Half the world’s population now lives in urban locations, the majority of it in towns and secondary cities surrounding metropolitan centers. All these habitations together constitute the economic geography of a region whose health depends on the interactions among its constituent elements.
It is matter of concern that the focus of policymakers in many developing countries remains cities as isolated entities rather than as parts of a network to be optimized. There are rarely any policy or vision statements that articulate the role secondary cities might play in national development. This is a serious omission in countries where the urban transition is underway and the contours of the future are very much in flux. Many different trajectories are possible depending on the policy choices and interventions that are made at this time.
The objective of this research initiative is to highlight the issue of economic geography and to make it a part of academic and public debate in Pakistan.
One of the main objectives is to establish links with representatives of small cities, understand the nature of the connections among cities in a region, agree on a collaborative agenda for research, and find a vehicle for strengthening the voice of small cities in their interactions with provincial and national policymakers.
The project is intended as an exploratory attempt to pilot a new, bottom-up process for the formulation of public policy in Pakistan. Please join us in promoting this process of people-led development.