The ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) announced 10 winning cities for the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge, in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) and technical partner World Resources Institute (WRI) India. 

What is Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge?

• The Smart Cities Mission has been investing in addressing urban issues from various lenses and innovating ways of mobilising the urban ecosystem in India. 

• Investing in cities that nurture early childhood development and work for caregivers is a new and unique lens for looking at urban development and citizen experience in India. 

• The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge was launched on November 4, 2020.

• Through the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge, Smart Cities, for the first time, are re-imagining their neighbourhoods to work for infants, toddlers and their caregivers.

• It is a three-year initiative hosted by the Smart Cities Mission in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and WRI India. 

• Urban design and city planning play a crucial role in shaping the early years (0- 5 years) of a child’s life – the period most vital for a child’s long-term health and development. Urban environments also impact caregiver’s behaviour and their capacity to nurture their babies’ development through play, affection, and healthy nutrition.

• The Challenge enables Indian cities to adopt an early childhood lens in designing neighbourhood-level improvements that promote the health and well-being of young children and their caregivers. 

• Through a participatory and consultative approach, city engineers and planners are discussing and co-creating solutions with caregivers of young children, anganwadi workers, health workers and early childhood development experts. 

• Through the Challenge, selected cities will receive technical assistance and capacity-building to improve public spaces, mobility, neighbourhood planning, early childhood services and data management.

How is it implemented?

• In Phase I, over 60 cities conceptualised neighbourhood-level pilot projects centered around young children. Over a period of 7 months, 25 shortlisted cities implemented over 70 complementary and integrated projects improving public spaces, mobility, and access to services for infants, toddlers, and their caregivers. 

• The finalists were selected following comprehensive evaluation by a jury of representatives from MoHUA, BvLF, and independent experts in the fields of urban design, early childhood development, and behavioural change.

The 10 cities are:

• Bengaluru

• Hubballi-Dharwad

• Indore

• Jabalpur

• Kakinada

• Kochi

• Kohima

• Rourkela

• Vadodara

• Warangal.

In Phase 2, the 10 winning cities will receive technical assistance and capacity building to:

• Replicate pilots with learnings and influence development plans, regulations and policies.

• These cities will consider setting up a dedicated institutional mechanism to carry this work forward.

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