Kohima among 25 cities selected for Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge

Dimapur, Feb, 19 (EMN): In what would boost the morale of Kohima Smart City Team, Kohima has selected for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ cohort, a three-year initiative aimed at supporting early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods under the government’s Smart Cities Mission.

The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, announced the 25 shortlisted cities, including Kohima, from across the country on February 18.

Other cities that have been selected for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ are: Agartala, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Dharamshala, Erode, Hubballi-Dharwad, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Kakinada, Kochi, Kota, Nagpur, Rajkot, Ranchi, Rohtak, Rourkela, Salem, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruppur, Ujjain, Vadodara, and Warangal.

“The cohort will receive technical assistance, capacity building and scale-up support to experiment, and implement trials and pilots over the next six months to demonstrate early wins, solicit citizen participation, and build consensus around their proposals,” read an update from Kovi Meyase, CEO of Kohima Smart City Development Limited.

All smart cities, capitals of states, UTs, and cities with population above five lakh were invited to participate in the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge, which was launched on November 4, 2020. Over 100 cities were engaged through remote or in-person discussions and online capacity-building workshops under the Nurturing Neighbourhood Challenge during the three-month application period.

‘As many as 63 cities from across India submitted applications proposing neighbourhood-level pilot projects in public space, mobility, and access to services to enhance the physical and psychological health of young children and their caregivers. From the list of applicant cities, the evaluation committee chose 25 cities based on the strength of their applications,’ it was informed.

“Cities proposed a diverse array of pilot projects, including creating toddler-friendly walking corridors in residential neighbourhoods; safer commutes to early childhood services for vulnerable young children and caregivers living in urban slums; increasing opportunities for nature play and sensory stimulation; and adapting underused open spaces within government school grounds into public play areas after school hours,” the update stated.

“We are proud to see cities across India stepping up to the challenge and demonstrating their commitment to adopt more sensitive urban planning and design that addresses the needs and aspirations of millions of young children and their families,” Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, was quoted as saying.