Abstract

With a population of 16 million, Karachi is the largest megacity in Pakistan. Despite being a large city that is home to many, it has seen a substantial decline in quality of life and economic competitiveness in recent decades. Basic service delivery is very poor, with very low indicators for water supply, sanitation, public transport and public spaces. Pollution levels are high, and the city is vulnerable to disasters and climate change. A highly complex political economy, institutional fragmentation, land contestation, crime and security issues and social exclusion exacerbate these issues and make city management challenging. The Karachi City Diagnostic and Transformation Strategy attempts to present detailed data on the economy, livability and key urban services of the city, by identifying and quantifying the requirements to bridge the services gap in the city. It also proposes pathways towards the transformation of Karachi into a more livable, inclusive and economically competitive city by outlining policy actions that the city can undertake. The first part of the report provides an in-depth review of Karachi and is organized into three themes focused on key aspects of city management: (i) city growth and prosperity – discussing city economy, competitiveness, business environment and poverty; (ii) city livability – discussing urban and spatial planning, urban governance and municipal service delivery (water and sanitation, public transport and solid waste); and (iii) sustainability and inclusiveness – discussing the city’s long term resilience based on fiscal management, disaster resilience and climate change, and social inclusion. In each section, a diagnostic is provided on the issues, along with possible prioritized actions to resolve them. The second part of the report concludes by identifying four pillars for city transformation. These include: (i) building inclusive, coordinated and accountable institutions; (ii) greening Karachi for sustainability and resilience; (iii) leveraging on the city's economic, social and environmental assets; and (iv) creating a smart city through smart policies and technology.

Abstract

The intent of the two competitive cities case studies is to highlight what institutions and strategies successful cities have relied on to spur economic development, under what conditions such success has occurred, and what lessons of this experience might be applicable to decision makers in other cities. This research was prepared by the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) under the auspices of the Social, Urban, Rural, and Resilience Global of the World Bank Group. Its objective is to create a knowledge base on what makes cities competitive, understand job creation at the city level, and capture the unique development experience of Japan for broad dissemination to development practitioners, government officials, academia and the private sector. The team would like to gratefully acknowledge the Government of Japan and its continued support of the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) program.

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to help policymakers improve economic development and job creation in Cameroon’s cities. The report is part of the World Bank’s Technical Assistance project on Enhancing Economic Performance of African Cities, supporting clients in the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), Ministry of Urban Development (MINDHU) and the Urban Metropolitan Councils (Communauté Urbaines), particularly of Douala, Kribi and Bamenda, in the areas of: a) economic analyses and b) institutional support to strengthen their ability to plan and implement relevant reforms. This study utilized various research methodologies including (1) desk based analysis of quantitative data; (2) focus group discussions with over 120 local firms and stakeholders in Douala, Bamenda, Kribi; and (3) institutional analysis of Cameroon’s decentralization framework to identify appropriate institutional mechanisms for promoting local economic development. The report highlights the importance of investing in Cameroon’s cities and makes key recommendations to national and local government for the key investments and reforms needed to improve economic competitiveness and job creation.