UN State of the World's Cities Report-2012

UN-Habitat has launched the State of World's Cities Report 2012/2013. Titled 'The Prosperity of Cities', the report recommends that those engaged in development work need to explore a more inclusive notion of prosperity and development. According to the report there was an urgent need for a shift in attention around the world in favour of a more robust notion of development. – one that looks beyond the narrow domain of economic growth that has dominated ill-balanced policy agendas over the last decades, and includes other vital dimensions such as quality of life, adequate infrastructures, equity and environmental sustainability. “In this Report, UN-Habitat advocates for a new type of city – the city of the 21st century – that is a good people centred city. CHARACTERISTICS OF CITY OF THE 21ST CENTURY: a) Reduces disaster risks and vulnerabilities for the poor and build resilience to adverse forces of nature. b) Creates harmony between the five dimensions of prosperity and enhances the prospects for a better future. c) Stimulates local job creation, promotes social diversity, maintains a sustainable environment and recognizes the importance of public spaces. d) Comes with a change of pace, profile and urban functions and provides the social, political and economic conditions of prosperity. In order to measure present and future progress of cities towards the prosperity path, UN-Habitat introduces a new tool - the CITY PROSPERITY INDEX- together with a conceptual matrix, the WHEEL OF PROSPERITY, both of which are meant to assist decision makers to design clear policy interventions. THE CITY PROSPERITY INDEX (CPI): a) Includes 5 dimensions of prosperity: productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity and environmental sustainability. b) Enables decision-makers to identify opportunities and potential areas along the path of prosperity. THE WHEEL OF PROSPERITY: a) Ensures the prevalence of public over any other kind of interest. b) Controls the direction and pace of city growth towards prosperity. INDIAN SITUATION Mumbai and Delhi figure among 95 world cities identified by the United Nations as those moving towards prosperity, but the two Indian metropolis are just "half-way" to achieving it with the reasons being poor infrastructure and environment conditions among others. The report places Mumbai at the 52nd position and New Delhi at 58th among the world cities, though two Chinese cities - Shanghai and Beijing - figure much above. Two Indian cities come under the Group 4 and they are in the medium level (of prosperity). Prosperity is not just the economic prosperity, but the kind of infrastructure and the quality of life in the city. Both the cities have been penalised for poor environment conditions, especially New Delhi. The report also praises the IT revolution that Bangalore has been able to achieve and calls Hyderabad as the pharmaceutical capital of India. On ICTs criteria in Asian cities Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai feature mobile telephone connection rates of 138 per cent, 112 per cent, 102 per cent and 143 per cent respectively. The report also noted that cities in India are fast expanding at the cost of rural areas and pitched for a policy for use of land in cities.