#VoicesOfTomorrow: The Sunday Standard Anniversary Special

Tomorrow’s Delhi can only exceed the achievements of today if it harnesses the power of how children imagine its future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting initiative that seeks to develop a hundred locations into citizen-friendly, sustainable cities that offer their residents top-ofthe- line infrastructure and a superior quality of life through smart solutions that are both clean and green. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area of the capital has been chosen as one of the 20 locations that will be financed and developed in the very first round of restructuring.

But what does this development envisage? And is it along the lines of what Delhi’s citizens want? Most especially, what do tomorrow’s citizens want? For, the dreams of our children colour the contours of tomorrow. Unlike the jaded views of adults, the awareness of children has an intense simplicity that is born out of innocence about the world around them, but is far from unmindful of its concerns, needs and solutions. Indeed, given their access to technology, new learning methods and enhanced travel opportunities, children today have a ringside view of, and very definite views on, how the modern world works.

Tomorrow’s Delhi can only exceed the achievements of today if it harnesses the power of how children imagine its future. On its fifth anniversary, The Sunday Standard asked children from across the National Capital Region what sort of city they want to grow up in. The answers from Delhi’s GenNext—fresh, firm, funny, touching—provide the perfect template for the city’s future. It’s a dream future that is free of pollution and traffic chaos; that promises safety in schools and on roads, and offers quality education and sports. It’s a city with large, green spaces, clean playgrounds and toilets, free Wi-fi, and, most importantly, without anyone littering or urinating on the streets. It’s time to listen to the Voices of Tomorrow.

Read Stories of Anniversary Special, #Voiceoftomorrow: 'Delhi Needs Better Sports Facilities' 'Women Are Not Safe Even in Crowded Places' 'I Would Levy Heavy Fines for Littering' 'Smart Delhi Should be Functionally Efficient' 'Delhi Needs More Parks for its Children' 'Anyone Dirtying the Streets Should be Fined Rs 5,000' 'Tax the Rich and Provide for the Poor' 'I Would Open More Chaat Stalls on the Streets' Make Transport, Waste and Water Your Top Priorities 'A Smart City is Where People have a Carbon-Neutral Lifestyle' 'As CM, I Would Make Fathers Come Home Early from Office' 'Open Parks and Stadiums for People' Implementation of Reforms Dependent on Citizen Participation 'I Would Set Up Colleges for the Underprivileged' 'I Would Penalise People for Littering the Streets' Strict Rules and Stricter Penalties are the Way Forward 'The City Needs Clean and Cosy Shelters for the Poor to Sleep in' 'Like PM, I Would Have Launched Some Projects to Help the Poor' 'I Would Improve the Law and Order Situation at Any Cost' 'My City Needs More Cafés and Museums' 'They Should Plant More Trees in Delhi' 'If I were CM, I Would Take Away the Pressure of Board Exams'   'Delhiites Put Emphasis on Eating Instead of on Good Hobbies' 'Seeing So Much Garbage on the Roads is Upsetting' 'I Would Allow Only CNG Vehicles to Ply' 'I Don't Like to See Children Begging on the Streets. I Feel Sad for Them' 'Use Technology to Check Pollution, Regulate Traffic and Keep Women Safe' 'I Wish for a Behavioural Change in Delhi People' 'As CM, I'd Meet Parents and Students to Know Their Needs' 'I Would Try and Make Delhi Cleaner' 'I'd Try to Improve Public Transport, Healthcare' 'I Can Offer Many Solutions to the Government Through Science' 'Delhi Needs Dedicated Lanes for Ambulances and Cyclists' 'Overhauling of Public Transport System a Must' 'I Don't Like the City Much, Just its Monuments' 'Delhi can Become a Smart City if it Uses its Cultural Strength' 'If I were CM, I Would Remove all the Unauthorised Shops' 'A Smart City Should Have More Cycling Tracks' 'People Here are Cooperative; They Can Make Delhi a Smart City' 'Delhi's Famous Monuments and their Architecture are Very Inspiring' 'We Need to Do Something about the Choked Roads' 'There Should be Strict Laws to Prevent Felling of Trees' 'Why is Politics Dividing People?' 'Everyone Can Make a Difference If They Want To' 'I Would Give Homes to All the Poor People' 'A Smart City Should Have More Parks' Special Purpose Vehicle Yet to Drive smart Delhi 'Delhi Must Offer Ample Food and Water to All' 'Plant More Trees to Reduce Pollution' 'Delhi has a Lot to Learn from Chandigarh' 'We Need Old-Age Homes for Those Turned Out by Their Families' 'Delhi Can be a Smart City Only if the Government Wills It' 'Delhiites are Always Angry, this Must Change' 'If I were CM, I Would Ban Smoking Altogether' 'I Would Give the Salaries of All Corrupt People to the Needy' 'The Odd-Even Formula Got Pollution Down' 'With its Museums and Wide Roads, Delhi is Already Better than Other Cities' 'Ambulances Must be Given Right of Way' 'Fix the Roads So They Don’t Need Annual Repairs' 'I Would Put More Art on the Streets' 'In Delhi, Roads are Always Clogged During the Rains' 'People Here Keep their Surroundings Filthy' 'Delhi Needs Special Buses for Children to Travel Alone' 'People Urinate in the Open Because There aren't Toilets' 'People in Delhi Honk and Fight Too Much'