Urban forum: We have failed to protect the character of our cities, says Ahsan

‘Planning Commission had asked Metro authorities to protect cultural sites’

LAHORE:

Before giving the go-ahead to the Orange Line Metro Train project, the Planning Commission of Pakistan had told the authorities that they must protect the city’s culture and heritage sites, Planning, Development and Reforms Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday.

“We must protect and promote the character of our cities while planning new projects. Unfortunately, we have failed to do so,” Iqbal said at the inauguration ceremony of the 3rd Pakistan Urban Forum at Alhamra on The Mall.

He said the commission had called for building train stations in a way that they depicted Lahore’s culture. He said every country faced various issues related to urban planning.

“Even the most developed cities in the world have more problems than resources. This is because of rapid urbanisation over the last few years,” Iqbal said. He said Pakistan had led in the “urbanisation phenomenon” in South Asia – the country’s annual urbanisation growth rate was 3.5 per cent.

“Industrialisation and urbanisation hold the key to the development of a country. Pakistan has seen a massive transformation... we need to fix issues, benefiting from the experiences of developed countries,” the minister said.

“There is a global realisation that better planning of cities is prerequisite to tackling the most pressing challenges, including climate change mitigation, tackling energy dependence, transport availability and job creation. This approach is followed worldwide,” Iqbal said.

“By 2025, 10 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in only 37 cities. We need to share our experiences and expertise in order to provide concrete solutions to urban challenges which include optimising existing infrastructure in transport and energy, reducing carbon emissions and boosting city competitiveness on global markets. A holistic approach can help develop investor-ready, green and smart cities where people want to live and do business,” Iqbal said.

“A sustainable economic, social and environmental development can only be guaranteed if we get urbanisation right,” said Nasir Javed, the Urban Unit CEO.

“For Pakistan, we need multiple models for well-functioning cities with some common ingredients, including a commitment to equality of opportunity, improved housing facilities, smart designs for upcoming cities and a drive to improve the quality of life for the young and the old, men and women alike in the 21st century.”

“We are living in an urbanised world where more people are living in cities than in rural areas,” said Shahid Khan, a professor at Curtin University, Australia. “Tokyo, which has a population of more than 3.5 million, is considered the world’s most efficient city. We are now part of a global world... we need urbanised cities,” he said.

The 3rd Urban Forum is a five-day event featuring more than 40 sessions, roundtable discussions, mini-seminars, technical sessions, exhibitions, networking events and documentaries. Several multinationals are displaying their work. The key themes include urban governance, economy, planning, growth and development, urban services and infrastructure, urban living, energy, environment and urban housing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2015.