KARACHI: KARACHI: THE PLANNING DILEMMA!THE PLANNING DILEMMA!

byby

Dr Noman AhmedDr Noman AhmedProfessor and ChairmanProfessor and Chairman

Department of Architecture and PlanningDepartment of Architecture and PlanningNED University of Engineering and TechnologyNED University of Engineering and Technology

KarachiKarachi

1.1. BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

• Major port industrial commercial city of Pakistan.

• Experienced rapid growth phases.

• Young in age – a short pre British history between 1729-1839 followed by a century of British rule.

• Possessed a population of 435,000 just before the partition of the sub-continent.

• Population multiplied to 2½ times and reached 1,050,000 in 1951 due to exodus of refugees.

• Population continued to expand, far ahead of national averages.

• Being the first capital of the country, it also initially accommodated administrative functions.

• Currently possesses a population of over 19 million (World Urban Population Estimates).

• Primacy of the city has remained intact.

• It provides 15% of GDP, 25% of federal revenue; 50% of the total bank deposits and 72 percent of all the issued banking capital in Pakistan.

2.2. SOME GROUND REALITIESSOME GROUND REALITIES

Social Structure

Fully aware urban young generation (different from migrants and their culture)Fast increasing nuclear families due to young populationIncreasing frustration due to absence of adequate recreational and cultural outlets

Image of the city

Karachi is portrayed as a troubled city with recurring incidences of unrest and agitation. Media images often focus on the negative side of urban life. Foreigners receive cautious travel advices while visiting the city.

Economic setup

Informal sector major provider of employmentLand, real estate and property considered stable form of investmentCash oriented / undocumented economy on the rise Formal economy marginally catering to the society

Physical conditions

Densification of the inner city areas – planned / unplanned neighbourhoods also densifying first Linear growth pattern persisting – illegal land subdivisions continuing without control – ribbon commercialisationSeveral prime relocation projects on the halt.

Infrastructureand services

Water inappropriately managed, distributed and producedNatural creeks and storm drains acting as city sewers – people managing their own internal systemsRecycling industry informally supporting major chunk of urban wasteInformal sector arranges for the public transport to a sizable extent – recent addition being tri-wheelers

Administrative setup

Municipalities losing their management strength – tutelage of province intact Limited management capacity of lower tiersAbsence of representative decision makingCivil administration relying an high sounding high scale development projects.

3.3. REVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESSREVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESS

• Six master plans prepared for the city ever since birth.

• Most of the plans prepared during the post independence period contained useful proposals. They were never notified.

• An adhoc “Package” or programme based approach was followed. Instead of integration, it gave rise to fragmentation and chaos.

• Present approach is also based on the same faulty premise. A packaged set of document and outputs shall emerge from the ongoing Karachi 2020 assignment.

• Planning and development control have been separated by law. SBCO, 1979 still remains enforced.

4.4. FEW PROMINENT DEVELOPMENT TRENDSFEW PROMINENT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

Infrastructure

Institutional capacities shrinking (KWSB-KMC and KESC are clear examples)People resorting to alternatives (own power generation)Transport service on a total break down

Growth pattern

Sprawl along major arterial roads and link roadsWestern and eastern sites major locations of urban expansion

Squatter settlement

Increasing in numberInner city squatters densifyingConsolidating and attempting to improvePeople moving into squatters from planned areas that have become slums

Urban Administration

Not willing to accept ground realities Influenced by interest groupsCentrally governed by provincial and federal governmentsLured by market forces – commercialization policy of major roads an example

View of mini-buses operating on Karachi roads

A view of overloading

Qingchi – and other modes of para transit rising fast

CNG Buses before their maiden take off – A desirable option - Far away from reality

Open field/playground lost due to sewerage disposal

Waste bin not utilised due to its improper design

Water obtained through pumps and transported through carts

Stagnant sewage in a lane

5.5. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS TO BE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE PLANNING PROCESSADDRESSED BY THE PLANNING PROCESSObject Status Some options

Squatter settlement (katchi abadis)

• House more than half of urban dwellers

• Multiplying (over 700 in number)

• Government lacks initiative to control their expansions and alternatives

• Evictions and bull dozing

• Regularisation and upgrading

• Re-location and resettlement

• Workable housing options for the low and middle income groups

Major markets, whole sale and ware housing activity

• Concentrated in inner city areas and adjoining locations

• No possibility of further expansion despite pressing need

• Confront chronic problems of transportation, infra-structural services and conflict within the neighbourhoods

• Concentrated relocation to peri-urban areas (such as along Northern Bypass)

• Dispersal without planning in different parts of city

• Parallel new development (without consulting the existing stakeholders)

Object Status Some options

City centre (Saddar and environs)

• Works as a transit camp• Weak landuse and building control • Break down of infra-structure• Cultural, recreational and social space dying out

• Traffic management leading to decongestion• Protecting existing open spaces, parks and cultural spaces• Upgrading infra-structure • Control on densification

Urban infra-structure (water & sewerage, solid waste power, telephone etc)

• Unequal distribution leading to shortages• Rampant breakdown• Very limited possibility of expansion• Heavy burden of foreign loans• Problem in revenue recovery

• KWSB to become producer of water. Distribution should be unbundled and passed on to town.• KMC to develop, maintain and upgrade existing drains/nullahs. Treatment facilities to be developed along existing conduits.• KESC to adopt standard procedures of regularisation, service provision and billing.• Monitoring of large scale power thefts• Open and standard policy of infrastructure provision

Object Status Some options

Regularisation of illegally built buildings

• More than 1700 buildings await decisions

• Number of such structures rising – little information available

• Pressure from the builders and developers on the rise.

• Professional evaluation of all such cases

• Open standard policy for all such cases

• Vigilance to stop the landuse conversions

No urban planning process at present

• Most of the past plans never acquired legal status

• No planning law to support them

• No united planning agency for the city

• Provincial government should create a unified planning agency for Karachi

• Sindh legislature to re-visit the past proposals of planning laws

• Research based participatory planning process should be initiated

Interest Group

A

Interest Group

B

Interest Group

C

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Politicians / Decision Makers

Planners & Professionals

The nexus of politicians / decision makers with planners / professionals produces the plans / projects / programmes according to their respective desires. The interest groups are not included in the process.

Figure – 1: Existing state of urban & regional planning

Interest Group

B

Interest Group

A

A B

Figure – 2: An ideal scenario – planners, politicians and interest groups have consensus on all the major issues.

C

Politicians / Decision Makers

Planners and Professionals

Politicians / Decision Makers

A

Planners & Professionals

Figure – 3: The interest groups, planners and politicians / decision makers develop mutual understanding on urban & regional planning objectives accommodating differences in interests – a realistic approach to consensus building for urban and regional planning.

C B