City Profile: Faisalabad, Pakistan
Javed, Nasir
City Profile: Faisalabad, Pakistan - Sage, 2019. - Vol 10, Issue 2, 2019 (233–254 p.)
The urban scape of Faisalabad is shaped by factors that have affected the urban story of Pakistan in
general, and that of the city in particular. At the national level, these include the development of the
irrigation system in the late nineteenth century, followed by partition of India and the mass migration
of over a million people into the new country, industrialization in the 1960s, Indo-Pak and Afghan wars,
massive natural disasters (floods and earthquakes) and the war on terrorism in Afghanistan; each of
these events coupled with the natural increase in population and rural to urban migration have led to
irreversible migration of people into the cities of Pakistan. Against this background, Faisalabad’s centrality in location and nearness to various transport nodes have given rise to several unprecedented
challenges not only in the form of unplanned sprawl but also in the form of shortage of water, housing
and sanitation facilities.
This profile examines the unique challenges and opportunities that are city specific as well as those
that afflict other similar cities in Pakistan or any city in the developing world. This discussion is expected
to help draw lessons and provide solutions to manage cities. The profile also examines the city’s unique
features and comparative advantages, to assess its potential for future growth, so that Faisalabad is
equipped to compete with other large cities in Pakistan and also within the region.
Dynamic industrial city,
cities growth atlas
textile,
urban sprawl,
environmental issues
City Profile: Faisalabad, Pakistan - Sage, 2019. - Vol 10, Issue 2, 2019 (233–254 p.)
The urban scape of Faisalabad is shaped by factors that have affected the urban story of Pakistan in
general, and that of the city in particular. At the national level, these include the development of the
irrigation system in the late nineteenth century, followed by partition of India and the mass migration
of over a million people into the new country, industrialization in the 1960s, Indo-Pak and Afghan wars,
massive natural disasters (floods and earthquakes) and the war on terrorism in Afghanistan; each of
these events coupled with the natural increase in population and rural to urban migration have led to
irreversible migration of people into the cities of Pakistan. Against this background, Faisalabad’s centrality in location and nearness to various transport nodes have given rise to several unprecedented
challenges not only in the form of unplanned sprawl but also in the form of shortage of water, housing
and sanitation facilities.
This profile examines the unique challenges and opportunities that are city specific as well as those
that afflict other similar cities in Pakistan or any city in the developing world. This discussion is expected
to help draw lessons and provide solutions to manage cities. The profile also examines the city’s unique
features and comparative advantages, to assess its potential for future growth, so that Faisalabad is
equipped to compete with other large cities in Pakistan and also within the region.
Dynamic industrial city,
cities growth atlas
textile,
urban sprawl,
environmental issues