Infrastructure

A city tackling climate change needs to think big and small and involve all stakeholders in the process — policymakers, state and local governments, private entities and citizens. That should be one of the primary goals of the Chennai Smart City programme.

Social media engagement by government agencies – particularly on Twitter and Facebook – could be a game changer in terms of building a rapport with citizens and communicating effectively. Not all arms of our local government seem to be faring great on that count, however.

For our Tamil readers: A translated version of our article on the details of Chennai’s smart bike fleet, its overall performance so far and locations of the docking stations

Work on the pedestrian plaza in Pondy Bazaar is set to be completed in a month. What can pedestrians expect to see? How will it affect traffic and parking in the area? Watch this video to find out.

The overcrowded shopping hub of Ranganathan street faces many risks due to encroachment and lack of fire safety, but this citizen writer points out why the skywalk proposed under the Smart City mission fails to address the core issue.

Technology in many ways forms the base for a smart city. With the 2015 floods exposing the city’s inability to deal with heavy rains and flooding, the smart city mission should address the gaps and build resilience through use of digital infrastructure.

Members of ROKA — Residents Of Kasturba Nagar Association — write about the association’s dedicated efforts to restore cleanliness and hygiene in the larger neighbourhood, with proper waste management practices in place.

The Chennai Road Safety Council is a coming together of various organisations, volunteers from which are helping to raise awareness on road safety and traffic rules at busy junctions on OMR.

The proposed BRTS corridors will cover seven key sections of the city including GST Road, OMR, Koyambedu, Thoraipakkam and Chromepet, running along a stretch of 120 km. But how will it really impact commuters in the city?

Ease of mobility and efficient transportation must be key features in any smart city. As the city sets its own goals under the Chennai Smart City programme, the author identifies the crucial areas that need attention for realisation of those.

Five-month data sourced from the Chennai Corporation shows a slow, yet steady, reduction in garbage going to the landfills from across the city. How did the civic body make it possible?

Chennai needs effective, workable and lasting solutions to water management, property encroachment, traffic violation, public transport, local area planning, river cleanups and other issues that the city grapples with, but are the proposed Smart City projects really in sync with ground realities?