Articles
The Proposed Densification of Karachi
From press reports, a number of emails and visits from fellow architects, I gather that the government of Sindh has decided to get the KBCA to revise its building byelaws and zoning regulations to increase...
Only Questions: No Answers
I belong to a generation that has lived through many periods of hope: hope that was shattered again and again. One of the reasons why hopes generated in such periods were never realised was our...
The Governance Related Repercussions of Constitutional Deviation
The present political crisis has been discussed to death in the press, and before it was curbed, in the electronic media. However, its governance related repercussions still need to be analysed. The process of trying...
Housing Imperatives for Karachi
Housing is without doubt the most important issue facing the vast majority of people living in Karachi. The failure to resolve it is creating stress, uncertainity and homelessness for the poorer and lower middle class...
Architects, Local Government and Karachi’s Buildings and Public Spaces
A discerning visitor looking at buildings and public space in any city can easily assess four things. These are the state of the architecture and planning professions in the city; the quality of education provided...
Karachi: Changes in Values and Lifestyles
Changes in the social values and lifestyles of the elite and middle classes in Karachi are all too visible; new cars, designer boutiques, fast food outlets, malls, expensive cafes, posh schools and universities in the...
The Karachi Elevated Expressway
The Karachi City Government has decided to build an elevated expressway, called the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad. The Expressway will pass over Moulvi Tamizzuddin Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal. The...
Karachi’s Development and the Principles of Urban Planning
To overcome problems created by massive rural-urban migration, industrialisation, increased trade, a phenomenal rise in the number of vehicles, and their related environmental and socio-economic repercussions, Third World cities and governments have invested huge amounts...
What Karachi Requires
The Local Body Ordinance was imposed on us by an unelected government in 2001. It was supposed to be the panacea for all our governance and development related problems. Through indirect voting in a ruthlessly...
IFI Loans and the Failure of Urban Development
Between 1976 and 2003, the government of Pakistan has taken loans from International Financial Institutions (IFIs) for urban development projects. These loans amount to US$ 1,472.44 million (Rs 88.346 billion) and most of them have...
