Dear Students,
Please share your key takeaways from what you had learned today as well as your thought and opinions.
Our day at the MICA campus started at 7am with a welcome by our host sponsors Mr. Amitsingh Gohil, Executive Director, TiE Ahmedabad and Mr. Chetan Parikh, CEO, ezDI, LLC.
Agenda:
07:30am to 08:15am Presentation on Ahmedabad city by Priya ParikhAgenda Discussion with Prof. Solomon
08:15am to 09:00am Breakfast
09:00am to 09:45am Drive from MICA to CEPT
10:00am to 02:00pm Workshop on “Town Planning” at CEPT with the President – Mr. Bimal Patel
11:45am to 01:00pm Faculty presentations of CEPT about Energy,Water &Traffic
01:00pm to 02:00pm Lunch Break
02:00pm to 03:45pm Visit to Bus Rapid Transport System(BRTS) Control Room
Today we began our two-week experience in India. We learned about Ahmedabad, India and the definition of a smart city from multiple perspectives. Embarking on this journey hoping to learn about smart cities in India and apply our lessons and observations to cities in the Bay Area. However, the director of Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Dr. Bimal Patel, explained that the definitions of smart cities between our two countries ultimately diverge. In the Bay Area, cities seek to use information technology to improve municipal operations and, ultimately, the quality of life of its residents. In India, cities are using information technology to make data-driven decision to meet the challenges of rapid urbanization and a quickly growing economy. Our conversation with Dr. Patel contextualized further lessons on water usage, energy efficiency, and public transportation. Ultimately, today provided meaningful insight into innovating infrastructure that transports water, energy, and people and the ripple effects that infrastructure can have on communities at large.
On our first official day of this journey in India, we had the pleasure of hearing from quite a few incredibly smart and forward thinking individuals who are working to improve the city planning, water availability, power usage, and transportation systems in Ahmedabad. At CEPT, our first speaker shattered our perception of smart cities by drawing attention to the fact that India is still working toward basic infrastructure and environmental sustainability in order to progress to later stages of development. With this in mind, we were able to listen to our other speakers with a new perspective about what is possible, and understand what a large accomplishment the projects such as BRTS are for the future of Ahmedabad.
नमस्कार (Hello in Hindi…!)
Today marked our first exciting official day in India together as a class. To start off the day, we were introduced to our hosts and host organization, TIE — The Indus Entrepreneur. Shortly after, we paid a visit to the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) where we had the privilege of listening to a panel of professors and experts speak about different factors concerning the implementation of SMART City components. Covering topics ranging from energy information centers to the Bus Rapid Transit System (BTRS), the speakers provided a strong base of information to build the rest of our experiences off of. In particular, Dr. Bimal Patel (a Cal alum — GO BEARS) offered a unique perspective to SMART Cities. That is, while acknowledging the ability of quickly-urbanizing nations such as India to leapfrog off of Western advancements and innovations, Dr. Patel stressed the need for functionality at the heart of innovation and implementation. India requires different innovations and must work to first meet the needs of its population, addressing problems of overcrowding cities with the outflow of people from villages into cities. Beyond the association of SMART Cities with simply IT improvements and optimizations, I began to think about the concept from more practical and “people-oriented” point of view. In keeping with what I have learned thus far, I am excited at the prospect of getting to know Ahmedabad more closely as a city and keeping an eye out for what the people of the city could truly benefit from!
Firstly, I am overwhelmed by how welcoming all of our hosts have been in India. We started off our first day with introductions from representatives of TiE organization, Tyco Corporation (our sponsors), and Priya Parikh. We learned some facts about the state of Gujarat, like how it is the 3rd fastest growing city according to Forbes and it is the second biggest contributor of scientists and engineers. Our first tour was at CEPT University where we heard from speakers that come from a variety of expertise like urban planning, transportation design, water conservation, and energy conservation. My favorite speaker was Dr. Bimal Patel (also a Cal alumni) who opened our eyes to the meaning of “smart” cities in the context of India. In the Bay Area, conversations about smart cities revolve around technologies like solar powered trashcans, whereas conversations about smart cities in India focus on scalable solutions to the shortage of running water and sewage systems. The magnitude of innovation’s impact within India is incomparable to the U.S. Mr. Patel finished his presentation with an honest challenge, “If you really want to solve real problems, move to India.” It then made me realize that although we are learning in India to make changes to cities in the Bay Area, we have it really good in the U.S. and perhaps our efforts would be of bigger value if applied in Indian cities.
Today was our first official day of our journey in Ahmedabad, India. We visited the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology campus and the Bus Rapid Transportation Systems (BRTS) center. One of our first speakers was Dr. Bimal Patel, a Berkeley grad from the School of Environmental Design. He provided an alternative perspective on the idea of a “smart city”, putting it into context that there needs to be feasibility to the vision. He challenged the notion that a smart city uses technology and information to improve efficiency, reminding us that we need to ground the definition based on the needs of the specific area. We then transitioned to hearing from representatives from the Center for Advanced Research and Building Science Energy (CARBSE), Performance Assessment Systems, and the Center for Green Mobility. The most interesting part of the day for me was our visit to the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) center, a public-private partnership for transportation in Ahmedabad. We got to see the control room where every bus is tracked for efficiency and planning. Our presenter also walked us through the thought behind this organization that intends to transform the image public transportation gets. BRTS is as much as a transportation system as a branding tool to market sustainable transportation measures. This reminded me a lot of the BART system back home in the Bay Area, where people refer to BART by its name rather than just saying public transportation. My biggest takeaway from today was that in order to reach sustainability in cities, there has to be a communal vision that addresses pressing needs and that the people of these communities need to feel like they have a stake in the well-being of their city.
On our first official day in Ahmedabad, we began the day with an opportunity to learn from high school graduate, Priya Parikh who eloquently delivered key facts and context for our upcoming experience in the world’s third fastest growing city. I greatly appreciated Priya’s critical insight about the history and current lifestyle in India, the state of Gujarat, and the “best Indian mega-city to live in,” Ahmedabad. Following our brief introductory meeting, we had the privilege of hearing from accomplished professionals and in the fields of entrepreneurship, city planning, energy efficiency, and transportation. I found Dr. Bimal Patel’s discussion to be particularly intriguing. Dr. Patel questioned our present understanding of what it means to be a “smart city.” Furthermore, his statement that the “juicy problems” are in India, not California, provided some much-needed perspective as we continue forth with our study of “smart cities” and information technology.
Today I learned that Ahmedabad, while rich in history, is facing some serious challenges of growth. We came in looking for the American definition of a smart city, which is installed sensors in everything, using information technology, and better management of city resources. But Indian cities like Ahmedabad experience unprecedented growth and face problems that our American cities faced long ago. Therefore, the Indian definition of a smart city is something closer to matching the infrastructure and management of a city presently existing in America or Europe. We listened to various speakers about smart metering, the importance of walking/cycling, analysis of water data, and rapid transit with the key takeaways being that as these Indian mega cities grow they have access to technology that our cities did not years ago when they were experiencing the same growth — allowing them to leapfrog in a few parts of their growth. I was fascinated by the bus rapid transit system and the intricacy in its planning and management (such as reducing fare jumping by changing station guards every 15 days). Moreover, Ahmedabad achieves the efficiency of rail at the far cheaper price of buses and maintains the integrity of the system through a novel private/public partnership. Overall, it was fascinating to hear about the steps the cities are taking as they grow, and I would very much like to actually see and explore the city to get a better idea of the problems at hand and the culture of Gujarat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UivtQhrnMyU&feature=youtu.be
Here is a video for the past two days (Day 0 & 1).
UPDATED LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SaWLH3tQYI&feature=youtu.be
🙂
India’s smart city is not a city driven by cutting-edge information technology, but one that’s organized through careful planning and widely available technology. Unlike American cities like New York or San Francisco, which are working towards productivity, efficiency, and sustainability optimization through automation, Ahmedabad is working to achieve the same goals through reorganization and information. For example, Yash Shukla (member of CARBSE) is working to reduce energy waste and prevent storage of energy by accurately generating electricity according to the demand during peak and non-peak hours. In response to sustainability problems like water supply shortages, Jaladhi Vavaliya and Dhruv Bhavsar (PAS Project) are recycling water and reallocating amounts of water using information on water usage, which conserves water and enables to municipal to meet the water demands of all cities. In addition, the Dui project complimented BRTS’s goal of reducing traffic congestion and time of commute (while increasing the number of people transported) by simply reorganizing traffic lanes, which allowed people to move from one place to another faster and safer. As American cities are using new technology as a means of development, Indian cities are utilizing seasoned technology to improve efficiency and productivity.
“Financial success is a second-order derivative for entrepreneurs. Satisfaction is the first.” Mr. Parikh’s words were an appropriate opening for our journey into India’s public sector. I kept this in mind as I explored my three largest takeaways from today’s trip to CEPT and BRTS control room: 1) The definition of a smart city is not unanimous across the globe; it represents whatever is needed, be it intricate IT or simple crosswalk solutions, that can better the lives of city residents. 2) Distributed/onsite energy systems are more powerful and cost-efficient than centralized energy storages, and the Performance Assessment System is one measure to help put a price tag on that cost. 3) Infrastructure is often not the crux of transportation challenges—it is the lack of planning that creates an inefficient system. With the BRTS in particular, the organization responsible has considered benefits for all stakeholders involved in the system planning, from increasing safety to saving social time and space.
Although this was only the first day of our India trip, I was pleasantly surprised to gain so much knowledge, insight, and self-reflection of my understanding regarding the idea of a ‘smart city’ after listening to the presentations by CEPT and BRTS. As mentioned by Mr. Brima Patel, my idea of a smart city has always revolved around a very futuristic perspective – from efficient and modern transportation methods such as eco-friendly bicycles, and the overall presence of connectivity everywhere. However, I realized that smart cities can exist effectively in any form, as long as the ultimate goal is to serve the community and the primary issues that they face on a daily basis. A fascinating example would be the BRTS system. When thinking about the idea from a broader perspective, the systematic implementation of coordinated bus lanes, schedules, and quality infrastructure is considered a norm in first-world countries. Nonetheless if we delve into the larger issue of India’s huge population and the discrepancy of its current public transportation system, breaking down the many ‘gaps’ of this problem and brainstorming ways to implement solutions into this newer smart system was such an eye-opening experience of the complexities in this seemingly simple issue. I was also very interested to learn about the thought process behind the traffic management in India. It was truly amazing to see how much difference and positive change can result from smart city solutions to create the amazing city that Ahmedabad is today.
Today marked our first official day in India. Over just a few hours, after having the opportunity to listen to numerous lectures given by urban planning professionals and ‘smart city’ experts, I was surprised to learn that perhaps the definition of a ‘smart city’ wasn’t as simplistic as I thought it was. To me, the concept of ‘smart cities’ was associated with advanced information technology utilization, optimal connectivity of systems, and efficient usage of city resources. However, after listening to Dr. Brima Patel, my perspective began to shift. What I had failed to realize was that cities develop differently. While some cities are already fully developed, some are still in the process of development. As a result, various cities have their unique set of issues that they must address. Cities such as Los Angeles are looking for innovative ways to further enhance the efficiency and usage of resources, while cities like Ahmebadad are looking to create a city that can sustain a fast-growing population. Consequently, a smart city is not necessarily an innovation hub that embraces the latest technologies, but rather one that uses its available technologies to address the current issues it faces. For example, Ahmebadad has begun taking many steps to address the issues that it faces. As the economy has begun to develop, many people in the city have been able to afford cars. However, with the growing number of car-owners and the large population, pollution has become a major issue. The city, consequently, has begun to address this issue in two ways: 1) raising awareness amongst the population and 2) implementing a large-scale system to reduce the number of cars on the road. To increase awareness and to encourage proactivity in reducing pollution, Ahmebadad hosts a weekly event called the Raahgiri Day in which people block out the streets for four hours a week. Rather than allow cars to drive through, the roads are filled with people participating in different activities such as biking and dancing. On the other hand, the city has integrated a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) System to encourage the usage of public transportation. Overall, I had a great time learning about the steps and methods cities such as Ahmebadad have taken to grow and address current issues. My hope is that within the next few days, we will continue to gain knowledge and a stronger understanding about smart cities and the potential it possesses.
In our first day in Ahmedabad, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn from many of Gujarat’s leading researchers on their groundbreaking work in areas such as energy management, water coverage, and transportation. Almost immediately, we were exposed to the complex challenges these leaders face as they attempt to solve issues involving many stakeholders and no simple solution. Dr. Patel began by calling into question our idealized image of a fully integrated, high-tech smart city and advising us that many of the country’s solutions do not lie in technology but rather politics and allocation of funds. While technology can measure the efficiency of different energy generators and create methods of recycling water, other issues such as congestion stem from deeply rooted social beliefs about public transportation and the failures of the government to provide safe, reliable transportation systems. The BRTS was an eye-opening look into the extraordinary progress that can be made when multiple stakeholders are involved in the process and work together. The BRTS combines advanced technology such as 2-way communication and real-time tracking, station design and processes optimized for safety and social acceptance, and a subsidized yet sustainable financial model to increase productivity and ultimately improve the lives of millions of people.
At a presentation given by representatives of Janmarg, Ahmedabad’s bus rapid transit system (BRTS), we learned the importance of designing a new public transportation system that’s integrated into the city’s overall transportation network. BRTS is a bus system where buses have their own lanes that are separated from normal street traffic, and Janmarg is lauded as one of the best examples of this concept. Because BRTS lanes are closed to the public, BRTS buses speed along Ahmedabad’s streets. In contrast, Delhi BRTS lanes are not closed, so impatient drivers often drive onto bus lanes, which drastically slows down the buses. Janmarg’s planners also positioned stations at a distance away from intersections, whereas Delhi BRTS stations are placed close to intersections, which unfortunately causes heavy traffic congestions because buses that line up to make a stop at a station often block other street traffic. Good planning provided the foresight that Ahmedabad needed to create efficient public transit.
It has definitely been an interesting first day in India. While arriving directly to the presentations from the airport was a whirlwind, it was great to be reunited with my classmates after such a long journey. Our class got to hear from sustainability projects under the theme of transportation. While Raaghiri is structured as a social movement to encourage public participation in pedestrian and biking transportation, the BRTS is a system that supports a structural accessibility to more efficient alternatives. With all of these presentations, something that was interesting to me was all of these projects’ taking advantage of iteration made possible by globalization and inter connectivity of communication. For example, there were many references to Bogota as an example to build off of an adapt to Ahmedabad’s unique needs and social environment. However a major concern that still exists preventing India from investing more in these kind of sustainable projects stems from lack of allocation of funding and priority from governement and the public.
Day 1: Roads matter. Just by making one intersection more organized and efficient, people in the Ahmedabad community instantly felt safer and traffic reduction ensued. Also, instead of trying to fix Silicon Valley small problems, more resources should be focused on helping solve the problems of Indian people- such as basic needs like food, water, and shelter.
Today was day two. Dorothy and I wore our India shirts- I finally felt a part of the environment. Turns out that India has a huge start-up culture that not only taps into the business sector but also helps people living in slums. It is important to invest in education so that students continue to innovate. After we attended IIT, one of the most prestigious engineering colleges in India- they are working hard to create a campus that is build in such a way that fosters collaboration in hallways.
I would also like to add that on day one I began to understand the people of Ahmedebad who are both living in a chaotic environment while staying calm. Something really interesting about India is that since most functions of society are run by people, not by technology (ex: in the airport, the flights are handwritten), people rely heavily on each other. This I think embodies how community driven and focused Indian people are. This was something in the mind of the creators of the BRTS who figured out that the system has to allow for the drivers to embrace the work they are doing as system operators.
My favorite speaker today was Dr. Bimel Patel – I felt that he had a very honest and grounded way of looking at SMART cities. One of the interesting things he talked about was democratic india vs. authoritarian china. I think he might be alluding to the idea that china has witnessed unprecedented growth in gdp under an authoritarian government, and what does that say about democracy? How important is the democratic process? I think this would be an interesting discussion to have as a class, because SMART cities is not just about business but it’s about government and the people. It would be good to talk more about what happens to people who lived in the slums with SMART cities being developed, will they be pushed to rural areas?
It is December 28th, 2014, marking the first official day of the UGBA193i Travel Study course. Our day started off bright and early as everyone met up in the lecture room at MICA University in Ahmedabad, India at 7AM; ready for the scheduled packed day ahead. Our first destination was visiting CEPT University where we had multiple speakers present about what exactly the country of India needed in terms building India into a “smarter city“. A Smart City uses information technology to solve urban problems. Monitors and manages traffic, water levels, energy usage, security cameras, waste and communication systems in real time with sensors and cost-effective digital tools that are essentially free. Expected to save operating costs in managing the city that results in lower taxes and happier citizens. “Smart cities are not about just e-gov. They use tech to transform core systems to optimize best use of finite resources,” says Rahul Sharma of IBM India.
We were met with extremely talented bright individuals. The first speaker Dr. Bimal Patel, explained to us that specifically the definition of “smart city” for India wasn’t the same for the United States. Dr. Patel elucidated the problems of India and its major goal was to give its people their basic fundamental living rights of fresh water, energy, and overall bringing India from a developing country to a developed one. After that we were met with Ms. Jaladhi Vavaliya and Mr. Dhruv Bhavsar who worked with the Performance Assessment System (PAS) Project and explained to us the 4 pillars of building a smart city, 1) Social Infrastructure, 2) Physical Infrastructure, 3) Institutional Infrastructure (including government), and 4) Economic Infrastructure. With the four pillars instated would give us sustainability which allows the quality of life and employment to be improved. For India, we learned there exist a huge gap in financial sustainability of municipal corporations and municipal councils. To learn more and see the statistics visit pas.org.in. One of the most intriguing intellectual dialogue that we had on our agenda was with Anuj Malotra who worked on the DIU cycling project, which was a project that implemented a geometric design to promote suitability by encouraging cycling and walking in the Indian people and overall community. Going along the theme of working on transportation in India. Professor Darwin had arranged for the students to visit the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Control Room to observe the work of BRTS employees. It was interesting to learn and see on a daily basis how such uniquely integrated transportation system was handled. Having taking the BART and the infamous 51B AC Transit Bus during the school year, I was in awe how complex the systems was on the inside. I also thought it was interesting that in India they call their bus drivers, system operators to give a more fresh title to their employment name.
Overall, we had a jammed packed day filled with intellectual dialogue and innovative thinking. We boarded the bus for the ride back to our dorms at MICA University around 4 pm. You could say we came back with a greater understanding of the challenges many Indians face, and keep this in mind as we reflect on what is a smart city. On the way home, Professor Darwin and the students bonded over the day’s events over dinner and many eye-opening revelations. Tomorrow, the exciting journey continues!