In news : Recently, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry announced that the names of the 25 cities selected for the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge under the Smart Cities Mission
A brief note on the contest
- It is a 3-year initiative hosted by the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and WRI India.
- The Challenge enables Indian cities to adopt an early childhood lens in designing neighbourhood-level improvements that promote the health and well-being of young children and their caregivers.
- The Challenge aims to propagate an early childhood centric approach among Indian cities, helping urban planners, architects, engineers, and city managers to implement pilots and scale up solutions using the Infant, Toddler, Caregiver-Friendly Neighborhood (ITCN) Framework.
Who can apply for this challenge?
- It is an open call to all Indian city agencies/city municipalities committed to helping young children, and their caregivers, feel safe to explore, play, and engage with their natural and built environment.
- Open to all Indian cities with population above 5 lakhs, Smart Cities, and capitals of States/Union Territories.
- Agencies such as Development Authorities, Smart City SPVs, Metro Rail agencies, etc., that have substantial areas under their jurisdiction, can also apply.
- The shortlisted cities would carry out projects for making early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods
What are the types of projects that can be proposed under the Challenge?
Most projects will fall under the broad categories of public space, mobility, access to services, and neighbourhood planning via data-driven decision making related to young children and their families.
| World Resources Institute(WRI) India ● WRI India is a research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. ● WRI India—established in 2011—works with local and national governments, businesses, and civil society to address India’s development challenges. ● WRI India’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Smart Cities Mission ● It is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable. ● The purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes. |
