Urbanization has the potential to drive productivity, with cities as engines of growth. Cities create opportunities and play a key role in creating jobs, enhancing market competition and improving livability. However, if cities are managed poorly they may become centers of disease, crime, and despair. Considering these opportunities and challenges cities offer, Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) has initiated a research stream on urban and city competitiveness. This report is one of the very few research endeavors in Pakistan to inform the dialogue on cities and urbanization in Pakistan. The importance of such a research has increased manifold as Pakistan’s population is expected to reach 230 million, from today’s 208 million, by 2030. The share of urban population will increase from 36% (2017) to 46.6%, with about 17 cities having populations of more than one million.