Urban Unit to launch Punjab Spatial Strategy

LAHORE: The Urban Unit in collaboration with Planning & Development Department is organising launch ceremony of ‘Punjab Spatial Strategy – The Business Plan of Punjab’ on Thursday (tomorrow) here at a hotel.

The Punjab Spatial Strategy (PSS) - developed as part of Jobs and Competitiveness (J&C) Programme of Planning & Development Board and the World Bank Group, is a key strategic initiative of the Punjab government. The strategy has been prepared by an elaborate effort on part of the Urban Unit - carefully crafting the contours for development in the province. The launch ceremony will have high profile speakers, including Chief Minister’s Adviser on Economic Affairs and Planning & Development Dr Salman Shah and The Urban Unit CEO Khalid Sherdil.

The speakers will explain PSS as the driving force in making Punjab the engine of growth of country that will eventually develop competitive advantage of regions while ensuring economic transformation of the Punjab. Relevant departments, government officials, national and international technical experts, development partners, academia and representatives from private sector are likely to participate in the event. The launch ceremony is aimed to apprise all stakeholders of Punjab Spatial Strategy’s approval and implementation process. This is an opportunity for all officials concerned and international experts to share their thoughts on the strategy, and will be culmination of various stakeholder engagements organised through the life time of the project. Some 500 and more technical experts are expected to attend the event. Punjab Spatial Strategy is one of the most significant projects undertaken by the Urban Unit along with many others over a period of 14 years. The mandate of The Urban Unit is to give policy advice and services to public and private sector organisations in areas such as Housing & Urban Planning, Urban Transport, Solid Waste Management, Water & Sanitation, Urban Economics & Municipal Finance, Institutional Development, Capacity Building, and Services Delivery Improvement etc.