Fwd: FW: smart city definition and others
tanuj biyani
From: Ranjana Mital <ranjan...@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 9:24 PM
Subject: FW: smart city definition and others
To: spay...@googlegroups.com, 'pratik_...@rediffmail.com', 'shub...@yahoo.co.in', mahboubeh touri <mahboub...@gmail.com>, Malvika Mehta <malvika...@gmail.com>, Nikita Verma <nikita...@gmail.com>, Antara Tandon <antara...@gmail.com>, 'shruti....@gmail.com', tanuj biyani <tanuj.b...@gmail.com>, 'surbhik...@gmail.com', 'venugo...@gmail.com', Anushri Kumar <kumar_...@yahoo.co.in>, akanksha singh <singhaka...@gmail.com>, 'priyanka...@gmail.com', 'andapal...@gmail.com', Mebanshanbor Marbaniang <meban...@gmail.com>, Shivali Gupta <g.shi...@gmail.com>, Anam Khan <anamkh...@gmail.com>, Vishal Jayan <vishalfoo...@gmail.com>
A dialogue Prof Mahavir from the Dept of Environmental Planning has shared with us
Scroll down
From: Mahavir [mailto:maha...@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 9:59 PM
To: moulsh...@gmail.com; ranjan...@hotmail.com
Subject: Fw: smart city definition and others
Dr. Mahavir
Professor of Planning
Head, Department of Environmental Planning
Head, Department of Regional Planning
School of Planning and Architecture (Deemed to be University)
4-B, I. P. Estate, New Delhi 110002 INDIA
Phone + 91 11 23702388
+ 91 11 23702375-80 Extn. 211/ 257
FAX + 91 11 23702383
Phone + 91 11 27352463 (Res)
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Mahavir <maha...@yahoo.com>
To: T M Vinodkumar <tmv...@gmail.com>
Cc: Prabh Bedi <pra...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2012 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: smart city definition and others
Sir,
I am not able to participate in the discussion on the `Smart City' definition, mainly because am travelling (Udupi). However, with the discussion that is on, I still miss a context to Smart Urbanization (at a regional/ national scale). As I wrote earlier, I do not perceive a Smart City, in the absence of that. That will also be major focus of my Chapter.
Regards,
Dr. Mahavir
Professor of Planning
and Head, Department of Environmental Planning
School of Planning and Architecture (Deemed to be University)
4-B, I. P. Estate, New Delhi 110002 INDIA
Phone + 91 11 23702388
+ 91 11 23702375-80 Extn. 211/ 257
FAX + 91 11 23702383
Phone + 91 11 27352463 (Res)
From: Bernd Gundermann <Bernd.Gu...@stephensonturner.com>
To: walter....@gmail.com; T M Vinod Kumar <tmv...@gmail.com>
Cc: Alexandru F. Ghita <alecsand...@gmail.com>; Mukund Rao <mukund...@gmail.com>; Mahavir <maha...@yahoo.com>; Robert A Garcia <robt.a...@gmail.com>; Richard Sliuzas <sli...@itc.nl>; Priya M. <priya.me...@gmail.com>; N.Vijay <neekhr...@yahoo.com>; Ashmita Karmakar <ashmita....@gmail.com>; Bimal P <bim...@nitc.ac.in>; gar...@us.es; giov...@gmail.com; Naseer M.A. <nas...@nitc.ac.in>; ANIL KUMAR <ani...@yahoo.com>; Rishi Seth <ris...@copalpublishing.com>; SJN ...... <naik.s...@gmail.com>; M.Ramachandran <mramac...@hotmail.com>; V.Suresh <vsur...@gmail.com>; Stefano Serafini <stefanon...@gmail.com>; Migual A Calerao <miguel...@planem.es>; Adriana Vega <am...@cornell.edu>; Antonio Caperna <antonio...@yahoo.it>; Prabh Bedi <pra...@gmail.com>; Shirish Gedam <shi...@csre.iitb.ac.in>; Ravikumar K.V.R.K. <kvrk...@gmail.com>; Kjell Erik Bugge <k.e....@saxion.nl>; Samia Henni <samia...@gmail.com>; Giulio Lascialfari <giulio.la...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2012 5:01 AM
Subject: RE: smart city definition and others
I’m surprised to find in this discussion such openness to aspects of planning that go far beyond the usual paradigm, and I appreciate it.
I agree that, after a century aiming for global standards and achieving global sameness, it is accepted that (urban) culture needs to be recognised as local phenomenon. Looking for instance at the current financial problems of the European Union I see the financial side only as the surface. Underneath this struggle unravels the difference between north-, east-, and Mediterranean European culture, which roots much deeper than the spreadsheets of the politicians. Those differences are reflected in the urban culture as well, a public space in Oslo will be perceived, used and planned differently as a Spanish one. The coast of Holland is similar to the one of Kolkata but the responses are totally different; and this is not due to funding but because of cultural differences in decision making patterns. The map of urban landscapes is as differentiated as the cuisines, beliefs and ethic values of the various societies. So to me we ought to look for both common values of our globalised age as much as local distinctions that might be immeasurable with classic scientific means.
Yes, advanced science has departed from materialist perceptions since Max Planck defined the quantum but mainstream science, which is still prevailing, sticks to it, because it leads to so seemingly clear deterministic solutions, which does in reverse help funding research programs. Thus mainstream old school science is a self-perpetuating system within many universities and governments. One task to establish a new paradigm in science will be to break this closed system of mediocrity and change science into something open and curious again. The world of subatomic particles demonstrates that the linkage between physics and metaphysics is more intricate that thought. Implementing metaphysical aspects into the realm of serious study will lead to more useful results that can cope with the emerging dimensions of problems mankind has to solve.
In terms of urban development enabling communication is key. I think that planning will move towards a mentoring role. Given the sheer dimension of yet unresolved urban problems
· Billions of people living in coastal areas will be endangered by sea-level rise due to climate change later this century.
· Every third urban inhabitant lives in a slum already and the growth rate increases steadily.
These two aspects alone make it obvious to me that the classic top-down approach of urban planning won’t work. I assume that the efforts of planning will be reduced to guidance of lay-citizens to make up their own urban environment and – by this – make the cities more spontaneous (slum-like) and the slums better served (city-like). Vinod, your approach with teaching non-planners is leading to this, I assume.
The smartness will be to use communication with urban participants; to mentor and manage bottom-up urban developments in order to maintain minimum standards and to drive the activities of the many environmentally attentively. Cutting-edge technology will assist achieving this. However, all quantifiable mapping and modelling needs to be filtered by unquantifiable ethical values in order to serve the people instead of imposing on them. The difference between knowledge and wisdom will comprise the new quality we will achieve by applying new thinking beyond the current limiting paradigm. New technology will assist but not drive this. I totally agree with Walter.
I think a smart city will exist in its environment like a biological entity that consists of as many “cells” as there will be inhabitants.
Kind Regards,
Bernd &n bsp;
Bernd Gundermann Principal
S&T
This email is subject to our email policy: http://stephensonturner.com/emailpolicy-1.0
From: walter....@gmail.com [mailto:walter....@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, 2 September 2012 11:06 p.m.
To: Bernd Gundermann; T M Vinod Kumar
Cc: Alexandru F. Ghita; Mukund Rao; Mahavir; Robert A Garcia; Richard Sliuzas; Priya M.; N.Vijay; Ashmita Karmakar; Bimal P; gar...@us.es; giov...@gmail.com; Naseer M.A.; ANIL KUMAR; Rishi Seth; SJN ......; M.Ramachandran; V.Suresh; Stefano Serafini; Migual A Calerao; Adriana Vega; Antonio Caperna; Prabh Bedi; Shirish Gedam; Ravikumar K.V.R.K.; Kjell Erik Bugge; Samia Henni; Giulio Lascialfari
Subject: smart city definition and others
Dear Bern, Vinod
dear all,
First of all I would like to say that discussing about the smart city concept is necessary and I find this particular one very interesting and exciting. On my opinion, is extremely difficult to define universally any kind of city, any kind of human settlement, just because each city has its own and unique nature, form, rules and mainly a community with values, beliefs, feeling and social behaviours.
If we do not strongly assume that cities are the mirror of the community (society) living in it, we risk to lack vital component on our analysis. Another important assumption is that we are living a period of transition, where all principles and values of the society are in crisis, where the Science is on threshold of an epochal revolution. Today, more than ever before, science is having a holistic looking at human being, even though we still do not manage all its complexity. Subatomic physics and its developments are another extremely important shift in science and society way of looking every day’s reality. Moreover, the achievements in the field of cognitive science provides us vast tools possibilities of observing, analysing, assessing and knowing people, places, individual and collective dynamic, choices, etc.
Another key change we are achieving in this transition period is the importance of perception of the real world. We, as society are widely assuming that importance of the perception and beliefs. Perception is changing the way we look at physical world and beliefs are changing the way we spirituality live.
About the dark side of the technology I would like to say that we cannot avoid it, we have to deal with the negative aspects of any improvement in our lives. Considering that many of today’s technological improvement come from the military research, including GIS and Internet, the dark side of technology resides at its very beginning. The more powerful and potentially and beneficial the technology the more potentially dangerous it is. The dark side of the uses of technology is related to the social awareness and ethics.
Another important aspect in defining the smart city is the role we give to planners or decision makers and to the planning as discipline. Many definitions of smart city reveal a strong decisionist position, where planners (and planning) undertake an overestimated role. This overestimated role is in contrast with the notion of openness and horizontal collaboration, many time misjudged the importance of local community opinion and possibility of active participation.
To finish, on my opinion, Technology is a mean rather than an end, as well as the role of planners has to be limited to address the urban change embedded in that particular urban context and not to presume as holders of the truth (the truth as how the city should be).
best regards to all of you.
As Smart Planning we have a linkedin group (called Smart planning group) I would like to activate it and initiate interesting discussion like this in that group. If you like the idea please join the group.
best regards
Walter
Il 01/09/2012 07:18, Bernd Gundermann ha scritto:
Dear Vinod, Walter,
I find it very helpful to open up the definition of a city to a spiritual level. The last 400 years of materialist concepts in science and finally, in the last century, in urbanism have lead to a reduction of understanding, what the city as the very centre of our civilisation encompasses. Christianity has the aspect of creation-spirituality, which sees mankind and its actions in dialog with creation. All action shall be attentive to leave the creation undamaged.
In European mediaeval times most cities drew from a local context, they relied on local trade and agriculture. If they would have depleted their local resources, their foundation would have been destroyed. So they took care of them and remained mindful of the environment they were embedded in. Spirituality embraced this mindfulness. All European cities were dominated by church steeples, articulating the reliance on God's support visually as well.
Writing this mail in New Zealand, where every town has plenty of churches for several different religions, they are tucked away from public importance, as belief has been banished into the private realm. Hence our cities visually don't articulate any aspect of superior overarching transcendence. The cities deal within the realm of commerce in absence of divine wisdom. Unless scientists evidence in reverse that actions have been damaging the resources of the environment crucial for a city, nobody will pay any attention to the damage done. And cities, instead of churches or temples, they are dominated by the buildings of the winners of the materialist system banks and business consultants.
I'm currently reviewing the fifth assessment report of the IPCC and I have doubts that the reductionist scientific approach displayed will lead to meaningful results in terms of climate change. It's just too tight and restrictive in its necessarily retrospective nature.
I don't want to go back to the middle ages, but I'm convinced that we ought to understand ourselves and our efforts as being part of a bigger picture. Our consciousness should be mindful of both our limitation and our reliance on superior wisdom.
To me a smart city will be one that uses our technological achievements to both adjust and adapt to the environmental foundation of our existence in its fulness, not just reduced to business and power. Smart technology has a dark side as well, GIS mapping can assist a repressive regime utterly powerfully (as German I can imagine how the Nazis would have made use of it!), or it can be a supportive tool for attentive steering and planning. Spirituality, contemplation and the deep insight of our limitation will hopefully guide us to the positive side of our urban future.
I enjoy being part of this book project immensely.
Regards,
Bernd
On 1/09/2012, at 3:18, "T M Vinod Kumar" <tmv...@gmail.com> wrote:Dear Walter,
The definition I devised for Smart city is very much influenced by Eastern Philosophies of Vedanta and Buddhism especially the word "city that is self aware". How can one say city can have awareness. This awareness is through smart city technologies..Eastern philosophy also talk about such awareness and perception of awareness..
Vedanta point of view
1. How one transcend one's axiological world to epistemological world to the ontic world..... Vedantist says all you know, all you possibly know and all you do not know is one and the same Brahman. In Mandukya Upanishad which is a one page Upanishads in simple world explain AUM and the silence after M, This explain in simple term how we experience the Brahman. A is waking experience of Brahman where certain faculty are alive, U is the dreaming state where some limited faculty is alive but see an unrealistic dreams and then M which is the deep sleep state where very linited faculty is alive. The silence that exist after M is Turya which connects all experience of man with Brahman in all three states. That is similar to the knowledge base of City or wisdom of city human require to conduct life in a smart city..
Buddhist Point of view
2. Then there is concept of mindfulness which Buddha advocated. This mindfulness is even practiced as a meditation technique by Buddhist. Mindfulness is equal to self-aware in the definition.Mindfulness give rise to humane relationship with ecological system.City is like Brahman or big void as Buddha sayswhich we have to be mindful in Smart city
I am sure Stefano and Antonio may have their own observation rooted on biourbanism on my observation and definition.
regards,
T.M.Vinod Kumar
.On Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 4:58 PM, walter....@gmail.com <walter....@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Vinod, I'm following your mails with extreme interest, even though sometimes I do not answer. I have started working on the idea of smart city and smart planning, not as a definition but as conceptual based to be develop in the chapter. I think your definition of smart city its OK, nevertheless I'd add that a smart city can change and adapt itself according to its need, just because its a knowledge-based-environment. On my opinion a smart city should be closer to a living organism than to the current idea of city. I mean, the complexity of urban context come out as key element of this new kind of city. Consider that I think that smart cities do not already exist, and the technological, well planned and web-based existing cities (such as Masdar city and other so called smart cities) are just that, a well-related technological urban system. But they are still centralized, regardless-designed from dwellers and communities, and so forth.
However, we can keep your definition in the book cover and work further to have a shared definition when we finish the book.
I would like to ask you to add Samia Henni and Giulio Lascialfare in the mailing list of the authors.
I couldn't finished my comment to the proposal of FBC but I'm working on it.
Here my bio and in attached the pic.
Walter Barberis
Architect, PhD on "Policy planning and local development" (Department of Urban Studies, University Roma Tre), is Co-founder and promoter of the international network "Smart Planning" and president of the homonymous association. He works as an independent researcher and professor in urban Planning in the School of Architecture, University of "Roma Tre", focusing on the themes of city form, urban fragmentation and new technologies applied to the city (Urbótica and smart city). He is a consultant to entities and foundations of international prestige such as the Fondazione Rosselli (Turin), SviluppoItalia (Rome), FIP (Italo-Peruvian Fund) of Lima, among others.
regards,
Walter
-- Walter Barberis
Ph.D in Urban Policies and Local DevelopmentUrban Studies Department - Roma Tre Univeristy
Founding member of SMART PlanningInternational Open Network for the Global Southhttp://smart-planning.org/
walter....@gmail.com skipe: walter.barberis
tel:+39 32008 33889