World Urbanism Day or more explicitly, “World Town Planning Day,” is celebrated on November 8, every year. Historically, it was established in 1949 by Professor Carlos Maria Della Paolera from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The pivotal concern of this celebration is to recognise and endorse the vitality of the urban planning profession for the sustainability of this planet. The portrayal of global perspectives and modern planning ideas for the international community is the principle charter behind this celebration. World Town Planning Day sets a backdrop for the policymakers and urban managers to view the contemporary daunting challenges of the modern world through planning eyes.
Several international organisations and associations celebrate this day for the promotion of healthy and livable communities. This day provides a platform to launch awareness campaigns among human communities, public policymakers, politicians, researchers and business communities. Over the years, local communities’ empowerment in planning and managing local problems has emerged as a new theme for the planning profession. The awareness regarding the fruits of advocacy planning is pivotal and the need of the hour to curb economic disparities among various social classes.
Every year, urban planners, over the globe, celebrate this day to educate and elucidate the present-day challenges of rapid urbanisation and the unprecedented pace of population growth. But on the other side of the coin, the urbanisation boom has knocked the doors of world think tanks, urban planners and international organisations with multiple socioeconomic, geopolitical and environmental challenges. Presently, 55 per cent of the global humanity is living in urban settlements and it is predicted to approach 68 per cent by 2050. The UN report highlighted that by 2050, two out of every three people will reside in cities. A meteoric rise in the global urban population will further accelerate due to the addition of 2.5 billion people by 2050 and conspicuously, more than 90 per cent increase will unfold in Asia and Africa.
In the case of Pakistan, demographic trends are changing dramatically. The present annual rate of urbanisation is three per cent in Pakistan, which is the fastest among other South Asian countries. Population and Housing census of 2017 has revealed very interesting facts and figures concerning major cities. Remarkably, Pakistan has 10 metropolises with more than one million populations.
Karachi and Lahore have merged as megacities and exceed the 10-million-population benchmark for being a megacity. Contrary to that, the sixth most populous country in the world is still lacking urban planning policies and legislation. Resultantly, knotty challenges are prevailing in the country. Cities are encroaching upon agriculture zones while there is urban sprawl, traffic congestion, smog, heat waves, deforestation, poor health conditions, a proliferation of slums, informal housing developments and an economic crisis due to unplanned urbanisation.
Pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the world, still lacks urban planning policies and legislation
By considering all aforementioned problems of unplanned urbanisation, this year in Pakistan, various planning associations have joined hands for highlighting the need of town and country planning legislation; conveying revolutionary measures in the real-estate sector through a digitalisation of land use and launching young town planners’ association for raising voice for young planners and their employment crisis.
With this motivation, the urban planning community has celebrated World Town Planning Day at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, with the special theme “Urban Planning Emergency.”
Pakistan Institute of Planners, Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, Young Town Planners’ Association, Graana (a real-estate company) and National University of Science and Technology are striving to highlight the urgency and exigencies of the urban planning profession for sustainable development of Pakistan.
Presently, Pakistan is suffering from several climatic changes like heatwaves, urban flash flooding, smog in major cities, traffic congestion, which are calling the attention of the sitting government. Regrettably, the repercussions of unplanned urban development are horrible and inserting pressure on all spheres of life.
The urban planning community demand legal urban planning framework for the induction of professional city planners in various state ministries like the ministry of planning and development reforms and its allied department, the ministry of climate change, the ministry of housing and urban development, the ministry of local government and community development, Naya Pakistan Housing Authority and all subordinate departments.
The champions of treasury benches have promised in their political campaigns of Naya Pakistan for the development of strong state institutions based on professional human resources. For the sustainable, environment-friendly and economically advanced Pakistan, there is a dire need to bring town and country planning and empower urban planning professionals in urban and regional affairs.
The writer is an urban planner and an MSc scholar in Public Policy and Management at the Corvinus University of Budapest