Smart Cities in Pakistan
The rate of migration from rural to urban areas is increasing across the world day by day. By 2050, around 70% of the people will be living in cities and Pakistan is no exception in this regard.
There is an emerging need for the cities to get smarter in Pakistan so that it would tackle the issues related to the large scale urbanization.
What is a Smart City?
The picture of a smart city contains a wish list of infrastructure and services that describes his or her level of aspiration. To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens, urban planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban eco-system, which is represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development-institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure. This can be a long term goal and cities can work towards developing such comprehensive infrastructure incrementally, adding on layers of ‘smartness’.
Purpose of Smart Cities
Accordingly, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes. Area-based development will transform existing areas, including slums, into better-planned ones, thereby improving the liveability of the whole City. New areas (greenfield) will be developed around cities to accommodate the expanding population in urban areas. Application of Smart Solutions will enable cities to use technology, information, and data to improve infrastructure and services. Comprehensive development in this way will improve quality of life, create employment and enhance incomes for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, leading to inclusive Cities
What are the benefits of a Smart City?
Smart city technology can help cities operate more efficiently while improving services to citizens and businesses. Smart cities leverage information and communication technologies to enhance service levels, citizen well-being, sustainability, and economic development. Smart city technology can make cities more effective and efficient, which is necessary given the projected rapid growth in urban populations over the next few decades.
Smart City Vision in Pakistan
But, does a country like Pakistan require a smart city?
Yes — Smart cities are required.
In Pakistan, increasing urbanization and rising income trends indicate that by 2030, the percentage of urban population will increase from the current 45 percent to nearly 60 percent. At present, nine cities of the country have populations over 1 million and 75 cities with a population between 100, 000 to 1 million. Urban Pakistan contributes 78 percent of the GDP. So, the need to develop systems and technologies that help city governments manage urban centers better and serve the citizens are becoming crucial over time.
The very basic problem which is inhibiting Pakistan’s growth is poverty. While only 40% of the people live in urban areas, they are the ones who get access to basic amenities like proper sanitation, water supply, well-equipped house, etc. The rest of the citizens living in rural areas are deprived of these.
By launching the Smart Cities Mission, it is believed that many rural areas would be gradually converted into urban areas, thus flourishing these areas with basic life needs.