Description

Pakistan's rate of urbanization is unprecedented, where cumulatively the population of its cities has expanded by over 70% during the past 2 decades alone. As a result, its cities have and continue to experience relentless urban densification and expansion, resulting in ever-increasing demand for urban services and growing pressures on urban service institutions to deliver. This situation has become acute in many cities, and especially Pakistan's intermediate cities, where urban delivery institutions are increasingly unable to cope, resulting in significant environmental degradation, unhealthy public spaces, and a severe shortage of civic amenities. The classic hallmarks of strained urban development are apparent in many cities, including unplanned and overcrowded settlements and residential areas, traffic-clogged streets and arterials, irregular and poor quality water supplies, and serious environmental and public health impacts caused by poorly functioning liquid and solid waste management systems.