World Cities Day celebrated on 31 Oct. to promote global urbanization

World Cities Day is celebrated every year on 31 October to highlight the need for international cooperation to promote global urbanization and address its challenges.

The theme of World Cities Day 2023:

• World Cities Day launches an annual theme every year based on hotly debated issues of urban sustainable development. The theme of this year 2023 is “Financing a Sustainable Urban Future for All”.

Background of World Cities Day:

• In December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established World Cities Day through a resolution. The first World Cities Day was organized in the year 2014.
• The 2nd United Nations Conference on Human Settlements in 1976 influenced the UNGA's decision to establish World Cities Day.
• The UN-Habitat program promotes the development of sustainable cities in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 goals.
• The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) is a United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
• To achieve this objective, it organizes the annual Urban October event which starts on the first Monday of this month and ends with World Cities Day on 31 October.

Importance of World Cities Day:

• World Cities Day helps address challenges related to urbanization by bringing together all stakeholders in local and global urban development.

Major initiatives of the government to manage urbanization in India:

Government Initiatives for Slum Dwellers/Urban Poor:

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
• Self-reliant India campaign
• Schemes/Programmes related to urban development:
• Smart City
• Amrit Mission
• Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban
• HeartPradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban

Key elements for infrastructure for smart cities:

• 24 hour electricity and water supply
• Strong transport system based on public transport
• Providing better opportunities for business and jobs
• Providing modern facilities for entertainment and security
• Providing better health and education infrastructure
• Disposal of waste materials as per standards
• Taking appropriate steps to conserve water
• increasing energy efficiency

Resonance Groups releases a list of the world's best cities on the basis of 24 parameters:

Top ten cities of the world for the year 2024:

• London, (United Kingdom)
• Paris, (France)
• New York (United States of America)
• Tokyo (Japan)
• Singapore (Singapore)
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
• San Francisco (USA)
• Barcelona, ​​Spain)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• Seoul, South Korea)

Important facts regarding smart city projects in India:

• PM Narendra Modi launched the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June 2015.
• Smart cities are selected after 4 rounds of competition on the basis of fixed parameters.
• From January 2016 to June 2018, 100 cities were selected to become smart cities.
• A target has been set to develop all the selected cities as 100 smart cities by 2024.
• The main goal behind developing smart cities is to work keeping in mind the challenges of urbanization.
• Work order was issued for 7978 projects till 7 July 2023 for 100 smart cities.