UD ministry, UGC come together to develop smart cities curriculum

Universities and colleges will soon have a new curriculum on urban planning exclusively dealing with smart cities project.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) wants universities to teach smart city planning and urban development ministry will be helping UGC prepare a curriculum. School of Planning and Architecture is likely to provide initial mentoring to institutions keen to start the course from the coming academic year.

With government’s plan to develop 500 cities under the smart city mode, UGC is looking at it as a potential opportunity for students to make a career in urban planning. In a letter to the universities, UGC has asked the universities to start courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. “It is proposed that colleges and universities should start subject/courses on urban planning,” reads the UGC circular dated June 13.

Courses on urban planning are currently restricted to design institutes or institutions running courses on architecture. However with a boom of creating smart cities, UGC has asked the universities to participate.

Currently there is no formal curriculum available for smart cities. “There is enough material on architecture and best practices in urban planning, but nothing catering exclusively to smart cities. Now the sector has ample job opportunities so why not train our youth,” said a senior UGC functionary.

To get started, universities and colleges can approach the School of Planning and Architecture or other planning institutes seeking initial assistance.

Ministry of urban development which is also the nodal agency for dealing with smart cities will be helping out UGC to design a formal curriculum. UD ministry has also initiated the process of setting up an exclusive urban planning academy. UD ministry has in the pipeline National Academy for Urban Development which will work as academic think tank of the ministry. The academy is to provide training on wide range of urban issues including policy, planning, management, governance and urban marketing.

“While working on the smart city guidelines, we realised that it was altogether a new challenge for us and that we lacked expertise to deal with the issue. We had to refer to several international practices before we could come up with our own guidelines,” said a senior ministry official who had worked on the smart city project.

Now with UGC proposing a course, the ministry is willing to share its findings and expertise as the universities look forward to a smart city curriculum. “We have been approached and we are willing to extend support to UGC and other institutions to design their study material,” added the ministry source.

The government has is to develop 500 cities under the smart city scheme. Urban development ministry has already announced a list of 98 cities in the first phase to be developed in the smart city mode.