This story: a dream, a reality, a future?
What could be the story of an Aatmanirbhar city?
Once upon a time there was a city called Adumaba, whose local government was known as Aadumaba Municipal Corporation. The AMC leaders had carried out an economic development feasibility study for their community. They hoped it would show the opportunities in the city for economic development, employment and population growth, and that this information would help build a strategic business plan for the city.
The leaders had already integrated and implemented a plan for the local streets, and the Corporation was working with them on upgrades for the main streets. As the narrator, it is evident to me that the city had great leadership and was extremely well organized. They wanted to change the momentum of growth and were prepared to launch initiatives to do it.
To enable this journey, a task force was created to map out the path of development.
The question for the task force was: “If economic growth is the goal, where does this growth stem from, and how will the citizens become beneficiaries of it?” The answer came from geospatial databases and big data, which made the underlying facts easier to understand and revealed the state of small pockets of the city.
The task force consulted a panel of representatives from the major stakeholder groups in the city. What united the panel was a determination to achieve Green and Blue infrastructure development in Adumaba.
The task force's focus was to translate findings from complex data structures into simple, understandable facts, to maximize community participation through the stakeholder representatives. The city formulated a strategy to reflect the economic, social and environmental impact of the development it envisioned, so that it would raise the liveability of individual citizens' lives.
The agenda was clear, and with utility infrastructure in place the city was confident of laying the foundations of a symbol of faith among its people. It formulated goal-based activities through five steps of building a strong city branding strategy:
- City audit to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the city
- Construction of identity through discussions
- Understanding competition and finding a position
- Creation of a vision for the city and a list of objectives
- Developing a strategy to promote the city, or the process of “branding”
With these steps, and by using technological solutions, the task force achieved a kick-off restructure of the city's public appearance and perception. They called it Adumaba 1.0, under which they set up a systematic business process re-engineering backed by better visualizations so that stakeholders could make informed decisions about development.
The task force defined the boundaries of Green and Blue infrastructure development by cataloging categorical data sets in the geospatial database. Those catalogs unlocked the potential of big data by integrating key decision-making to achieve these goals:
- Quantified milestones in measurable parameters of air quality over a geospatial baseline
- A financially sustainable model with a predetermined tenure to achieve return on investment
- Livelihood opportunities for 3 million individuals
Together these goals were a mission for the city: to reduce by 25% the current emissions from conventional diesel vehicles. This ambitious mission was expected to raise the city's liveability index score, as the city would attract investment by becoming a national hub of corporate headquarters for the electric vehicle industry.
The integrated branding and awareness plan was carefully engineered to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders, who together agreed to work towards the goals.
The key strategy behind the city's momentum was a multi-year brand-building commitment. This approach of initiating, creating and implementing a place brand proposition that diverse stakeholders and the wider community embrace is often called “city branding”.
Clearly the city had a lot going for it. Global businesses, regional start-ups and residents from around the country and the world were drawn to its high quality of life, excellent programs and services, and welcoming atmosphere. It was very different from when the committee first decided to take up the initiative.
In 2011 residents numbered fewer than 7 million. Today the population is expected to triple by 2030, which would make it one of the biggest metropolises in the country and one of the most culturally diverse. The city focused on creating homes for businesses and institutions with top-notch community health facilities. It has won many citations for future-friendly attributes, including Clean and Green City titles and Top City in the Liveability Index.
Adumaba continues to grow and transform itself in exciting ways, with an ambitious vision for the future. But outdated perceptions often lag behind reality and can be difficult to change. Beyond its borders many people still see Adumaba as a suburban bedroom community. City leaders continue to identify the root demands as the city grows and to tackle the challenges head on.
In this context urban planning and management has to step up. Of what help can digital technology be? Can smart cities technology, the transition from analog to digital, bring a more holistic, system-based and scientific approach to city planning? Given the lopsided wealth patterns of top cities in the West, can a more scientific, data-based approach to equity be created?
The discussion on these questions is endless. The practical point is which cities have taken such steps, and what it would take to build such a success story for the future.
Have you heard of cities doing something similar? I will be happy to hear about it at vadaneremanish@gmail.com.