Lavasa:  Lavasa, the planned hill city conducted a study program on ‘City Management Practices’ for students from CEPT University – Ahmedabad [Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University] from December 1 to 14, 2014.

The program conceptualized by the CMS team at Lavasa led by Scot Wrighton, the City Manager is meant to train municipal leaders of tomorrow in best practices in city administration and service delivery; making services more efficient; getting citizens more engaged in decision-making and making cities more sustainable.

31 students from CEPT University: a majority pursuing planning, and a few studying Design, Management and Technology attended the two weeks residential and customized “Winter Study Tour” on “City Management Practices’ at Lavasa. The program focused on subjects like Urban Planning; Urban Form and Code enforcement, Master Plans; Local and Federal Government models; Public Finance for local government and fundamentals of fund accounting and other essentials of service delivery. Students were also given wide exposure to a gamut of City Management activities involving City functioning and service deliverables like Utility management – power, sewer, water and gas; Public Works management – Right-of-ways management; Solid waste Management; Public Safety & Security  management; emergency planning, animal control and police liaising, GIS and MIS – Performance outcome measurement and management; Community development; Citizen interactions through the Citizen Contact Centre etc.

Mr. Scot Wrighton, City Manager, Lavasa commenting on the training program said,” With the government planning to build 100 smart cities this kind of training is needed in India to build the capacity of local governments to manage and set their urban futures.”

The model of engagement with the students was through Classroom lectures, Case studies; field trips to the various infrastructure facilities in Lavasa as well as a field trip to Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to enable the students to understand the nuances of the working of a Public Corporation.

Source: Lokesh Shastri