Sustainable Cities Challenge | 29 Jun 2024

Why in News?

The holy city of Varanasi has been selected as one of the three cities globally to participate in the Sustainable Cities Challenge along with Detroit and Venice.

• The launch event of the Sustainable Cities Challenge was hosted by the Toyota Mobility Foundation.

Key Points

• As part of the Sustainable Cities Challenge, the Toyota Mobility Foundation will provide funding of USD 9 million.
• Varanasi, which receives over seven crore tourists and pilgrims annually, will invite innovators and startups to develop data-operated solutions to make the city safer and more accessible for visitors.
• Varanasi is inviting innovators from around the world to develop Crowd Management Solutions.
• Over 150 cities from 46 countries around the world participated in the challenge after the call to cities was first launched in June 2023.