Citizens of a smart city that can astutely handle its own resources through intelligent self-monitoring, can expect to live in such a way as to preserve their time, energy, and mental focus. Smart cities are the gold standard of the future, and though no city in the world can confidently claim to be 100% smart, many cities are well on the way to reaching that goal. 

In India, urban cities face hurdles in overpopulation, excessive pollution, efficient waste management, resource distribution (water, housing), and smart transportation before they can declare themselves smart cities. City-dwellers are in constant touch with the environment, and needless to say – these numerous interactions must be healthy and consistently positive. 

The environment includes the air, the physical surroundings and water bodies. A smart city must be constructed keeping in mind the day-to-day routine of a normal citizen; a safe and effective environment plays a major role in ensuring that the citizen can go about his everyday life unbothered and going further, even feel a certain joy or pride in belonging to a city that takes great care of its residents.  

This is a short list on how the environment of an aspiring smart city must be treated: 

1. Vehicles on the road must be checked/fixed for emission issues. 
2. Water bodies must be cleaned regularly. 
3. Trees must be grown abundantly. 
4. Littering must be strongly discouraged.
5. People must be educated about maintaining a near-pristine state of a city (and people must execute this training in real life).

The environment will be a major factor going into the future, and there is already research underway to determine the best way to coexist with progressing technology. The main objective will be to inculcate in all citizens respect and recognition for the importance of the environment, and a willingness to cooperate in a way of life that includes healthy coexistence with it.