The notion of ‘smart cities’ is increasingly visible in discourses on the future of cities but Change is coming to transportation, whether we are ready for it or not. But how sustainable and digital innovation can unlock better people health and well-being, enhance safety and security and provide seamless mobility experiences. It can be argued that smartening the mobility infrastructure enables the citizens to make informed decisions, and this is indeed true- if done well, but it has a big “if.” This research engages with the key drivers of change and provides affirmative aspirations for mobility in the not-so-distant future in order to facilitate conversations about change. However, the development of possibilities (scenarios) for the government policies and business innovation is dependent on the advanced technology and socio-economic values, which are embedded in the context and culture. The research paper aims to visualize through foresight by design, plausible alternatives of sustainable future for passenger transport in Delhi to stimulate sustainable innovation developments for transportation and analyse the present innovative influences for smart mobility in Delhi to accelerate the adoption. The first part of the paper analyses how do urban planners use the discourse of smart cities and how it has defined in India then later suggest future scenario for the future which will empower users, changing mobility models and transforming eco-system where intelligent connectivity would unite varied rage of emerging technologies to enable smarter, healthier and more resilient and economically vibrant urban life. This research considers smart mobility by outlining current challenges, suggesting technological, infrastructural and policy solutions and distilling explorations of the future into a series of ‘user journeys.’ It seeks to answer if ‘branding of technology’ can be used as a tool to create a new identity for mobility of Delhi or ‘upgrade’ the existing situation. How can the context of Delhi be decoded to describe the perceptions of the people?
Smart Cities in India: branded or brain-dead?
