Eight cities from the northeast will take part in the Streets for People Challenge- which has been initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The eight cities are Guwahati, Agartala, Shillong, Aizawal, Imphal, Gangtok, Kohima and Itanagar
The challenge among 140 cities from across the country will concentrate on the response to the need for making cities more walkable and pedestrian-friendly.
The challenge builds on the advisory issued by MoHUA for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces, earlier this year.
The challenge will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens.
Adopting a participatory approach, these cities will be guided to launch their own design competitions to gather innovative ideas from professionals for quick, innovative, and low-cost tactical solutions.
Streets for People Challenge along with Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0 was launched by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs during a virtual event.
Officials said that the objective of CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating climate change while planning and implementing their actions, including investments.
In the last decade, an increasing frequency of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, water scarcity and drought-like conditions have had adverse impacts on many of our cities.
Such extreme events and risks cause loss of life as well as impact economic growth.
In this context, CSCAF initiative intends to inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India.