Jury selects Peshawar for Townscape award 2016

An international jury selected Peshawar for Townscape Awards 2016 thanks largely due to Peshawar’s ‘City Beautification and Uplift Programme.’

The decision to this effect was conveyed to the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by the jury through a letter and the award giving ceremony will be held in Yinchuan, China, on October 29.

The jury was inspired by the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) led KP government to make the provincial metropolis a model city by improving the living condition of the people there.

It was stated that a lot of countries were in the running for winning this competition, wherein Peshawar was elected.

The jury, which selected KP government in the joint session in Fukuoka, Japan, on September 17, consisted of the following four organisers: UN Habitat, Asian Habitat Society, Asian Townscape Design Society and Fukuoka Urban Research Centre.

The jury had set tough criteria for selecting the winning city; the main emphasis was on the developmental strategy which is economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable.

Other key points also included respect for regional culture, history, high artistic quality, becoming a model for other cities, etc.

It is pertinent to mention here that 40 projects under ‘City Beautification and Uplift Programme’ were either completed or in the process of completion.

These included rehabilitation of parks and open spaces, widening of roads, chowks, canals and waterfronts, preservation of historical buildings, tourist sites, public buildings, city entrances, traffic system, food streets and sports and recreation.