Spl. Correspondent NEW DELHI, JAN 18 (NPN) : Kohima is among the ten (10) Indian cities that won the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ under Smart Cities Mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
According to MoHUA, Kohima transformed a roadside garbage dump into a green, community-funded micropark and adapted a schoolyard into a multipurpose public space for young children and caregivers.
Other winners include Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Indore, Jabalpur, Kakinada, Kochi, Rourkela, Vadodara, and Warangal.
MoHUA in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and technical partner World Resources Institute India conducted the challenge, a 3-year phased initiative aimed at shaping early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods in cities.
The finalists were selected after a comprehensive evaluation by a jury of representatives from MoHUA, BvLF, and independent experts in the fields of urban design, early childhood development, and behavioural change. Following the challenge kickoff in November 2020, over 60 city agencies nationwide responded to an open call for proposals to implement neighbourhood-level pilot projects to enhance the physical and psychological health of infants, toddlers, and their caregivers.
Shortlisted by an expert committee in February 2021 based on the strength of their proposals, 25 cities received technical assistance and capacity building over the next seven months to demonstrate early wins, solicit citizen participation, and build consensus around their projects.
While announcing the results, secretary MoHUA Manoj Joshi said that changes led by the Nurturing Neighbourhoods cohort were “transforming how we plan, design, and manage Indian cities to be healthier, more inclusive places for young children to grow up, which consequently enhances the quality of life for all”.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked (required)