I still remember the crisp Islamabad mornings of my childhood—when the air was cleaner, the outdoors were quiet, the trees stood taller, and silence was not unfamiliar. The streets, lined with thick greenery, belonged more to birds than to traffic. We played cricket on open plots where towering plazas now stand, and the sky was visible and full of stars—a sight now blurred by neon lights and smog. Back then, the city’s rhythm was dictated by nature rather than congestion and hurried expansion.

Fast forward to today, and the transformation is jarring. The same roads where I walked with my father are now suffocated by endless vehicles, the trees have given way to concrete, and the city feels overwhelmed by its own growth.

The development was inevitable, but did it have to come at the cost of livability, sustainability, and a sense of belonging? I often ask myself, who truly shapes our cities? Are we, as citizens, passive observers of development – do we have a say in the way our surroundings evolve? Are our cities not just shaped by policies and blueprints or they are shaped by the voices that speak up and the ones that remain silent. How do we reclaim our role in shaping the places we call home? I have tried to compile my random thoughts here in this blog to navigate together with you and find the answers.

In the mid-1980s, when I started my school, Islamabad’s population was just shy of 300,000 residents, mornings were quiet, and its nearly 600 square kilometers of forest cover enveloped the city in a natural cocoon of greenery. My father, serving at Pakistan Post, had relocated our family from Karachi in 1978. I remember those tranquil days vividly: fewer roads, fewer vehicles, a horizon unmarred by towering concrete, and a rhythm to life that was in tune with nature.

Decision-making often prioritizes short-term political gains over long-term sustainability, resulting in hasty infrastructure projects that fail to address systemic issues.

But like many urban centers around the world, Islamabad also faced the inexorable march of urbanization due to migration from rural to urban areas driven by declining agriculture output, lack of employment and business opportunities and a lure for better education and healthcare. By the 1990s, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), embarked on large-scale infrastructure projects to accommodate this growing tide of population. Roads, flyovers, new residential sectors, and commercial zones emerged, offering the promise of modernity. Yet, over the decades, that promise has often fallen short, and the charm of the Islamabad I knew began to erode.

Today, Islamabad is home to over 2.3 million people. New housing societies stretch the city’s borders toward Gujar Khan and Attock. Yet for all this growth, the issues of unplanned development haunt us. Flyovers like those in Faizabad that once seemed futuristic now choke traffic during rush hours. Commercial hubs like I-8 Markaz, developed in the past two decades, stand as monuments to shortsightedness, offering minimal parking despite strict bylaws. Every time I discuss these challenges with family, fellow friends and colleagues, frustration spills over into a familiar refrain; corruption.

The absence of robust urban data frameworks, and lack of anticipatory capacity leaves our cities vulnerable to crises, from traffic congestion and environmental degradation to social inequities and economic shocks for many segments of society.

But corruption alone cannot explain the extent of our urban dysfunction. Systems exist; mechanisms for monitoring and accountability are also in place. The real issue is deeper and more structural—leadership that lacks foresight and the vision for long term and inclusive and sustainable development.

The Governance Dilemma

At the heart of our governance challenges is a lack of vision and citizen-centricity. Planning is fragmented between multiple agencies, each working in silos with minimal coordination. The absence of robust urban data frameworks makes it difficult to anticipate future needs. Decision-making often prioritizes short-term political gains over long-term sustainability, resulting in hasty infrastructure projects that fail to address systemic issues. Furthermore, governance structures remain top-down, with limited opportunities for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the planning and development processes.

Crucially, the training programs for public servants are steeped in routine administration rather than design thinking and problem-solving approaches. The curricula fail to equip public officials with tools for foresight, scenario planning, or adaptive policymaking. This lack of anticipatory capacity leaves our cities vulnerable to crises, from traffic congestion and environmental degradation to social inequities and economic shocks for many segments of society.

A Glimpse into Inclusive Governance

Cities around the world offer powerful examples of how governance can be reimagined to foster inclusivity, resilience, and innovation. In Helsinki, Finland, the use of participatory budgeting allows citizens to directly influence the allocation of public funds, fostering trust and collaboration. Singapore, a city-state with limited resources, has demonstrated how integrating data and foresight into urban planning can drive efficient and sustainable development. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority uses real-time data to anticipate population growth and design adaptive housing and transport systems.

In Medellín, Colombia, once plagued by violence and poverty, the city government transformed governance by prioritizing community inclusion. They introduced a series of “urban acupuncture” projects—targeted interventions in underserved neighborhoods, including libraries, parks, and public transit—designed in consultation with local communities. These projects not only revitalized neighborhoods but also reshaped how citizens engage with governance.

The Path Forward: Citizen Inclusion at the Core

The key takeaway from these examples is the centrality of citizens in the governance process. Governance must move beyond the bureaucratic confines of top-down decision-making. Citizens are not merely beneficiaries of urban policies—they are co-creators. Meaningful inclusion involves engaging them in dialogue, understanding their lived experiences, and incorporating their insights into the planning process. For Islamabad, this means creating platforms for citizen participation in urban planning, from local advisory councils to digital tools that enable feedback on policies and projects.

We must develop leadership capable of anticipatory governance—leaders who can look decades ahead and design systems that serve not just the present but the generations to come. Only then can we ensure that the cities we love remain livable, equitable, and resilient.

Leadership development is equally critical. Accountability Lab’s work in Pakistan is a step in the right direction. Through a structured training program focused on design thinking and foresight, they are helping public servants reframe their approach to governance. However, this needs to be scaled and institutionalized. Training programs should emphasize skills like systems mapping, scenario planning, and stakeholder engagement. Collaborations between government training institutes and organizations like Accountability Lab can accelerate this shift, but they must be complemented by a broader culture change within public institutions.

Recommendations for a Sustainable Development

To build a governance system capable of anticipating and addressing future challenges, the following steps are crucial:

• Government agencies should institutionalize foresight practices, using tools like scenario analysis and trend mapping to anticipate future needs.
• Establish participatory mechanisms, such as town halls, digital platforms, and neighborhood councils, to involve citizens in policymaking and urban design.
• Reform public sector training curricula to focus on anticipatory governance, design thinking, and adaptive policymaking.
• Develop robust data systems to monitor urban growth, environmental impact, and resource allocation. This includes leveraging geographic information systems (GIS), big data analytics and AI.
• Create platforms to strengthen collaboration between government agencies, academia, civil society, and private stakeholders to ensure integrated planning.
• Learn from global cities by prioritizing green infrastructure, transit-oriented development, and energy-efficient and sustainable designs.
• Foster transparency by mandating public disclosures for urban projects and introducing performance audits to ensure compliance.

Islamabad’s story is not unique; it mirrors the challenges of many rapidly urbanizing cities across the Global South. But the lessons are urgent and specific. For decades, we have responded to crises—traffic congestion, resource depletion, overpopulation—with piecemeal solutions that barely hold. If we are to secure a sustainable future for our cities, we must reimagine leadership and governance frameworks. We must develop leaders capable of anticipatory governance—leaders who can look decades ahead and design systems that serve not just the present but the generations to come. Only then can we ensure that the cities we love remain livable, equitable, and resilient.

About the Author: Asif Farooqui is the Director of Programs at the Accountability Lab Pakistan, and can be reached at asif@accountabilitylab.org