Pakistan will have to rethink city planning and create resilient green spaces for the future
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said long-term planning was required for urban centres to ensure improved city management, public service delivery and revenue generation.
The Prime Minister said that Lahore city has huge potential for generating revenue and emphasized utilizing prime urban lands that are presently unutilized and are only “dead capital”. He commented while chairing a meeting on road projects aimed at reducing the vehicular traffic burden of Lahore city. He added that revenue generated from prime locations can be utilized for public welfare schemes.
Prime Minister suggested that other urban projects in Lahore be operated on public-private partnership mode on the lines of Ravi Urban Development and Central Business District projects.
The premier earlier suggested that Pakistan must learn urban planning from China to tackle disparity in resource management arising out of rapid population growth.
“Our cities are expanding so rapidly, which will eventually lead to the food crisis and a gradual decrease in green areas. China switched to vertical development and saved their land for food development,” he said.
