Nagpur: Nagpur is one of the 25 cities in the country shortlisted for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’. Through this three-year challenge, the cities will scale ways to improve public space and support childhood-friendly neighbourhoods under the government’s Smart Cities Mission.
The initiative is a joint collaboration between the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) and Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) and World Resources Institute, India.
The first stage of the challenge, which was held recently and involved open applications from cities, saw participation of 63 cities across the country which submitted applications proposing neighbourhood-level pilot projects in public space, mobility, access to services to enhance the physical and psychological health of young children and their caregivers.
“From the list of applicant cities, the evaluation committee chose 25 on the strength of their applications,” stated a press release by WRI.
During the three-month application period, over 100 cities were engaged in the challenge and cumulatively over 300 pilot projects were proposed in neighbourhoods across India that would improve quality of life for over 12 lakh children aged between 0-5 years.
Cities, including Nagpur, proposed a diverse array of pilot projects, including creating toddler-friendly walking corridors in residential neighbourhoods, safer commutes to early childhood services for vulnerable young children and caregivers living in urban slums; increasing opportunities for nature play and sensory stimulation; and adapting underused open spaces within government school grounds into public play areas after school hours.
Kunal Kumar, joint secretary and mission director of Smart Cities Mission in the ministry, said, “By engaging cities to shape healthier urban environments for early childhood, the challenge has refocused attention on the importance of neighbourhood-level interventions. This approach is well-aligned with the strategy of the Smart Cities Mission to promote inclusive, people-oriented development in compact, local areas towards scaling citywide solutions that enhance our citizens’ quality of life.”
Focusing on the quality of our immediate surroundings at the neighbourhood-level will help young children and their families explore the public realm, said Rushda Majeed, India’s representative from Bernard van Leer Foundation. “It will give way to living a healthy life in a clean and green environment which is critical for the holistic development of young children. We are very pleased to receive such an encouraging response from cities, demonstrating our resolve to provide a better future for our young citizens.”
Stating that placing young children at the heart of urban planning is important, CEO of WRI India OP Agrawal said, “As Indian cities build back from the pandemic, there is growing interest in creating walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods. We look forward to working with the selected cities to pilot data-driven solutions that can serve as a model for other cities to follow.”