Pakistani cities becoming ‘least livable’ with time: ADB

The Asian Deve­lopment Bank says the livability of cities in Pakistan is decreasing, and urban centres in the country are becoming increasingly inefficient, scoring low on multiple competitiveness indexes, with congestion, unattractiveness and pollution. In an urban development analysis incorporated in the “Pakistan National Urban Assessment Report”, launched on Monday, the ADB pointed out that most urban centres lack a designated downtown area to host and encourage economic, social and cultural activities. The few green spaces in urban centres are disappearing, while any greening projects tend to be concentrated in affluent areas. It further pointed out that public space has been continuously shrinking with the increased sale of public property prompted by the high commercial value of urban land and the growing financial needs of urban authorities, aided by the politician-developer nexus.