The institutional and urban design of Gwadar City

This study on Gwadar City explores the optimal administrative structure and policy initiatives feeding into its urban design, that can help spur economic growth in the region, along the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The study will carry out a review of success and failure of new economic cities and special economic zones (SEZs) around the world, supplemented by primary (qualitative) data collected from the city under investigation, Gwadar. As a result, the study will conclude with viable policy recommendations regarding effective institutional structures for the city and governance mechanisms that will help the city realise its strategic aims.

The institutional framework and urban design of cities in today’s world is key to their future prosperity as centres of intellectual excellence and as propellers of global economic growth. Our study of urban design will consider ways to construct a competitive and efficient city borrowing from literature that focuses on examples from other countries that have undertaken similar projects. However, the study will give a due consideration to the local context of Gwadar city.

Our overall aim is to study policies and structures that will lead to the creation of a city that is not only friendly to businesses but equally rewarding in its cultural and communal character to its local inhabitants and new settlers. We expect that this research will open this field of study to greater exploration so that in time there may be ample work on this topic within the country. Our research will be helpful to policymakers who will define the future of Gwadar and to analysts and students who are interested in the intersectional study of urbanisation, economic growth, and the setup of SEZs.