Articles
State of Transport
THE Sindh government’s Karachi Mass Transit Plan 2030 contains six bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors. At a well-attended public meeting arranged by the Sindh Environment Protection Agency, the Mass Transit Master Plan and the Environment...
Urban Land Reform
OVER the last two years, there have been numerous seminars, workshops and happenings around Karachi issues. The dominant theme has been one of nostalgia. Senior citizens have spoken about a once liberal city of bars,...
Whither Karachi?
Karachi is a rich city. It feeds, houses, provides water, electricity, transport and health and education facilities (however inadequate) to over 20 million people. It also provides support through remittances to an even larger population....
Thar, Drought and Change
Rainfall figures over the last 100 years tell us that drought is no stranger to Thar. However, over centuries, Tharri society has devised ways to deal with it. One is migration to the barrage areas...
The Karachi Circular Railway Imperatives
The likelihood of the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is the best infrastructure related news that Karachi has had since the preparation of the 1975-85 Karachi Master Plan. All efforts should be made...
Karachi’s Changing Demography and its Planning Related Repercussions
If the 2011 pre-census house count and its analysis for Karachi is to be believed, then Karachi’s population increased from 9.8 million to 21.2 million between 1998 and 2011. This makes Karachi the fastest growing...
Architecture Then and Now – Some Thoughts
Today the practicing architect has many more clients than just the state and the elite. The state a still there, but is receding. The elite have been replaced by the rich. In addition, there is an expanding corporate sector, developers, NGOs serving the poor, and the poor themselves.
The Impending Migration
IF the reported preliminary results of the 2011 Pakistan population census are to be believed, Karachi is the fastest-growing city in the world, followed by Mexico City. Its population increased from 9.8 million in 1998...
The Anti-Poor Bias in Planning and Policy
Regional and national conflicts, ethnic and sectarian killings, and the so-called clash of institutions, has understandably pushed the national development debate into the background. However, development related seminars and workshops are still held and they...
How Can This be Changed?
Foreign capital (and local liquidity) has its benefits and must be encouraged. However, it has to fit into a larger development plan based on development principles so that an inclusive and an environmentally-friendly urban environment...
Local Government Reform In Pakistan: Some Issues
The contents of this article are drawn from my personal experiences of working since 1971 in various areas of Pakistan under three different local government’s systems, some literature that I value, and important surveys that...
The Future of Nagarparkar
Nagarparkar, one of the four talukas of the Tharparkar District, is exceptional in scenic, historic and cultural terms for a number of reasons. It contains the dramatic Karunjar Hills, which rise to 300 metres. They...
