History
Greater Karachi Plan 1952
This book is actually a reproduction of the original report published in 1951. [Click here to download the complete book in PDF]
The Churches, Temples, and Shrines of Karachi
This study was initiated by Arif Hasan in 1987 and was carried out until 2010. The research work was conducted by Architect Aqsa Mumtaz. She was assisted by an engineer, Abdul Hakim, from Arif Hasan’s...
The Evolution of Karachi
This presentation is available for download: P04 – The Evolution of Karachi [PDF, 6 MB]
The Lyari Expressway: Citizen’s Concerns and Community Resistance
The Lyari River rises in the foothills of the Kirthar Range. It is a seasonal river and flows only when it rains in its catchment area. Such rains never last for more than ten to...
Lyari Expressway: Citizens Concerns and Community Opposition (Abstract)
The Northern Bypass was proposed by the 1975-85 Karachi Master Plan to create a direct link between the Port and the Super Highway to the north, as a result of which, heavy diesel port related traffic would not have to pass through the city. For a number of reasons, which will be discussed in the paper, the Bypass was not built.
The Changing Face of Karachi
With its chaotic traffic, haphazard planning rampant encroachments, the once elegant and sophisticated heart of Karachi has changed dramatically over the years. Where there were once magnificent sandstone structures, there are now commercial plazas, warehouses...
A Study on Metropolitan Fringe Development in Karachi, Focusing on Informal Land Subdivision
Excerpt from this report: The inadequate and inappropriate response of government policies to the problem of housing the poor has led to the development of what is termed an “informal sector” in housing. This sector...
Karachi’s Disappearing Troughs
Before the mid-1920s, almost all transport in Karachi was animal-drawn. Bullock, donkey and camel carts were used for carrying cargo and as transportation for the poor, while the rich moved around in their horse-drawn victorias...
Another Time, Another Place
In the first quarter of the eighteenth century, Kharak Bunder was an important port on the Arabian Sea, west of present- day Karachi. Although its exact location is disputed, there is considerable evidence to suggest...
A Pedestrian’s Saddar
On February 3, 1839, the HMS Wellesley bombarded the Fort of Manora. In the space of three hours the western arm of the fort was destroyed, and Karachi was enveloped in a cloud of smoke....
