Regional Religious Commonalities and Sustainable Urbanism: Lessons for Pakistan

Abstract

Sustainable urbanism in South and Central Asia can be meaningfully discussed within the context of regional religious commonalities, where spiritual ethics and urban order have historically converged to shape environmental and social balance. The first interpretive model, “Comparative Religious Urban Ethics”, analyses how moral frameworks from Zoroastrianism, Gandhara Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam generate an eco-ethical foundation for city life through the values of cleanliness, community responsibility and social justice. The second model, “Historical-Geographical Urban Continuities”, examines the transmission of urban traits from Iran, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan into the territory now called Pakistan, tracing architectural and infrastructural legacies such as gardens, water systems and sacred public spaces that evolved through Persian, Timurid and Mughal influences. The third model, “Integrated Spiritual-Urban Framework”, constructs a contemporary synthesis where faith-based administration of land associates with modern sustainability principles, viewing the human being as a trustee rather than an exploiter of the urban environment. The Quran, Avesta, Milinda Panha and Guru Granth Sahib constitute the primary textual foundations, while secondary references include Catherine B. Asher’s “Architecture of Mughal India” (1992), George Michell and Mumtaz Currim’s “Majesty of Mughal Decoration” (2007), Moritz Herrmann’s “Mughal Architecture” (2011), and D. Fairchild Ruggles’ “Islamic Gardens and Landscapes” (2011). By utilising the theoretical framework of comparative civilisational ethics and eco-urban theory, this study addresses; How can the shared religious and historical foundations of the region guide Pakistan in formulating a spiritually grounded and environmentally sustainable model of urban development?