Urban sustainability has become a significant challenge globally due to rapidly growing urbanization and industrialization. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the existing urban development trends of metropolitan cities (i.e., Beijing and Karachi) of China and Pakistan in the context of urban sustainability. The development progress in both cities was examined through urban sustainability indices individually and compared with each other. An index system considering 36 indicators was developed based on social, economic, and environmental aspects. The six years (2012–2017) of data used in this study, were obtained from various governmental websites. Furthermore, the Urban Sustainability Index (USI) was evaluated using the statistical standard equal-weighted method. Results revealed that Beijing’s developmental progress is much better than Karachi in terms of socio-economic and environmental development, but there is still a need for improvement. While Karachi faces problems in all three sectors, each indicator of these sectors requires considerable improvement for attaining the top level of the Urban Sustainability Index. However, this study recommends that much attention is needed in the case of Karachi city, whereas Beijing also needs quality advancement in urban development.

Currently, congestion in Karachi’s central business district (CBD) is the result of people driving their cars to work. Consequently, a park and ride (P&R) service has proved successful in decreasing traffic congestion and the difficulty of finding parking spaces from urban centers. The travelers cannot be convinced to shift towards the P&R service without an understanding of their travel behavior. Therefore, a travel behavior survey needs to be conducted to reduce the imbalance between public and private transport. Hence, mode choice models were developed to determine the factors that influence single-occupant vehicle (SOV) travelers’ decision to adopt the P&R service. Data were collected by an adapted self-administered questionnaire. Mode choice models were developed through logistic regression modeling by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. The findings concluded that more than 70%, specifically motorbike users, to avoid mental stress, and to protect the environment are willing to adopt the P&R service. Moreover, to validate the mode choice models, logit model training and a testing approach were used. In conclusion, by overcoming these influencing factors and balancing push and pull measures of travel demand management (TDM), SOV users can be encouraged to shift towards P&R services. Thus, research outcomes can support policymakers in implementing sustainable modes of public transportation.

The study intended to explore planning strategies gaps in ten-year perspective and medium-term development framework plans for agro-based industrial development in secondary cities of Sindh Province, Pakistan. Document review and key informant interviews survey techniques were used for data collection. A total of 30 interviews were conducted from agro-based officials. The SWOT analysis technique was applied for data analysis. The results revealed the weaknesses of high priority for textile and sugar industries, lack of planning strategies for agro-based development in secondary cities, dependency on federal government for development funds and absence of finances to implement plans. The threats were unavailability of strategic agro-based infrastructure facilities in secondary cities, centralized planning system, cross border threats such as the war in Afghanistan and migration of Afghan refugees, weak law and order situation and diversion of development budget for defense activities. The study suggests decentralization of powers and robust planning strategies in the development plans to strengthen secondary cities of Sindh Province economically.

The aim of this study was to critically investigate the planning policy loopholes in five-year (7^th and 8^th) plans of Pakistan to develop agricultural-based industrial sectors in secondary cities of the Sindh Province, Pakistan. The study had conducted key informant interviews from agro-based industrial sectors to diagnose the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the 7^th and 8^th five-year plans. For that purpose, the study had conducted 30 key informant interviews by using the purposive sampling technique. The NVIVO software was used with content analysis method to get results of SWOT of 7^th five-year (1988–1993) and 8^th five-year (1993–1998) plans. The results revealed that high priority is given to the textile and sugar industries. However, there is an absence of planning policies for small and medium agricultural industries in secondary cities, fiscal reliance on central government, and reliance on foreign aid as weaknesses of the plans. Whereas the centralized planning system, political influence of federal government, weak agricultural infrastructure services in secondary cities, and cross-border war were the threats hampered in the execution of development plans. Considering these results, the study suggests development of planning policies in the five-year development plans to stimulate the agriculture industrial development in secondary cities and devolution of powers can help to achieve sustainable agricultural development.

This study is aimed to determine the MLU development factors by executing a Delphi Method (DM). The MLU factors can contribute to the land-use development process in the thickly populated urban centers of developing countries. This is the first study of its type conducted to clarify MLU development factors in urbanized settlements of Sindh province, Pakistan. Karachi and Hyderabad are thickly populated cities in Pakistan where mixed land-use (MLU) development prevails over the years. The DM was attempted in two rounds focusing on the opinion of urban development specialists and academic experts. The experts initially provided a set of forty-two factors identified from the literature. These factors were arranged in a Likert-based questionnaire and determined through the coefficient variation. The prominent factors were identified as household savings, travel costs and low rent, nearby household items and shared utility services, economic vitality, variety in purchasing grocery and shopping items, demographic change and social poverty, accessibility to nearby public services, reduction in commuting time and easy access to restaurants. This proposed research recommends policy implications focusing on identified key parameters of MLU development, such as low carbon exposure, livable environment, and planned municipal system.