A Think-Do-Enable Lab to make Amaravati one of the happiest cities in the world, and spread the ‘happy cities’ movement globally, especially in the developing world
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Read the Happy Cities Summit 2018 Summary
Happy Cities Summit 2018 Summary1,500
Attendees
120
Delegates from
15+ countries
40+
Speakers and city leaders
12
Start-ups from 7 countries
The Summit was a phenomenal success with 1,500 attendees, including 120 delegates from 15+ countries (incl. Finland, Singapore, UK, Costa Rica, Colombia, Tanzania, US, Bhutan, UAE, Israel, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Japan, etc.), 40+ speakers and city leaders, and 12 start-ups from 7 countries!
Over the course of three days, we witnessed Sadhguru converse on ‘happiness’; 7 enriching panel discussions on ‘city happiness’, liveability, citizen-centric governance, environment, economy, and measurement of happiness; pitches by cutting-edge urban innovators from around the world; and workshops on ‘happiness measurement’ and ‘solving critical city challenges using design thinking’.
We also conducted a ‘happy city hackathon’ in the run-up to the summit, a unique initiative where students got the opportunity to envision and bring to life a public space in their capital city. In addition, there was an exhibition that run through all the days of the summit, where leading industry players and start-ups showcased products and services across various facets of urban life, including mobility, governance, housing, waste management, clean energy, etc.
Launch of the
‘Happy Cities Innovation Lab’
by the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
A Think-Do-Enable Lab to make Amaravati one of the happiest cities in the world, and spread the ‘happy cities’ movement globally, especially in the developing world
Happy Cities Declaration: Amaravati 2018
Six mayors and thought leaders from around the world pledged their commitment to building ‘happy cities’. Find attached a brief deck on the declaration.
MoUs with pitch competition winners
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Regional Development Authority (APCRDA) signed MoUs with the winners of the pitch competition on urban innovation and intends to pilot the solutions in Amaravati/ other cities in the state.
More details
Shuttl, a tech and GPS enabled seat based bus mobility solution for urban India
SEaB energy, a UK based inventor and developer of small scale waste-to-energy appliances
Easy Gov, a mobile app which allows citizens to explore the different government schemes available, determine eligibility and receive the associated benefits
ValetEZ, a smart parking and mobility solution firm that is focused on solving the growing challenge of parking and congestion through mobile and cloud based software platform
Asia initiatives, a US based non-profit which has developed Social Capital Credits – a community currency for social good that incentivizes and encourages citizen engagement
Metaverse Systems, a Singapore based company that has developed a transformational master planning tool that uses ethnographic data, augmented reality, cloud computing, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence
Green Cities Platinum rating for Amaravati
Amaravati became the first greenfield city in the world to receive the Indian Green Building Council’s platinum rating.
Release of Amaravati Happy City Masterplan
Experts studied the world’s most forward-thinking and best-planned cities along with Andhra Pradesh’s unique needs and developed a socio-economic masterplan, laying out key elements of Amaravati’s evolution and implications for building the new capital city.
Launch of Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) book
The Government of Andhra Pradesh implemented one of the largest and most successful land pooling schemes in the world, wherein 27,500 farmers voluntarily gave 33,500 acres to the government for building the capital city. This process has been documented in the book.
Our planet is going through the most rapid phase of urbanization in its history, and we are soon to become a predominantly urban global civilization. Today, already more than half of humanity lives in urban areas. By 2050, that number will be closer to two-thirds. 90 percent of this increase is expected to come from regions in Asia and Africa.
To accommodate this growth, several new cites are coming up in tens of countries, and many are expanding rapidly, especially in the developing world. While many of these cities aspire to become world-class, smart, sustainable, and resilient, the cities of the developing world face unique constraints, such as competing pressures on land, resource constraints, socio-economic diversity, and limited budgets.
Given this canvas, it is imperative to be bold and disruptive in our thinking for cities -- identify new, unique and innovative solutions that can help meet the rising aspirations of our people, engendering socio-economic transformation, by leveraging new approaches while being cognizant of the constraints.
The "Happy Cities Summit: Amaravati 2018” was the first of an annual global event on urban innovation and best practices, focused on cities of the twenty-first century.
The primary objectives of the summit were as follows:
The Happy Cities Summit: Amaravati 2018 was centered on the foundational principles of happy cities: ‘Citizen-centric governance’, ‘Liveable Communities’, ‘Clean & Healthy Environment’, and ‘Vibrant Economies’. As part of the Summit, we covered important topics within each of these themes.
Making governance data-driven and participative across socio-economic classes
Harnessing data through technologies to improve decision making and service delivery
Engaging and incentivizing citizens to participate in city design & planning, financing, and governance
Creating safe, equitable, and accessible neighborhoods
Offering integrated transport & mobility solutions that are accessible and environment friendly, and promote good health
Housing & public spaces that are climate sensitive, inclusive, adaptive, and promote citizen interaction
Building an ecologically diverse and resilient urban ecosystem
Integrating nature-inspired water and green bodies in city design to improve biodiversity and environmental resilience
Advancing healthy living through waste management and pollution mitigation solutions
Creating economic opportunities that enable citizens to enjoy a good quality of life.
Setting up an urban economy that provides a wide spectrum of good jobs for all skill levels
Embedding learning and skill development opportunities in the institutional layout of a city for all citizens
Leading urban innovators, thinkers, and administrators shared best practices, trends, and principles on urban innovation and design through keynotes and panel discussions.
‘City-preneurs’ pitched innovations that can help 21st Century cities become liveable and happier.
Know MoreCitizens visualized and designed their vision for Amaravati, based on the philosophy of ‘tactical urbanism’
Know MoreInteractive and focused sessions were conducted with city leaders, experts, entrepreneurs and citizens to ideate, commit to, and design happy cities
Leading industry players and start-ups from around the world showcased products, services, technologies, and solutions in urban development
We will get back to you soon.
A cross-section of stakeholders from across the global urban landscape engaged with each other and forged partnerships
SadhguruFounder, Isha Foundation
Daniel Carvalho City Councilor, Medellin
John BoydCEO Sutter Health’s for Mental Health Services
Julie RuskChief of Civic Wellbeing, City of Santa Monica, California
Anibal GaviriaFormer Mayor of Medellin, (LKY World City Prize winner)
Antoni VivesFormer Deputy Mayor of Barcelona
Bharath VisweswariahDirector Investments, Omidyar
Edgar MoraMayor from Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Khoo Teng ChyeExecutive Director, Centre for Liveable Cities
Sujata GovadaFounder, Institute for Sustainable Urbanisation
Moitreyee SinhaChief Executive Officer, citiesRISE
Nilesh RajadhyakshaProject Coordinator, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
O.P. AgarwalCEO, World Resources Institute, India
Rewati PrabhuExecutive Director Cities, Pell Frischmann
Rushda MajeedRepresentative India, Bernard van Leer Foundation
Ryan ShubinAssociate Director and Landscape Architect, Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl
Tshoki ZangmoResearcher, GNH Division, Centre for Bhutan Studies
Jane WisemanPresident, Institute for Excellence in Government, Harvard Kennedy School
CK Convention,
NH-16,
Near Police Head Quarters Office,
Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh,
India, 522503
Andhra Pradesh, the eight largest state in India, is endowed with rich natural resources & mineral wealth and boasts of the second longest coastline in the country. With visionary political leadership, strong government mandate and proactive administration, the State is poised to capitalize on its business friendly policies and robust physical, social and industrial infrastructure. Andhra Pradesh is poised to be among India’s three best states by 2022 and a developed state by 2029.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has accorded top priority to industrial and infrastructure growth and intends to position the State as the most preferred destination for investors by providing favourable business climate, excellent infrastructure, good law and order and cordial industrial relations. Andhra Pradesh has already made an impact through its investor-friendly initiatives by being ranked as the 2nd best state in the country on Ease of Doing Business as per a report by World Bank. The State has put in place a Single Desk Portal to provide all clearances/approvals within 21 working days to set up an industry in the state.
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority is an urban planning agency of the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati. Amaravati is envisioned to be 'India’s happiest city’ - an inclusive people’s capital which is economically vibrant and sustaining, equipped with world class social and physical infrastructure to create unparalleled opportunities. It will meet the world class standards of livability, inclusive growth, economic opportunities and environmental sustainability. It would be the first purpose built city in the World with Urban Design derived from the ‘Happy City Principles’.
Amaravati would be the most green-and-blue city in the country with over 30% area dedicated for water and landscape features designed to give the utmost livable ambience to its residents. It is also aspired to be the first city with Navigable canals for intra-city commute (light public and tourist transit). With a design population of about 3.5Mn by year 2050 and a projected resident family population of about 0.9Mn through creation of 1.5Mn jobs. APCRDA has adopted some of the world’s best urban planning practices for Amaravati and fused them with local needs.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India's development process. Founded in 1895, India's premier business association has over 8,500 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 200,000 enterprises from around 250 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes. Partnerships with civil society organizations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, healthcare, education, livelihood, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and water, to name a few.
Dalberg Advisors is an advisory firm dedicated to social and economic development of the global poor, with the mission of bringing the best of private sector strategy to address the most pressing global development challenges. Dalberg has 17 offices across the globe and the clients span the public, private and philanthropic sectors.
Through a dedicated ‘Cities’ practice area, Dalberg works with diverse urban actors to help cities define purposeful goals and plans, identify challenges, collaborate through global networks and partnerships, experiment with potential solutions, and adapt to change continuously. In the past, we have supported inclusive and resilient urban growth through strategy, design, big data analysis and evaluation, and partnership-building.
Set up in 2008 by the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) has as its mission “to distil, create and share knowledge on liveable and sustainable cities”. CLC’s work spans four main areas – Research, Capability Development, Knowledge Platforms, and Advisory. Through these activities, CLC hopes to provide urban leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and support needed to make our cities better. For more information, visit www.clc.gov.sg or follow us on Facebook.
Amaravati Partership Office
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