Smart or dumb? The real impact of India's proposals to build 100 smart cities

<p>In 2014, the new Indian government declared its intention to achieve 100 smart cities.In promoting this objective, it gave the example of a large development in the island city of Mumbai, Bhendi Bazaar. There, 3-5 storey housing would be replaced with towers of between 40 to 60 storeys to increase density. This has come to be known as “vertical with a vengeance”.We have obtained details of the proposed project from the developer and the municipal authorities. Using an extended urban metabolism model, which measures the impacts of the built environment, we have assessed its overall impact. We determined how the flows of materials and energy will change as a result of the redevelopment.Our research shows that the proposal is neither smart nor sustainable.</p>