If someone wants to know about the opportunity that Pakistani cities have to offer in terms of economic growth, then one should definitely read Contextualizing Pakistan’s Cities. The book is authored by Dr Nadeem ul Haque, the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics vice chancellor. The book is available at the PIDE website.

The book is a collection of fragmented writings by the author over the last few years on urban governance and development. It illustrates how urban development acts as a core tenet upon which sustainable growth, advancement and progress of modern nation states rest. The writer - in what can be called a snapshot of the book - points out that the difference between poor countries and rich countries often lies in the productivity of their cities.

For centuries, cities have served as breeding grounds for the evolution of socio-political, scientific, technological and economic development. Even today, modern commercial cities act as hubs of innovation, creativity, reformation and enlightenment. Contemporary cities have outgrown the traditional market and merchant role. Instead, these have diversified their character by providing a site for mushroom growth of entrepreneurship, innovation and information exchange.

The book answers the frequently asked question: how do differences in urban productivity affect the economic standing of nation states? It states that urban centres that offer community and networking framework, promote pluralism, opportunities for learning, individual productivity, social organisation, diverse exposure and positive spill-over effects across the society. People-friendly urban centres ensure inclusive development for citizens without discriminating by age, gender or economic standing. In addition, they develop institutions that effectively manage conflict resolution keeping in mind the needs for growth and development. Likewise, effective city centres ensure enactment of building regulations balancing legacies and histories with modern infrastructure.

The author shows that Pakistan’s urban development policies are oblivious to modern research. This inflicts a huge cost on cities. The book points out that urban development policies in Pakistan encourage horizontal sprawl instead of vertical growth at the cost of rich agricultural lands. This also results in a short supply of housing for the ballooning population. In addition, zoning and commerce-driven functioning of the cities is poor. The book brings to light the ignorance of centralised civil service, incoherent urban management - comprising several layers – and the perks system for public servants.

Large government land holdings in all cities of Pakistan acts as a major impediment to making the prime land available for economic activity in general and mixed use in particular. The author insists that commerce rather than government should dominate city functioning.

Hqaue also suggests a policy framework to improve the state of metropolises in Pakistan. He calls for an urgent adoption of fiscal federalism, development-centric urban policies, building regulations, effective conflict resolution mechanisms, and consultative, accountable and professional administration for effective governance of cities across the country.

The book contends that city management is a shambles due to a general lack of interest on the part of civil servants. The writer suggests reforming the civil services’ structure. However, there is no discussion on how to start the reform in the first place.

A discussion on good governance models for cities around the globe would be a great addition. The book is mostly academic and conceptual; real world examples would help lay readers relate to the ideas.

Generally, the book explains how we should go about developing our cities. It points out many governance flaws that are holding Pakistani cities back from realising their true potential. An important concept in the book is the ‘dead’ capital and its opportunity cost. It is time the mystery of the ‘dead’ capital was resolved and some economic activity generated from it.

The book is a refreshing read. It’s a crash course for those who want to be educated about cities and urban management.

It is a must-read for all those who have or are developing a taste for development of the cities, in particular, Pakistani cities.

Contextualising  Pakistan’s Cities

Author: Dr Nadeem ul Haque

Publisher: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad

Pages: 40

The writer is a research economist at the Pakistan Institute of

Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad