Need to create more lighthouse cities, says Durga Shanker Mishra, housing and urban affairs secretary of India

Pune was selected as India's first lighthouse city under the Niti Aayog and Rocky Mountain institute’s (RMI) grand challenge to take urban mobility to a new dimension on Monday. The announcement was made by Anil Srivastava, director general (DG), and advisor (infrastructure connectivity), Niti Aayog, government of India, on Monday

There is a need to encourage more lighthouse cities like Pune for urban mobility in the country, said Durga Shanker Mishra, secretary, ministry of housing and urban affairs, government of India, while addressing the valedictory function of India’s first urban mobility lab, a programme by the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

Durga Shankar Mishra, Housing and Urban Affairs secretary,speaks during the Urban Mobility Lab meet in Pune. (Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

An urban mobility laboratory, which will work to create early examples of new, innovative mobility solutions in cities to enable the country’s transition to a better platform of national mobility.

Speaking about the three-day seminar organised in the city, which ended on Wednesday, he said, “Whatever solutions have come out of this lab should move forward to create a proper ecosystem that the whole country can follow. We will have more challenges and we will use these inputs from the urban mobility lab to guide our urban planning solutions. We look forward to creating more lighthouse cities in Maharashtra and beyond.”

Pune was selected as India's first lighthouse city under the Niti Aayog and Rocky Mountain institute’s (RMI) grand challenge to take urban mobility to a new dimension on Monday. The announcement was made by Anil Srivastava, director general (DG), and advisor (infrastructure connectivity), Niti Aayog, government of India, on Monday.

The event also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between PMC and RMI, signed by Saurabh Rao, municipal commissioner, PMC and Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of RMI. The MOU is to continue working together in support of the solutions developed through the urban mobility lab.

Speaking at the event, Saurabh Rao, said, “It’s a tough challenge to remain India’s most liveable city. But if we join hands and implement the solutions provided by the lab, we will be a torchbearer for urban mobility.”

He added, “Intensive intervention is required. I am hopeful that within three to four months we will begin implementing the solutions.”