The Punjab government will launch its Punjab Spatial Strategy (PSS) soon to facilitate integrated planning in the development process by adding a spatial dimension to the process. The primary aim of the spatial strategy is to equip Punjab with a long-term spatial planning framework. It will ensure integrated spatial planning and its compliance will structurally transform Punjab into an economically developed and sustainable region.
According to a senior official of the Planning and Development, the PSS will vertically integrate planning at provincial, regional and local levels, while coordinating them horizontally amongst various departments. The ultimate aim of this endeavor is to enable the province to move in a unified direction, building on comparative advantages and enhancing competitiveness, while ensuring balanced and organized development across Punjab. The Planning & Development Board is the sponsoring agency for this key intervention while Urban Unit will be the executing agency for this project.
According to Chairman P&D Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani, the Punjab Spatial Strategy was developed through a rigorous process with the help of many subject matter experts and a large team of consultants, planners and GIS practitioners. The spatial strategy was developed thorough input from various stakeholders and consultative sessions were held periodically; including five sessions with academia and private businesses, more than seventeen sessions with various government departments and numerous others were held for public discourse and to have deliberations in the presence of international experts.
The PSS will make the ADP formulation process of the province spatially more informed hence resources will be optimally used and will lead to reducing intra- and inter-regional disparities and ensuring access to economic opportunities. For the implementation of an integrated spatial planning system, a strong implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework is also being planned along with assigned roles for all key public sector stakeholders.
The PSS is expected to have a lasting spatial impact on policymaking, planning and development interventions by both the public and private sectors in Punjab. With spatially allocating investments across Punjab, imbalanced growth would be minimized which currently acts as a serious impediment towards Punjab's perceived future.
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