Neighbourhood ...11
4.2. Strategies for Smart Neighbourhood ...11
4.3. Applications of Smart Neighbourhood ...11
4.4. The Indian Context ...12
5. The Virtual City Phenomenon
5.1. Problems & Misunderstanding ...13
5.2. Defining the ‘immaterial’ city ...13
5.3. Defining the ‘material’ city ...14
5.4. Internet of Things (IoT) ...15
5.5 A typology for the Virtual City ...15
6. Bibliography ...17
Smart City Definition

Cities are a confluence of people; places where people live, meet, exchange ideas, earn livelihoods, access
education, health and other services and enjoy a life of good quality. People are at the core of the city.
Therefore, cities should work for their people. Cities that work for their people will continuously become
better versions of themselves with each passing day.

● There is no universally accepted definition of a smart city. To understand what a smart city is, it’s
important to know that “smart” in this context doesn’t refer to a characteristic that defines the
city, but rather a tool. “Smart” describes the city’s ability to create well-being for its citizens.

● A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational
efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service
and citizen welfare.

● In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core
infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment
and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.

Livability
A city that enables citizens to live a decent life ranging from access to basic services, safe streets and
public spaces, public transport, facilities for health and education, places for recreation and fun and places
of historical and cultural significance.

Sustainability
Maintaining the balance between natural and built ecosystems in a city to address and prevent issues like
rising temperatures, deteriorating air quality, more frequent floods and droughts, and declining urban
biodiversity.

Economic-ability
Ensuring that the city is a good place to do business and provide access to a diversity of jobs, has
sustained economic activities and investments, taking into account local resources and skills, while
catering to demand.

“Cities are a junction of people; places where people live, meet, exchange ideas, earn livelihoods, access
education, health and other services and enjoy a life of good quality.” (Smart Cities Mission, 2021)

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Smart City Principles

2.1 Pillars of Smart City

Smart city is envisaged to have four pillars, its Social Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Institutional
Infrastructure (including Governance) and Economic Infrastructure. The centre of attention for each of
these pillars is the citizen. In other words a Smart City works towards ensuring the best for its entire
people, regardless of social status, age, income levels, gender, etc

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2.2 Core Guiding Principles

1. Citizens at the core: Citizens are involved in every stage of Smart City development.

2. More from less: Smart Cities strive to generate more impact and outcomes from use of less resources-
energy, finance and others.

3. Cooperative and competitive federalism: cooperative collaboration and healthy competition between
States and cities.

4. Convergence: Smart Cities are focused on creation of integrated infrastructure and services, promotion
of circular economy and sustainable habitats through convergence of financial resources and programs.

5. Technology as a means, and not the goal: Technology enables and provides speed and scale but is not
the end result of smart city development.

6. Inclusiveness: Cities are for all people irrespective of age, gender, background and ability and hence
they have to be inclusive to be smart.

2.3 Goal & Objectives Of A Smart City

A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational efficiency,
share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare.

The main goal of a smart city is to optimise city functions and promote economic growth while also
improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis. The value lies in
how this technology is used rather than simply how much technology is available.

The main objectives of a smart city are to improve policy efficiency, reduce waste and inconvenience,
improve social and economic quality, and maximize social inclusion.

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Streets

Streets are the lifeblood of our communities and the foundation of our urban economies. They make up
more than 80 percent of all public space in cities and have the potential to foster business activity, serve as
a front yard for residents, and provide a safe place for people to get around, whether on foot, by bicycle,
car, or transit. The vitality of urban life demands a design approach sensitive to the multifaceted role
streets play in our cities. (National Association of City Transportation Officials, 2013)

In an urban context, street design must meet the needs of people walking, driving, cycling, and taking
transit, all in a constrained space. The best street design also adds to the value of businesses, offices, and
schools located along the roadway.

3.1 Street Design Elements

The elements that make up city streets, from sidewalks to travel lanes to transit stops, all vie for space
within a limited right-of-way. Transportation planners and engineers can use this toolbox to optimize the
benefits the community receives from its streets.

Lane Width: The width allocated to lanes for motorists, buses, trucks, bikes, and parked cars is a
sensitive and crucial aspect of street design. Lane widths should be considered within the assemblage of a
given street delineating space to serve all needs, including travel lanes, safety islands, bike lanes, and
sidewalks. Each lane width discussion should be informed by an understanding of the goals for traffic
calming as well as making adequate space for larger vehicles, such as trucks and buses.

Sidewalks: Sidewalks play a vital role in city life. As conduits for pedestrian movement and access, they
enhance connectivity and promote walking. As public spaces, sidewalks serve as the front steps to the
city, activating streets socially and economically. Safe, accessible, and well-maintained sidewalks are a
fundamental and necessary investment for cities, and have been found to enhance general public health
and maximize social capital. Just as roadway expansions and improvements have historically enhanced
travel for motorists, superior sidewalk design can encourage walking by making it more attractive.

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The sidewalk is the area where people interface with one another and with businesses most directly in an
urban environment. Designs that create a high-quality experience at street level will enhance the
economic strength of commercial districts and the quality of life of neighborhoods.2

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Green Alley: The majority of residential alleys have low traffic and infrequent repaving cycles, resulting
in back roads with potholes and puddling that are uninviting or unattractive. Green alleys use sustainable
materials, previous pavements, and effective drainage to create an inviting public space for people to
walk, play, and interact.

1. Construct green alleys with low-impact pavement

materials, such as previous pavements with high
reflectivity to reduce heat island effects.
2. Alleys may be operated as pedestrian-only
environments or as shared streets. Use bollards, signs,
and design features that make clear the intended alley
users.
3. To avoid puddling, stormwater run-off should be
infiltrated in-place using permeable paving or rain
gardens at the edge of the pedestrian path.
4. To maintain a safe environ - ment, green alleys
should have adequate lighting. Pedestrian Scale light
fixtures that focus their illumination toward the ground
and minimize light pollution are recommended.
5. Green alleys often run parallel to the larger street
network, making them ideal low-speed, low-volume
links for cyclists.

Commercial Alley: Commercial alleys, though often thought of as dirty or unsafe, can be designed to
play an integral role in a downtown street network and improve the pedestrian realm in and around
commercial areas. The design of commercial alleys should strive to balance their necessary utilitarian
features with their placemaking potential.

1. Where access for vehicles is prohibited or

minimal, commercial alleys may be constructed
using low-impact pavement materials, such as
previous or modular paving.
2. Bicycle traffic may use commercial alleys.
Similar regulations to those of shared space should
apply.

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Residential Shared Street: Low-volume residential streets, especially in older cities, often have narrow
or crumbling sidewalks. Many of these streets operate as de facto shared spaces in which children play
and people walk, sharing the roadway with drivers. Depending on their volume and role in the traffic
network, these streets have the potential to be redesigned and enhanced as shared streets. Shared streets
can meet the desires of adjacent residents and function foremost as a public space for recreation,
socializing, and leisure.

1. Textured or previous pavements that are flush with the curb reinforce the pedestrian-priority nature of the street.
Special pavements, especially unit pavers, may be subject to additional maintenance costs and should be selected
based on regional climate and long-term durability.

2. Street furniture, including bollards, benches, planters, and bicycle parking, can help define a shared space, subtly
delineating the traveled way from the pedestrian only space.

3. A shared street sign should be used at the entrance to a shared street.

4. Shared streets generally permit motorists and bicyclists to operate in a 2-way fashion. Narrower shared streets
may be made 1-way for motorists, though 2-way bicycle traffic should still be permitted. Certain restrictions and
regulations may apply to vehicles on a shared street.

5. On wider shared streets, staggered blocks of landscaping, head-in parking, back-in angled parking, or
perpendicular parking can be used to create a chicane effect. In some cases, parking may be permitted directly
adjacent to properties in a residential environment. Bollards, paving materials, and street furniture help to define
parking spaces and to delineate private from public space.

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3.2 Bus Stops

Bus bulbs are curb extensions that align the bus

stop with the parking lane, allowing buses to stop
and board passengers without ever leaving the
travel lane. Bus bulbs help buses move faster and
more reliably by decreasing the amount of time
lost when merging in and out of traffic.

Bus lanes reduce delays due to traffic

congestion and help raise the visibility of the
high-quality service. Curbside and offset bus
lanes are subject to encroachment due to
double-parking, deliveries, or taxicabs. Strict
enforcement is necessary to maintain their use
and integrity.

1. BUS-ONLY pavement markings should be

applied to emphasize the lane and to deter
drivers from using it.
2. Dedicated lanes should be separated from
other traffic using solid single or double white
stripes.
3. Bus bulbs should be installed if lanes are
offset. Bus lanes may have complementary
effects with other bus rapid transit elements,
such as off-board fare payment and transit
signal priority.

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 1. Bus stops must have safe access via sidewalks and appropriate street crossing locations. Where
possible, pedestrian crossings should be accommodated behind the departing transit vehicle.
2. Bus shelters should be provided for stops on routes with high boarding numbers.
3. Bus bulbs should be applied where offset bus lanes are provided, where merging into traffic is
difficult, or where passengers need a dedicated waiting area. Where applied, bus bulbs should be
40 feet long and at least 6-feet wide with no step to the sidewalk (based on a 40-foot bus). If there
is a step to the sidewalk, the bus bulb should be at least 10 feet in width or be designed to
accommodate the length of the wheelchair ramp used on most standard 40-foot buses.
4. Information provided to riders at a bus or transit stop should include an agency logo or visual
marker, station name, route map, and schedule. Bus stops should include a system and/ or route
map and schedule on the bus shelter or other street furniture.

3.3 Interim Design Strategies

Whether setting a parklet along a curb, pedestrianizing a narrow corridor, or redesigning a complex
intersection, cities have the opportunity and the responsibility to make the most efficient use of valuable
street space. An interim design can serve as a bridge to the community, helping to build support for a
project and test its functionality before going into construction.

Traffic Calming
Temporary traffic calming devices may be
installed using a narrow drainage channel.
These offset islands help slow speeds in
advance of a full reconstruction.

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Bike Corral
Bike corrals typically replace one
parking space at the request of a
local business or property owner and
accommodate 12–24 bikes. Corrals
can be installed at corners to daylight
an intersection since bicycle parking
has no effect on the visibility of
pedestrians to moving vehicle traffic.
Bike corrals have been shown to
have a positive impact on business.

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Neighbourhood

4.1. Dynamics of a Smart Neighbourhood

The smart neighborhood concept starts with organizing of an efficient neighborhood

as a basic unit of built environment. To realize smart city or smart village, we have to create the
facilities at neighborhood level first. Smart neighborhood concept is a method of organizing
the people who need the help and who can provide the help. Various tangible issues like maintenance of
neighborhood parks , physical infrastructure like Sanitation and water shortage, Finance
mobilization by contribution or philanthropic or investment angels or identifying problems
and other intangible issues like community festivals can not only solve issues in but also
bring economic and social sustainability. It is people who live in the area, they understand the
area much better off than the authorities .If the communities do not take the initiatives to come
forefront, it is not possible to execute the various government schemes gainfully despite
public spending of funds.

4.2 Strategies for Smart Neighbourhood

Technological tools such as web based platforms, blog posts, Social media Apps and e
services, gamification, digital workshops, ecotourism, exhibitions, Community planning
forums, e mapping play a vital role in developing a Smart Neighbourhood.

4.3 Applications of Smart Neighbourhood

● Neighborhood planning
● Environmental management
● Improved services Sanitation or infrastructure or parking
● Community led programs or festivals to conserve intangible heritage
● Employment opportunities, Product innovations, Advertising
● Finance Mobilisation or Micro Financing
● Community facilities such as town parks, library, club, playground, cultural centre
● Urban aesthetics and Streetscaping
● Urban conservation and cultural identity
● Facility management of parks, library or day care centre
● Energy efficiency and Carbon mapping
● Environmental management for Air quality, Natural resources, green cover
● Community sensitization and awareness programs
● Inclusive planning for specially abled or chronic ill people
● Social rehabilitation
● Slum rehabilitation and upgradation programs

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 ● Public Policies for Literacy , Community Health care, Employment
● Security and Crime prevention
● Self reliant rural communities
● Agricultural practices or income generation

It is through Smart Neighborhood concept only by which we can bring transformation in reality in
India to realize dreams of Smart cities or Swachh Bharat Schemes or other govt. initiatives and can tread
on the path of development in a real sense.

4.4 The Indian Context

● India’s urbanization is a paradox of sorts.

● The country’s urban population is undoubtedly vast at 377 million.
● India needs to start thinking more proactively on sustainable solutions to its cities’ problems.
● To some e)tent, neighbourhood unit concept was a better t in India because of its inherent
neighbourhood tendencies.
● Neighbourhood planning in Indian context can be measured in few terms-
(i) Density
(ii) Land use
(iii) Access & Transportation
(iv) Layout of Spatial arrangement
(v) Safety and Security

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The Virtual City Phenomenon

The growing phenomenon of virtual or digital cities, now very popular within the discourses of urban
commentators, planners and policy-makers is yet underdeveloped, demanding a more precise definition.

A new and comprehensive typology that considers economic, political, social, cultural, spatial, along with
physical and virtual aspects of contemporary society is the best way to overcome the simplistic idea of
limiting virtual cities only to technical representations in cyberspace (websites and Intranets).

The potential of this entire parallel city as an extension for participation and communication has been
neglected by city-makers in general. Due to a general lack of awareness and simultaneous confusion with
the flood of different academic terms, cities and urban researchers are missing the opportunity to
understand and use the potential of virtual cities as a powerful planning tool to boost information and
service delivery and communication between citizens and city-makers.

5.1 Problems & Misunderstanding

It is becoming commonplace for communities, cities and regions to create their own counterpart in the
virtual world. Most of these initiatives have been called ‘virtual’ or ‘digital’ cities due to the fact that they
are, in some aspects, virtual representations of real physical communities, cities or regions via the use of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The concept of the virtual city is not clear yet. Most of the attempts to describe this phenomenon are: ·

- Speculative with low or no empirical basis, making a common understanding far more difficult;

- Overusing metaphors to define concepts, which need more scientific explanations and precise
interpretations;

- Only partially dealing with the complexity of ICT impacts, ignoring important aspects. For
instance, the overwhelming majority of works on virtual cities is approaching this phenomenon
exclusively from the web design point of view;

- Overstating the importance of virtual cities as economic boosters, disregarding cultural and social
effects.

5.2 Defining the ‘immaterial’ city

Another important aspect to consider about the typology for virtual cities, which is far more studied than
any other aspect, is the design or the structure for the city in cyberspace. In general this is restricted to

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types of websites on the Internet and the sort of data and tools that can be accessed online. The virtual
manifestations can emerge under two basic forms: they can be either a website on the Internet or an
internal network within a public administration, an Intranet. The cases on the Internet are far more
common as virtual representations for the parallel city.

5.3 Defining the ‘material’ city

Physical spaces are very often ignored within the commentaries of the virtual cities phenomenon. There is
a general preconception that virtual is something completely opposite to physical. Indeed, physical spaces
and places are a very relevant part of the virtual city. Beforehand, any digital-based initiative relies
dramatically on physicality, simply because there is no telematics without all the invisible infrastructure
of cables and satellites.

Thus, as part of the whole virtual city, physical spaces have been interplaying with virtual spaces in very
specific ways. In other words, the phenomenon of virtual cities has been promoting deep changes in the
urban physical space. Some changes are related to the creation of ‘access points’ to the virtual city, which
are often assumed to be the most powerful solution for public access to ICT.

Traditional public spaces and/or public buildings (e.g. libraries) are being rethought and re-designed (or in
some cases, completely new spaces are emerging) to provide public access and to serve as a gateway to
the virtual city in cyberspace. This reformulation requires physical, organisational and behavioural
changes of the space and its use.

In Digital Places: Building our City of Bits, Horan (2000)classify the physical space as:

Unplugged - those places that are totally apart from the digital revolution. It is related to spaces deficient
in telematics deployment. Perhaps a more suitable name would be unplugged spaces as most of these
places are excluded even from the basic telematics infrastructure.

Adaptive - traditional existent spaces refurbished and adapted to shelter and use new telematics
technologies such as libraries, schools, city halls, etc. Libraries are a strong example of recombinant
adaptive design to reach a community profile in the digital age. Many libraries around the world have
become a place that makes coexisting communities of places and communities of interests by linking
physical and electronic spaces or, more specifically, physical and virtual cities.

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5.4 Internet of Things (IoT)

- According to the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the term Internet of Things is a
broad term that can be used to describe any object connected to the internet. IoT is “a set of
technologies for accessing the data collected by various devices through wireless and wired
Internet networks.”
- It references the vast network of digital devices that communicate and interact with each other,
and affect our daily lives. These devices include smart sensors, monitoring devices, AI programs,
and actuators that can evaluate, monitor, and control certain aspects of city life.
- The relationship between IoT and smart cities stems from the notion that city infrastructures, such
as street lights and transportation systems, can be filled with sensors so they can be better
controlled to fulfill human desires.

According to IoT Analytics, smart cities are prioritizing IoT technology in a number of interesting ways –

● Connected public transport

● Traffic monitoring and management

● Water level / Flood monitoring

● Video surveillance and analytics

● Connected streetlights

● Weather monitoring

● Air quality / Pollution monitoring

● Smart metering – water

● Fire / Smoke detection

● Water quality monitoring

5.5 A typology for the Virtual City

- First, and perhaps the most important from the theoretical point of view, the concept of virtual
cities has to overcome the incomplete and simplistic notion of websites on the Internet. Cities on
the Internet are no more than a fundamental part of the broader phenomenon of virtual cities,
which includes other economic, political, cultural and social aspects of contemporary urban life.
In this sense, a virtual city is a real parallel city that moves together with the physical city and
presents the same sort of problems and spatial, cultural and social complexities.

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- Towards this more comprehensive understanding about the phenomenon of virtual cities, the
second point to be highlighted is a typology for the elements of a virtual city, in accordance with
the concept of recombinant architecture/design/planning. This typology considers the three
strands discussed before: ‘users’, ‘virtual representations’, and the ‘physical dimension’. Without
all these aspects together, any attempt to analyse the virtual city may fail for not taking its
complexity into account.

- Finally, the third remark lies on the fact that only a few cities have been proactively addressing
the virtual city potential as a planning tool. However, at the same time, although civic-based
virtual cities have predominantly been developed without deep references to the ‘real’ physical
city, some new ideas are starting to change this situation as recombinant concepts start to break
down paradigm barriers between the world of traditional urban planning and the world of ICT
policies.

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Bibliography

Firmino, R. J. (2003). Defining and Understanding the Virtual Cities Phenomenon. The University of
Salford.

Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. (2015). Smart Cities: Mission Statement and
Guidelines. Smart City.

National Association of City Transportation Officials. (2013). Urban Street Design Guide. Island Press.

Omer, I., & Goldblatt, R. (2005). Virtual City Design Based on Urban Image Theory. The Cartographic
Journal , Vol. 42 No. 1, 1-12.

Pune Municipal Corporation. (2016). Urban Street Design Guidelines. Pune.

Smart Cities Mission. (2021). Making a City Smart: Learnings from the Smart Cities Mission. New Delhi
: Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.

Whyte, W. H. (2001). The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. New York: Project for Public Spaces.

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