Summary
Dr. Shahbaz currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (U&RP), NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE) of SCEE. He obtained his PhD in Urban and Public Affairs in 2021 from the University of Louisville, KY, USA. The focus of his doctoral research was an exploration of the nexus between groundwater depletion and intermittent piped water supply, with a particular emphasis on governance perspectives. Dr. Shahbaz delved into examining the role played by both formal and informal institutions in influencing the performance of local water agencies. His research culminated in the proposal of proactive and community-based governance solutions, specifically identified as "Quality of Government as Impartiality" and "State-Reinforced Self-Governance." Building upon the foundation of his doctoral work, he is currently engaged in analysing how a corrupt social-institutional environment impacts community-led piped water supply systems. In addition to his doctoral degree, Dr. Shahbaz holds an MS degree in Transportation Planning (Mobility Management) from Hasselt University, Belgium, and a BSc in City and Regional Planning from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. With a scholarly record comprising over 8 research papers, his current research interests span the domains of water governance, environmental policy, and sustainable urbanism.
Academic Background
PhD
(Sustainability) University of Louisville
August 21, 2017 - December 17, 2021
Honours and Awards
Publications
Community-led water utility governance and corruption: the case of Faisalabad, Pakistan
June 16, 2025
Ecology and Society - Accepted
City branding, discourse and politics: a case study on Compassionate Louisville
July 13, 2024
Place Branding and Public Diplomacy - Pages 1-12
Flood resilience assessment from the perspective of urban (in)formality in Surat, India: Implications for sustainable development
October 27, 2023
Natural Hazards - Pages 1-30
Multidimensional poverty vis-à-vis climate change vulnerability: Empirical evidence from flood-prone rural communities of Charsadda and Nowshera districts in Pakistan
June 01, 2023
World Development Sustainability - Volume 2, Article Number 100064
Inequities in Urban Development Global North Versus South
March 30, 2021
CITY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH JOURNAL - Department of Management Sciences, City University of Science and Information Technology Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
Last-mile travel and bicycle sharing system in small/medium sized cities: user’s preferences investigation using hybrid choice model
December 01, 2019
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing - Volume 10, Issue 12, Pages 4721-4731
Graduate Research Assistant
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
August 01, 2017 - May 31, 2021
Tehsil Population Welfare Officer
Population Welfare Department
August 01, 2014 - September 30, 2015
Assistant Director (Town Planning)
Lahore Development Authority
March 01, 2012 - March 31, 2014
Town Planner
Master Consulting Engg pvt. Ltd
September 01, 2011 - February 29, 2012