Daily Times

An alarming UN report last month sets alarm bells ringing with a forecast of Pakistan population expected to climb to 403 million by 2050. A country of 210 Million people with an annual growth rate of 2% is heading towards another uncontrolled urban sprawl. Enormous 60% of youth,with 5.8% unemployment rate,unable to findmeans of earning; will relocate to the already congested cities in near future. United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 8 emphasizes on development of sustainable cities and communities. It denotes that 95 % of urban sprawl will take place in developing world; Pakistan with its 40% urban dwellers, already 5th largest populous country is silently entering into another catastrophic era.

SDG 11 gives the solution of aforementioned crises with cheap and affordable housing having all basic life amenities, transport system,sustainable urbanization without disturbing natural heritage. It is in fact a complex challenge which calls for careful human settlement planning in urban designs.

As Aristotle rightly said “A city should be built to give its inhabitants, security and happiness”

Urban planning involves the attempt of using resources,vis-à-vis land, infrastructure and transport in a way to ensure practicable social life with sustainable economy, improved growth and natural beauty. Foreseeing geo-ecologicalbehaviour and managing imminentsociocultural change in a judicious manner is the task which implies imaginative and creative abilities of the planners. It involves all social, economic and cultural disciplines so wisely to produce a “state of the art” living space for its inhabitants.

Adelicate equilibrium of development, conservation, innovation and sustainability in a single project fulfilsenvisaged inthe SDG 11.

Planning,if confronted with natural principles beyond a certain limits remains no more sustainable, unless for the presumption that employed change is unavoidable and has no alternativeoption. Usually urbanization, mining, deforestation and agribusiness are based on these presumptions but unfortunately we have seen our collective attitude towards natureundergoing same presumptions for long. Governess at its best is visible when, even the last tree in a forest is traded to timber markets for the only “otherwise” included in a policy document, that is what we have done to our planning’s till now. Projects are most of the time awarded to third parties in a hurried way, on shared interest basis or just to excel in a competition to inaugurate the project before upcoming elections, irrespective of the long term responsibilities aimed to habitat many generations. Third party development providers are mostly used to of plunging into habitual trick of winning projects on “quick action” and “minimum completion time” basis. Their profit motives hardly allow them to adopt a decision which is in the best interest of natural environment at the cost of top of the list business gains.Resultantly the suffering spans over decades, catastrophes’ go unnoticed and blamed to nature in a silent way. A piece of land used in the wrong place , a housing at the edge of flooding area, hospital in a suburban waste backyard or a community service installed in a far off area that is disconnected to the transport, are the examples when planning fails the whole society.

Admittedly, on operational grounds this is a delicate target due to a number of actors and agendas involved. All sub disciplines require careful understanding and proper discussions for an ideal outcome. A thoughtful design ensures provision of enhanced spaces, sensible security, connectedness, mobility, diversity, capacity fulfilment, on top of all, a contented and easy lifeby amalgamating elegant mix of nature and life. There is much to be learned from medieval town designs i.e. Indus Valley Civilization, for the sustainable future settlement of our masses. It included granaries, warehouses, brick platforms, protective walls, streets in a perfect grid patterns in both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa with world’s first comprehensive sanitation system. It was a sophisticated and advanced urban culture.

Global business organisations and technology industry is investing billions of dollars in innovation. Societies with inbuilt perpetual job provision, green growth, cost effective infrastructure and self-sufficient kitchen gardens are futuristic trends. Palm Jumeirah housing in Dubai is a model project self-sufficient in its energy needs using solar energy and waste water reuse after treatment for its built-in organic farms is attracting millions globally.

To conclude we are already lagging far behind in accommodating masses, it needs urgent attention of policy circles to undergo robust plan implementation to settle upcoming youth in nearby beautiful societiesadjoining innovative small and medium industrial setup. Once again missed, our urban cities will plunge into unavoidable pollution, traffic and resource issues.

The writer is an Agronomist by profession