Smart cities - spatial planning and disaster risk reduction of Pune city, India

Abstract

Cities are becoming the preferred choice of populations to reside in due to the opportunities they offer. While the concentration of populations is increasing in the cities, there is an immediate need to equip the cities for efficient functioning and providing safety and security. The unplanned urbanization of cities is adding vulnerability, especially to the spatially relevant hazards such as earthquakes and floods. Initiatives such as the Smart City Mission support cities with investments to improve the quality of life for people and enhance the efficiency of the civic systems by integrating infrastructure and technology. However, the top down approach to decision making, especially in spatial planning, leaves out the perspective of citizens. This study, hence, attempts to gather the perception of citizens on smart city initiatives and disaster risk reduction (DRR) through a questionnaire survey in the smart city of Pune, India. The objective of this study is to understand how smart city initiatives influence the key spatial planning components for DRR. The study reveals smart city initiatives proposed for the city impacts each spatial planning component. Smart city initiatives may further stress these components, increasing the exposure to disaster risks. Therefore, there is a need for holistic integration in spatial planning for DRR. This study can help in modulating the smart city initiatives for enhancing the safety of the citizens.