Answer to Question #193180 in Management for sushant

Question

3. The city of Leh is the joint capital & the largest town of the union territory of Ladakh in India. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 metres (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway. You have been invited as an external IT consultant by Government of India with a mandate to convert Leh into a “Smart City”a. Which “Smart” city in the world will you choose as a benchmark to emulate some of the best practices of that city into Leh? Provide atleast 3 reasons with brief descriptions behind your choice of choosing that particular city as a benchmark?

Answer 1

Smart cities leverage the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and infrastructure to develop sustainable development practices to solve urbanization challenges. At the core of this infrastructure is cellular and Wide Area (LPWAN) wireless technologies. 

To create a smart city, the Leh city government has to develop projects in the transportation sector, energy, housing, street lighting, consistent water supply, and garbage disposal. These projects will be able to improve infrastructure, efficiency, quality of life, and provide convenient transport for residents and tourists.

Amsterdam city has embraced a framework of smart city concepts using IoT, and a wide area network to share datasets that improve urban living. The city has invested in data openness, IoT Labs fitted with IoT-enabled beacons where users can quickly access data. The system manages parking systems, traffic lights, movement, buildings, smart metering, and direct traffic in real-time, and optimize energy use. Such a system when effectively implemented in Leh city will ease the movement of people and tourists around and aid in facilitating business activities.

The city of Amsterdam is developing a smart energy grid in its housing development project. Under the system, power is distributed and stored based on energy consumption demand. It also incorporates the use of carbon dioxide to generate electricity for street lighting which boasts of dimmable LED lights.

The city has an elaborate waste management system fitted with smart bins which have significantly reduced the number of trips from garbage collection trucks. The waste management system provides garbage managers with data on waste levels in different bins and regions. This has led to greater operational efficiency in garbage collection and disposal. 

Leh city can benchmark from Amsterdam to create a command and control center to manage its smart city infrastructure which will go a long way in improving the life quality of the residents at Leh city.