ASBL founder Ajitesh Korupolu advocates for Happiness-centric Smart Cities

Ajitesh Korupolu, the founder & CEO of ASBL, emphasized the need for urban planning to prioritize the well-being and happiness of citizens. In a recent podcast, he asserted that cities should evolve with a ‘Happiness-centric’ approach to enhance the quality of life for residents.

Mr. Korupolu delved into various key talk points during the podcast, shedding light on the current state of urban planning policies and their implementation. He highlighted the importance of mixed-use blocks in raising the quality of life, emphasizing how such developments could foster more efficient and sustainable urban environments. He drove home the fact that walkability, rather than a car-centric approach to city travel, should be emphasized, and that a lesser known attribute of great city-planning is great walkability.

Addressing the preferences of homebuyers in the context of the city-based lifestyle, Mr. Korupolu discussed the evolving expectations and desires of individuals looking to invest in urban living spaces. He emphasized the importance of factors such as connectivity and public infrastructure, and easy access to services such as creche facilities, fitness zones and socializing spaces in shaping happier lifestyles for citizens.

Further demonstrating the point, Mr. Korupolu highlighted the significant impact spaces have on one’s mental, physical, and social health. With the rapid scale of urbanization, the urban designing too needs to scale, in order to address many modern day human problems affecting one’s wellbeing.

In assessing the progress of unlocking Hyderabad’s smart city potential, Mr. Korupolu commended the urban bodies for laying the preliminary groundwork to understand the challenges, both in terms of quality and capacity, of building a smart city. He called for improved collaboration between the governing bodies, developers and citizens as well, to realize the full vision of a smart and happiness-centric city. These collaborative processes would prioritize the holistic well-being of citizens in the pursuit of creating more livable cities.