Great news: Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, has won the ‘Smart City Challenge’, topping the list of 20 smart cities. This means that the aspirations the city had to become India’s first smart and child friendly city will actually become a reality. Being selected the smartest city the Indian government made a commitment to invest money towards reaching this goal. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Krishan Kumar said that there are two major components of the Smart City move, being: the Bhubaneswar Town Centre District will be developed as a model urban area to be replicated and there will be pan-city solutions like better urban mobility and waste management systems.
Thanks to the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the child-friendly aspect has become an important part of the Smart City plan. Bhubaneswar is working towards becoming a child-friendly city providing accessible, safe, inclusive and vibrant public places.