Topophilia, a word I have recently discovered, means the love of or emotional connection with a place. This word perfectly captures the attachment many Pakistanis have to their cities. Ask a Lahori about their hometown, and their eyes light up as they describe the grandeur of Badshahi Masjid at sunset. Mention Karachi to its residents, and they’ll transport you to Burns Road, where the sizzle of kebabs and wafting aroma of fresh naan tell stories about the city’s soul.
Yet beneath this cultural vibrancy, our cities face mounting pressures. Pakistan’s urban centres are expanding at an incredible pace. No wonder the country has the highest rates of urbanisation in South Asia. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics found that 40 percent of the country’s population now lives in urban areas. According to United Nations Development Programme projections, half of the nation’s population will soon be living in its cities.
The rural-urban migration is converting metropolitan areas into mega cities, stretching both demographically and geographically. People from rural areas are increasingly moving to the cities on account of socioeconomic pressures and climate change vulnerabilities.
While urbanisation is sometimes celebrated as a marker of development and growth, rapid expansion of cities brings new challenges with it. From overstretched resources to the housing crisis to environmental degeneration and an increase in criminal activity — the list is extensive. In many cases the development and spread of a city is without central planning.
This population shift follows a clear pattern, driven by economic disparities between urban and rural Pakistan. The economic magnetism of mega-cities like Lahore and Karachi creates a self-reinforcing cycle. These urban centres receive disproportionate funds compared to surrounding districts, drawing waves of rural migrants seeking better lives, attracted by employment opportunities absent in rural areas.
As populations swell, city resources strain under pressure. Water supply, electricity and housing shortages become more common. This leads to rushed, short-term solutions that cost much more than strategic planning might have.
Traffic congestion exemplifies this crisis. In major cities, daily commutes stretch longer each year as roads become increasingly congested. The default response has been to pour more concrete: wider roads, taller bridges and deeper underpasses, often at the expense of the city’s green spaces.
Historic trees along Lahore’s Canal Road and Karachi’s old neighbourhoods have been felled for road expansion projects. Despite billions spent on these infrastructure projects, the congestion persists and often worsens. What Pakistan’s cities truly need is a fundamental shift toward sustainable urban planning that prioritises community needs.
Rather than continuing this cycle of costly road expansion, the World Bank advocates for an alternative approach through transit-oriented development (TOD). This strategy reimagines urban spaces around efficient public transportation networks, prioritising walkability and cycling infrastructure alongside mass transit systems.
By integrating economic hubs and residential areas around transit stations, TOD offers multiple benefits such as reduced traffic congestion, lower pollution levels, improved mobility and stronger local economies. Cities become more accessible, sustainable and liveable when designed around people rather than vehicles. A report by IGC reveals that with the introduction of the transit line in Lahore, there was a 24 percent increase in public transport use among commuters in nearby areas, with approximately 35,000 commuters switching to public transit citywide – depicting that residents opt for public transportation if it is available to them.
As populations swell, city resources strain under pressure, with water, electricity and housing shortages becoming increasingly common. This leads to rushed, short-term solutions rather than strategic planning.Traffic congestion exemplifies this crisis.
Beyond infrastructure and congestion, Pakistan’s cities face a more subtle but equally serious threat in the form of the urban heat island effect. While climate change impacts dominate environmental discussions, this localised phenomenon of cities trapping and intensifying heat has received far less than deserved attention.
Evidence shows that urban centres in Pakistan consistently record higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas, a disparity that strains public health systems, hampers economic activity and diminishes residents’ quality of life. In Islamabad, for instance, residents describe experiencing “spring during January,” as winter temperatures rise, and traditional rainfall patterns shift dramatically.
Historically, Pakistan has approached environmental challenges reactively, implementing solutions only after problems become severe, leaving most wondering why a proactive approach is not undertaken to prevent the problem in the first place. The urban heat crisis, however, requires immediate preventive action before our cities grow more unliveable and turn into “ovens during the summers.”
The solution lies in reimagining our urban landscape through green infrastructure, approaches that work in harmony with natural ecosystems rather than against them. This means moving beyond merely preserving existing trees to strategically developing urban forests and green spaces across cities. Well-designed parks, gardens and green roofs transform urban areas in multiple ways. They create natural cooling zones, generate jobs in environmental sectors and improve the overall community well-being.
Some cities are beginning to recognise and address these environmental challenges through policy interventions. In 2023, Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority took a significant step by mandating rainwater harvesting wells for all housing units in response to declining groundwater levels.
Through rainwater harvesting wells, not only will users be able to use the stored rainwater, they will also be helping recharge the group water supply.
Despite its reputation as Pakistan’s first planned city, Islamabad’s rapid growth has overwhelmed its original design. Development has spilled into surrounding areas, with new housing societies scrambling to associate themselves with the capital rather than Rawalpindi. This uncontrolled expansion strains essential services and accelerates environmental degradation, as evidenced by the city’s growing water scarcity — the very issue its new rainwater harvesting policy aims to address.
These challenges highlight that urban sustainability requires action from all stakeholders, not just policymakers and planners. The cost of inaction is higher than the cost of investment. If the urban sprawl is not addressed, it will be catastrophic.
For cities to become people-centric, sustainable and prosperous, citizens must actively participate in shaping their cities’ future through responsible resource use and community engagement. While well-managed public spaces can transform urban areas into hubs of innovation and social connection, lasting solutions must extend beyond city borders.
Developing rural and peri-urban areas is crucial to reduce the magnetic pull of major cities and create a more balanced, sustainable urban future for Pakistan. At the end of the day, all this should be based on the hope that cities remain a gateway to happiness for residents, with topophilia only increasing with time.
The writer, a UCL and LUMS alumnus, works at Oxford Policy Management and is a co-founder of HamSukhan, a community-based learning platform.
