ISLAMABAD: Secondary cities – smaller and intermediate cities - have the potential to boost Pakistan’s economy, but some times local priorities and top-down strategies conflict each other which is the major challenge to manage these cities.
This was the crux of the “Pakistan Development Policy Series 2021’s webinar of the series: Unleashing the Development Potential of Secondary Cities in Pakistan” arranged by the World Bank.
Najy Benhassine, World Bank country director for Pakistan, Omar Masud, chief executive officer of the Urban Unit government of Punjab, Anjum Altaf, urban development expert and Dr Li Zhang, associate professor Urban Planning Department Tongli University addressed the webinar.
Research and policies on Pakistan’s rapid urbanisation largely focus on the largest 10 cities.
Secondary cities have a sizable urban population that can contribute, said the World Bank official, adding that secondary cities are important for Pakistan as these are supporting local economic growth, creating jobs, supporting manufacturing and industries and linking agricultural areas and markets.
He further said that secondary cities had the potential to boost Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan has the highest level of urbanisation in South Asia, mostly in the largest 10 cities.
But how do smaller and intermediate cities play a role needs to reviewed, the speakers added.
Masud said of the major issue which is important in Pakistan’s perspective is managing tension between local priorities and top-down strategies in secondary cities i.e. local government system and then provincial and federal government system.
There is need to think for planning of secondary cities and their potential first, and for that, one need to manage the tension between the governments.
Some time local priorities and top-down strategies conflict each other and that is the major challenge to manage these cities, he added.
He further said that another challenge is about envisioning urban planning as a larger system of integrating cities and clusters.
He said that there is need to mainstream the thinking about secondary cities as economically competitive entities when undertaking planning.
Using supply/value chain approach in bringing forward the competitive aspects of secondary cities, Masud added.
He further said that balancing a sectoral approach with an economic design possibly development of regional plan is also needed to reap the full potential of secondary cities.
“I see 2021 as opening of policy window for the first time in the history of the country and Punjab province as urban planning exercise would be conducted in 28 large and intermediate cities of Punjab.”
Dr Altaf said there is no need of national policies because of the diversity of the country but need regional policies economies which can in some cases needs to be on natural resources based, in other can be agriculture based or manufacturing based.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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