Chandigarh is a middle-size city in the northern part of India and capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab. As a union territory, the city is ruled directly by the Union Government of India and is not part of either state. The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post-independence in 1947 and was known internationally for its architecture and urban design. Today, Chandigarh has a population approx. 960.787 inhabitants (Census 2011). This poses a huge challenge for the city, since it was planned for a population of 500.000 inhabitants[1].
Due to its planned nature, one unique feature in the layout of Chandigarh is its roads, classified in accordance with their functions. An integrated system of seven roads was designed to ensure efficient traffic circulation. Corbusier referred to these as the 7’Vs – the city’s vertical roads run northeast/southwest (the ‘Paths’). The horizontal roads run northwest / southwest (‘The Margs’). They intersect at right angles, forming a grid or network for movement. This arrangement of road-use leads to a remarkable hierarchy of movement, which also ensures that the residential areas are segregated from the noise and pollution of traffic. Chandigarh has the largest number of vehicles per capita in India. Wide, well maintained roads and parking spaces all over the city ease local transport.
Chandigarh’s Master Plan is available here.
Regarding the city’s economy, Chandigarh is per capita the richest city in India (although Mumbai has the largest financial volume, it is also the most populace city with majority of them living below poverty line). There are about 15 medium to large industries including two in the public sector. In addition Chandigarh has over 2.500 SMEs. The important industries are paper manufacturing, basic metals and alloys and machinery. Other industries are food products, sanitary ware, auto parts, machine tools, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances.
Chandigarh IT Park (also known as Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park) is the city’s attempt to break into the information technology world. Chandigarh’s infrastructure, proximity to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and the IT talent pool attracts IT businesses looking for office space in the area. Major Indian firms and multinational corporations have set up base in the city and its suburbs. According to a 2014 survey, Chandigarh is ranked 1st in the top 50 cities identified globally as “emerging outsourcing and IT services destinations”.
Chandigarh has been selected to develop as Model Solar City through Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST).
Department of Science & Technology, UT Chandigarh through CHANDIGARH RENEWAL ENERGY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROMOTIONAL SOCIETY (CREST) is the Nodal Agency for executing Solar & other RE Projects.
Information about Chandigarh’s Smart City initiative is available here.
Within the World Cities Programme, Chandigarh is twinning with the CLEAN Cluster of Denmark towards cooperation in the areas of non-motorized public urban mobility, waste to wealth and climate change planning and adaptation. A first meetig took place in Chandigarh on 28 May 2015. The follow-up visit to Europe took place from 26 – 30 November 2015. A work plan for the implementation of demonstration projects in the selected areas is currently under development.
Contact points:
Project Coordination: Pablo Gándara, pgandara@world-cities.eu
CLEAN Cluster: Mr Neelabh Singh, Head of Strategic Projects
Chandigarh City: Mr Santosh Kumar, Director, Department of Environment, Chandigarh Administration
[1] This information has been compiled from Chandigarh Administration’s website: http://chandigarh.gov.in/knowchd_general.htm. For information on the Environmental Department, please click here.