Cities for ALL: Podcast Series

How we move through a city can shape our access to education, employment, healthcare, safety, and opportunity. But do our cities allow everyone to move freely, safely, and with dignity?

In this episode of Shehr Sub Kay Liye | Cities for ALL, we explore public transport and urban mobility through the experiences of women, persons with disabilities, elderly citizens, and low-income workers.

From car-centric development and inaccessible infrastructure to public transport, safety, first-mile connectivity, and the future of inclusive mobility, we ask a fundamental question:

Who do our cities actually move, and who do they leave behind?

Featuring Jaisha Mubashir, architect, researcher and founder of Shehr for Her, and Danyal Adam Khan, urban governance specialist, the conversation looks beyond roads and routes to explore mobility as a question of access, dignity, equity, and justice.

Because a city moves well only when all of its people can move safely, affordably, and with dignity.

Our cities are more than roads and buildings. They are stories, memories, traditions, and the people who make them feel like home.

In this episode, Annie Idrees Kunwar, Artist and Architect, and Shiraz Hassan, Journalist, join us to explore the relationship between heritage, culture, and urban transformation.

From historic neighbourhoods and traditional architecture to local crafts, public spaces, and indigenous knowledge, we ask an important question: Can our cities progress without losing their identity?

As our cities continue to change, how can we preserve the places and traditions that connect us to our roots while creating more sustainable and inclusive urban futures?

Because protecting our heritage is not just about preserving the past. It is about ensuring future generations inherit cities where they can still feel connected, inspired, and at home.

Who are our cities really built for? Can everyone feel safe, access public spaces, and participate equally in urban life?

In this episode of **Shehr Sub Kay Liye | Cities for ALL**, we explore how urban planning shapes the everyday experiences of women, persons with disabilities, older citizens, and underprivileged communities.

Joined by Ms. Almas Shakoor, Director of Shehersaaz, and Zeeshan Shafquat Malik, entrepreneur and communications professional, we discuss the barriers that make cities inaccessible, the importance of community participation, and how inclusive planning can create safer, more equitable urban spaces.

From accessible footpaths and safer streets to inclusive public spaces, we ask how cities can be designed with everyone in mind, from the very beginning.

Because a city truly succeeds when everyone feels safe, valued, and included.

What happens when young people take the lead in shaping the future of our cities?

In this episode, we explore the role of youth in creating more inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient cities across Pakistan.

Joined by Sameen Nadeem, storyteller and content creator, and Marium Naveed, urban development practitioner and sustainability advocate, we discuss the challenges young people face in urban spaces, from pollution and unsafe streets to limited green spaces and exclusion from city planning.

From youth-led climate action and community initiatives to reimagining public spaces and sustainable urban development, this conversation explores how young voices can turn ideas into meaningful change. Because young people are not just the future of our cities, they are shaping them today.

Who keeps our cities running, and why are their struggles so often overlooked?

From street cleaners and chai sellers to domestic workers, waste pickers, home-based workers, and daily-wage labourers, countless people sustain our cities every day. Yet many work without secure incomes, social protection, safe working conditions, or recognition.

In this episode of Shehr Sub Kay Liye | Cities for ALL, we explore the realities of urban livelihoods with Asad Mehmood, labour rights activist, trade union leader, and General Secretary of the Pakistan Workers Federation.

The conversation examines the often-invisible role of informal workers, the unequal burden of unpaid care work on women, the challenges of securing labour rights, and the growing impact of heatwaves, floods, and economic pressures on vulnerable communities. It also asks an important question: can our cities become climate-resilient and more inclusive without protecting the people whose work keeps them alive?

From recognising informal labour to strengthening workers’ rights and creating fairer urban policies, this episode explores what it takes to build cities where every livelihood matters and everyone can live and work with dignity.

Because a city’s true wealth lies not just in its roads and buildings, but in the well-being of the people who make it function.