The American Planning Association may have had followed its customary practice of declaring the winner of the Pierre L'Enfant International Planning Excellence Award (like it does every year) but who knew that this ?very? day would become a date to be carved in letters of gold in the history of India. Unlike usual times when it is a ?person? who creates history, this time, it is ?people? who have done so. So,  what made history today?

Recently, the capital city of Odisha, India - Bhubaneswar hit the international headlines when the news of it being awarded the Pierre L'Enfant International Planning Excellence Award 2017 pervaded the roots and veins of the globe. And like a cherry on the cake, we were also enlightened about the fact that this is the first ever time when an Indian city had been chosen for the said award. This coveted award seeks to recognize planning practices and efforts undertaken outside the United States to promote communities of lasting value and thus, marks the nominated cities on the parameters of innovation, collaboration and participation, social and economic concerns, and finally, effectiveness and results.

In a developing country like India, it is not surprising to see cities come up much before any elaborate architectural planning and thus, lack the basic layout to implement any further innovations that hold the capacity to enhance the lives of its citizenry. But it is amazing to see the capital city of a State like Odisha, which is quite infamous for its widespread poverty and dismal resources, to first top the Government of India?s list of the first few cities to be included in the highly ambitious ?Smart City Mission? and subsequently, grab this international prize for the full-fledged involvement and committed efforts of its people for the development and planning of the city.

The Bhubaneswar Smart City Plan outlines a citizen-driven vision for the future by using technology to help residents gain better access to city services, and improve the overall quality of life. The goal was to engage residents in discussions to identify which groups had access to technology and city services and which groups did not, and how to close that gap. The Smart City Mission endeavors to employ schemes that ?include but are not limited to? E-Governance, waste management, water management, energy management, and urban mobility, all of which are in alignment with the Goal number 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN that envisions to create sustainable cities and communities by 2030.

What the world must draw as a lesson from this is pretty simple - you don?t have to be super rich, ostentatiously armed, or overly qualified to achieve the goal of sustainability. Simple but smart efforts matter. Active participation is the key to any and every form of development. Effective planning needs inclusive provisions and attainable visions. Your geography doesn?t matter as long as you are determined to make use of it sensibly. Your resources are never inadequate if you know what optimal utilisation of scarce resources is. Your history may never override you if you take the reins of your future into your hands. The choice is, after all, yours.