Arif Hasan is an architect/planner in private practice in Karachi,dealing with urban planning and development issues in generaland in Asia and Pakistan in particular. He has been involvedwith the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) since 1981. He is also afounding member of the Urban Resource Centre (URC) inKarachi and has been its chair since its inception in 1989.He has written widely on housing and urban issues in Asia,including several books published by Oxford University Pressand several papers published in Environment and Urbanization.He has been a consultant and advisor to many local and foreigncommunity-based organisations, national and internationalNGOs, and bilateral and multilateral donor agencies.
He mainly publishes on his website: www.arifhasan.org Address: Pakistan
In this context, this article tries to identify the changes that are taking place in Karachi. It ... more In this context, this article tries to identify the changes that are taking place in Karachi. It draws upon the observations and experiences of Arif Hasan during his 30 years of work in Orangi and with the Urban Resource Centre (URC) Karachi, in addition to numerous surveys, reports, interviews and studies done by his office; an analysis of present-day trends within the youth and grassroots movements by Dhuha Alvi; an ongoing anthropological study of her family by Khadija Imran; and discussions with visitors, of every category, to Arif Hasan over a period of 40 years.
The trends discussed in this article apply to individuals and groups in all of Karachi, including low-income settlements — except for new settlements on the fringe of the city or groups of juggis [shacks] scattered all over the city. Even within the settlements, individuals and groups have varying levels of exposure to the world around them and, as such, generalisation is difficult.
Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented urban housing crisis.
Low-rise, low-income urban settle... more Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented urban housing crisis. Low-rise, low-income urban settlements are rapidly and informally becoming high-rise, high-density informal settlements, with all the physical, social and environmental problems of unplanned densification. Meanwhile, speculative low-density elite housing is encroaching on the ecological assets of the city. This working paper explores the factors that have led to this crisis – and also what policy actions can be taken to help mitigate it, such as passing legislation to acquire land for low-income settlements, suppressing land speculation and prescribing minimum density for all settlements. Providing affordable credit and house improvement loans for informal settlements will also be crucial, as well as advice on how to use those loans effectively. Appropriate housing standards are also needed so that design and technical advice is available to those involved in the informal and formal densification process, while also establishing criteria for judging the merits of new housing projects. Finally, more research is needed to better understand the processes, actors and dynamics of the evolving informal densification process.
The Malir Expressway is being built on the western bank of the Malir River. There is no doubt in ... more The Malir Expressway is being built on the western bank of the Malir River. There is no doubt in my mind that the Expressway will be completed and unless a major people's movement is launched, housing estates will mushroom on its banks, eating away what little is left of Karachi's green cover. But before we discuss the future of this green cover, we should understand the nature of the Malir river system.
The NDMA and the Karachi local government institutions have widened the nalas of the city and bui... more The NDMA and the Karachi local government institutions have widened the nalas of the city and built embankments along some of them to prevent buildings from being built within the nalas and to prevent soil erosion within them. In the process they have removed 15000 houses that were considered "encroachments" and which were supposedly preventing the flow of water through the nalas. As a result
The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, its socioeconomic wellbeing... more The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, its socioeconomic wellbeing, and the conditions of its human settlements. By themselves, the census figures do not establish trends-that can only be done by comparing previous census figures with the current ones. However, to understand these statistics in the larger context, it is necessary to compare them with statistics of a city of a similar importance and size. In this article, we compare the results of the 1981, 1998, and 2017 censuses and try to determine how Karachi has fared over time. For certain categories, we have compared Karachi's statistics to those of Lahore, and for literacy, educational attainment and marital rates, we have also compared them to those of Delhi. In the conclusions we have tried to reflect the main findings of our work.
This chapter by Arif Hasan offers a nuanced account that predates Partition, and progresses throu... more This chapter by Arif Hasan offers a nuanced account that predates Partition, and progresses through General Zia-ul Haq’s era of Islamization to the present. The chapter describes a rich public entertainment culture in Karachi that was highly multi-classed, multi-ethnic, and cosmopolitan. Hasan thoroughly debunks any nostalgic distortions that suggest that the city’s golden past was ‘golden’ only for a few elites. Karachi’s good times were available to all, although stratified by class. Whilst the Europeanized classes patronized gymkhanas, clubs and commercial hotels, Karachi’s working, merchant and middle classes frequented their own bars, clubs, and cinemas. Around Saddar, a thoroughly mixed clientele enjoyed music halls, stage shows, food establishments, and discotheques. Hasan points to Karachi’s new emerging liberal performing arts, film and literary culture, and asks if it might assist the development of a more unified, progressive public culture, and a transition from the pain...
The alienation of Pakistan's elite from the country's politics,... more The alienation of Pakistan's elite from the country's politics, culture and society, which had its roots in the opposition to ZA Bhutto's populist political culture, gathered pace with the'Islamisation'process under Zia. The resulting isolation and their disengagement from ...
In this context, this article tries to identify the changes that are taking place in Karachi. It ... more In this context, this article tries to identify the changes that are taking place in Karachi. It draws upon the observations and experiences of Arif Hasan during his 30 years of work in Orangi and with the Urban Resource Centre (URC) Karachi, in addition to numerous surveys, reports, interviews and studies done by his office; an analysis of present-day trends within the youth and grassroots movements by Dhuha Alvi; an ongoing anthropological study of her family by Khadija Imran; and discussions with visitors, of every category, to Arif Hasan over a period of 40 years.
The trends discussed in this article apply to individuals and groups in all of Karachi, including low-income settlements — except for new settlements on the fringe of the city or groups of juggis [shacks] scattered all over the city. Even within the settlements, individuals and groups have varying levels of exposure to the world around them and, as such, generalisation is difficult.
Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented urban housing crisis.
Low-rise, low-income urban settle... more Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented urban housing crisis. Low-rise, low-income urban settlements are rapidly and informally becoming high-rise, high-density informal settlements, with all the physical, social and environmental problems of unplanned densification. Meanwhile, speculative low-density elite housing is encroaching on the ecological assets of the city. This working paper explores the factors that have led to this crisis – and also what policy actions can be taken to help mitigate it, such as passing legislation to acquire land for low-income settlements, suppressing land speculation and prescribing minimum density for all settlements. Providing affordable credit and house improvement loans for informal settlements will also be crucial, as well as advice on how to use those loans effectively. Appropriate housing standards are also needed so that design and technical advice is available to those involved in the informal and formal densification process, while also establishing criteria for judging the merits of new housing projects. Finally, more research is needed to better understand the processes, actors and dynamics of the evolving informal densification process.
The Malir Expressway is being built on the western bank of the Malir River. There is no doubt in ... more The Malir Expressway is being built on the western bank of the Malir River. There is no doubt in my mind that the Expressway will be completed and unless a major people's movement is launched, housing estates will mushroom on its banks, eating away what little is left of Karachi's green cover. But before we discuss the future of this green cover, we should understand the nature of the Malir river system.
The NDMA and the Karachi local government institutions have widened the nalas of the city and bui... more The NDMA and the Karachi local government institutions have widened the nalas of the city and built embankments along some of them to prevent buildings from being built within the nalas and to prevent soil erosion within them. In the process they have removed 15000 houses that were considered "encroachments" and which were supposedly preventing the flow of water through the nalas. As a result
The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, its socioeconomic wellbeing... more The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, its socioeconomic wellbeing, and the conditions of its human settlements. By themselves, the census figures do not establish trends-that can only be done by comparing previous census figures with the current ones. However, to understand these statistics in the larger context, it is necessary to compare them with statistics of a city of a similar importance and size. In this article, we compare the results of the 1981, 1998, and 2017 censuses and try to determine how Karachi has fared over time. For certain categories, we have compared Karachi's statistics to those of Lahore, and for literacy, educational attainment and marital rates, we have also compared them to those of Delhi. In the conclusions we have tried to reflect the main findings of our work.
This chapter by Arif Hasan offers a nuanced account that predates Partition, and progresses throu... more This chapter by Arif Hasan offers a nuanced account that predates Partition, and progresses through General Zia-ul Haq’s era of Islamization to the present. The chapter describes a rich public entertainment culture in Karachi that was highly multi-classed, multi-ethnic, and cosmopolitan. Hasan thoroughly debunks any nostalgic distortions that suggest that the city’s golden past was ‘golden’ only for a few elites. Karachi’s good times were available to all, although stratified by class. Whilst the Europeanized classes patronized gymkhanas, clubs and commercial hotels, Karachi’s working, merchant and middle classes frequented their own bars, clubs, and cinemas. Around Saddar, a thoroughly mixed clientele enjoyed music halls, stage shows, food establishments, and discotheques. Hasan points to Karachi’s new emerging liberal performing arts, film and literary culture, and asks if it might assist the development of a more unified, progressive public culture, and a transition from the pain...
The alienation of Pakistan's elite from the country's politics,... more The alienation of Pakistan's elite from the country's politics, culture and society, which had its roots in the opposition to ZA Bhutto's populist political culture, gathered pace with the'Islamisation'process under Zia. The resulting isolation and their disengagement from ...
One of the most pertinent fi ndings of both the qualitative interviews and thequantitative survey... more One of the most pertinent fi ndings of both the qualitative interviews and thequantitative surveys of key respondents was the high number of people living onunleased land or unapproved buildings who did not consider themselves to be poor.Fifty-six percent of the survey respondents who do not consider themselves poor thinkthey earn enough to sustain themselves and their families while 23 percent considerthemselves to be middle class. Some of them are entrepreneurs who are a part of the upper middle class in economicterms and increasing in cultural terms as well. And although their relationship with therest of the population, especially newer residents, is not a friendly one, they continue tolive in katchi abadis [informal settlements] for historic reasons.
The judiciary’s role is supposed to be that of dispensing justice but, in a
country like Pakistan... more The judiciary’s role is supposed to be that of dispensing justice but, in a country like Pakistan, which is deeply marred by political influences of external actors (including the establishment), their role has been subject to controversy and a lack of trust. In this article, we will explore how the judiciary has impacted the development of Karachi through the lens of recent evictions of the city’s poor.
The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, socio-economic wellbeing an... more The census of a country gives us details of its population structure, socio-economic wellbeing and the conditions of its human settlements. By themselves, the census figures do not establish trends — that can only be done by comparing previous census figures with the current ones. However, to understand these statistics in the larger context, it is necessary to compare them with statistics of a city of a similar importance and size. In this article, we compare the results of the 1981, 1998 and 2017 censuses and try to determine how Karachi has fared over time. For certain categories, we have compared Karachi’s statistics to those of Lahore and, for literacy, educational attainment and marital rates, we have also compared them to those of Delhi. Using statistics from the population censuses of Karachi, Lahore and Delhi, we then reflect on the main findings of our work.
A lot has been written about Karachi’s housing reality and problems and in very great detail. How... more A lot has been written about Karachi’s housing reality and problems and in very great detail. However, there are a few issues which need to be elaborated. One is the development of large gated housing estates, mostly on the periphery of the city and the impact they will have on the social and physical environment of Karachi. The other is the way through which land is reclaimed from mangroves and mudflats for low-income housing. These mangroves and mudflats are the nurseries of flora and fauna of the coastal areas. The third is the continuing expansion of pavement hotels and dwellings catering to the low-income groups who do not have a roof over their heads and most of whom, it appears, are migrants.
This article is a result of a study on how the poor view their poverty-unlike most studies where,... more This article is a result of a study on how the poor view their poverty-unlike most studies where, on the basis of a survey, consultants decide what poverty is.
When general elections loom, the one issue that all political parties raise to win over potential... more When general elections loom, the one issue that all political parties raise to win over potential voters is public infrastructure. Plans for building new roads and flyovers (often unnecessarily), and improving existing ones, become part of their largely unfulfilled manifestos. They also talk of education, employment, health and public transport. But in all this, the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle are public washrooms. As per a 2015 UNICEF estimate, 41 million Pakistanis do not have access to a toilet. The absence of public toilets limits the possibility of maintaining a land-use plan, worsens public health and restricts access to education, employment and recreation, especially for women. If we get enough well-kept public toilets, our society will change rapidly. More women from the middle and working classes will be able to conduct business and trade, study, do paid work, and occupy public spaces for leisure. The public spaces housing these toilets will also be frequented much more than they are today, hence fortifying women’s right to the city and nurturing an equitable, gender-sensitive society.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was no such thing as NGOs and civil society. Activists i... more In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was no such thing as NGOs and civil society. Activists in low-income settlements usually formed an association which they got registered under the Societies Act. Things began to change with globalisation and the concepts of neoliberalism and safety nets for the poor. The donors felt that the funds provided for safety nets should be managed by NGOs to prevent corruption and mismanagement, and many of these NGOs became subservient to donor policies and programmes. NGOs have now become the spokespeople for communities, and in the process, many communities have lost the initiative that they once had. It is becoming increasingly necessary that the community leadership takes over their original role and becomes the direct spokesperson of their people in all negotiations with social- and physical-related development.
Public space has now become a buzzword in the world of urban planning. So the term has also filte... more Public space has now become a buzzword in the world of urban planning. So the term has also filtered into Pakistan although there have been individuals and organizations who have been working, against great odds on the issue for decades without using the term. There are many types of urban space. One is a part of a larger city or neighbourhood official plan such as parks and playgrounds. In Karachi as a whole, much of this space has been illegally taken over for real estate development. The other type is acquired by communities for purposes for recreation, entertainment, and economic activity from "leftover" spaces of official planning such as white pavements, around bus stops, and formal markets. If such spaces survive long enough, they become an important part of community life. Yet, another type evolves out of necessity and the absence of options, such as streets in katchi abadis where children play, women socialize, and small neighbourhood businesses establish themselves. Very often, residents block through traffic through the lane, turning it into a protected public space. This article is not specifically about these spaces or their origins. It is about how in elite and middle income areas, public space is being taken over from the public domain for the exclusive use of elite or middle class functions. Also, how in designing and redesigning of public space, government agencies ignore the functions for which the space was originally being used to reflect the politicians, architects, and planners point of view of how such a space should be used and in the process investing in designs that are inappropriate for the public and which require huge maintenance costs which are partly recovered by charging a fee from the visitors.
KARACHI'S pre-Partition mayors and colonial administration placed most of our beautiful instituti... more KARACHI'S pre-Partition mayors and colonial administration placed most of our beautiful institutional and iconic buildings on the axis of important roads. As a result, these buildings, before pollution obscured them from view, could be seen from a distance, making them an integral part of the cityscape. Thus Saint Patricks Cathedral and Christ the King Monument are placed at one end of Shahrah-i-Iraq (previously Clark Street) and the high court's east facade on the other. The west facade of the High Court is on the axis of what is now Shahrah-i-Kamal Ata Turk. Similarly, the Eduljee Dinshaw dispensary lies on the axis of Raja Ghazanfar Ali Road (previously Somerset Street) and is visible all the way from its intersection with Sarwar Shaheed Road (previously Depot Road). Merewether Tower is on the axis of Napier Mole Road and there are many other examples as well The founding fathers of Pakistan also followed the same tradition when they chose the location for the mausoleum of the Quaid. They placed it on the axis of what were then Bunder Road and Bunder Road Extension. These roads, following his burial, were renamed after him. Iconic monuments in Karachi have been hidden from public view. An elevated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) had been proposed on M.A Jinnah Road earlier this year. When it was pointed out by a few citizens that the elevated BRT would obscure the view of the mazar from M.A Jinnah Road, the chief minister of Sindh directed that the BRT be brought down to grade thus preserving the sanctity of the mazar, public space and saving, what is perhaps the most important monument in the city, from being hidden from public view. Among the colonial buildings, Empress Market is undoubtedly the most important, not only for its architecture but also for the fact that various specialised markets within and around it are visited by all classes of citizens, something rare in Karachi. In addition, it is built on the grounds where freedom fighters against colonial rule were blown up from the mouths of cannons by the British in 1857, while their supporters were hanged or deported to the Andaman Islands (known locally as kala pani) to die of starvation and disease. Many of those who were deported belonged to Chanesar Goth. A low key monument in their memory in the precincts of the market would be in order. Empress Market lies on the axis of Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road and was visible all the way from Lucky Star, more than two kilometres away from it. However, next to it and bang in the centre of Karam Ali Talpur Road, a huge shed has been built recently to house a food street. The shed has completely hidden the view of the market building from the entire road on whose axis it had so lovingly been placed. The idea of the food street is most welcome but it could have been done easily without hiding an iconic piece of architecture (whose image is often used to represent the city) from public view. For those who have some aesthetic sensibility, and this includes Saddar shopkeepers and transporters, what has happened to Empress Market is tragic. This and the elevated BRT fiasco
Tharparkar is not like the Sahara Desert. In the valleys between its sand dunes there are million... more Tharparkar is not like the Sahara Desert. In the valleys between its sand dunes there are millions of trees (that nature has created and sustained over centuries) and rainfed agriculture. After the rains its rangeland, known locally as " gowcher " , supports a variety of grasses on which its 6.3 million animals graze. The area of the Tharparkar District is 19,000 square kilometres of which 9,000 has been marked for the Coal Project. Under the Project, different companies will extract coal and turn it into energy. At present the work of Engro is the most advanced. Land for the Project and its various components has to be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act for which only formal land owners can receive compensation and not harris and landless labour. The application of the Land Acquisition Act means that the land owners and local communities lose all future claims to the land. The extraction of coal is through " pit mining ". Pits of over one square kilometre are being excavated to a depth of 120 meters, for that is where the coal lies. The excavated earth is being converted into mounds that can be higher than 40 meters. During excavation three water aquifers are encountered. One is the rainwater aquifer at a depth of around 50 meters, which is in most cases potable. Much of the Thar population has access to it through family or communal dug wells. The second aquifer is saline and is encountered at a depth of around 120 meters. The third aquifer is the deep aquifer which has been created over millions of years and is normally conserved as an asset. To access the coal, water from these aquifers has to be drained out. At present 27 wells are operative, 24 hours of the day, to pump out 30 to 35 million cubic meters of water of the Engro site. Since the water of the potable and saline aquifers is mixed, it is no longer suitable for drinking or agriculture. As a cure, the Project proposes the introduction of crops that can be cultivated using saline water. However, this can only benefit the displaced population and its animals if a major land reform granting them land ownership is implemented. Managing this would take decades and also there is no political will or wish for it. Space for the disposal of the pumped water has also to be found. At present the water from the Engro site alone is being drained to a 1,500 acre depression near the village of Gorono whose resident have been protesting for the last many months against their land being used as storage for what they consider to be poisoned and as such unsafe and unusable water. It is generally agreed that the pit mining process will create air pollution, destroy all trees in the Coal Project area and will also reduce an already over-grazed gowcher substantially. To counter this, the project has an ambitious tree plantation programme. However, to rejuvenate a so thoroughly devastated region and make it available for productive purposes is next to impossible. In the case of USA and China, only 10 to 12 per cent of trees planted under their coal projects have survived and nine million hectares of land have been turned into unproductive deserts.
In Pakistan there is no such thing as social housing. To access shelter one has to access the mar... more In Pakistan there is no such thing as social housing. To access shelter one has to access the market. The poor cannot access the formal market as it is unaffordable to them. It is also not possible for them to get a loan to access the market. To get a loan they need a collateral which they do not have. Alternatively they need to own land on which to build. In addition, they need a formal sector job or a guarantor. There are other issues as well. No loans are available for the purchase of land without which a house cannot be built. Then, the total loan portfolio of the House Building Finance Company is 5.4 billion rupees. This is a drop in the ocean of demand. As a result, the poor acquire land through the informal market through two processes. One, through katchi abadis on state land; and two, through the informal subdivision of agricultural land (ISAL) on the periphery of the urban areas. This is provided to them by an informal developer who is patronised by a local politician or a government department. It is estimated that 50 per cent of all urban households live in these informal settlements.1 The earlier katchi abadis and ISAL were close to the urban centres since they were then small. Today, these centres have expanded and so the informal settlements are far away from the town and city centre and hence far away from places of work, education and health facilities and from areas of recreation. In addition, the cost of land even on the periphery has increased because of demands of a rapidly increasing middle class. Large areas on the periphery are also held by the agriculturists and government agencies for speculation. As such, the low income groups are forced to live beyond these large vacant areas. Often these vacant areas are converted into housing societies whose owners also hold them for speculation. This is clearly visible in the Sindh cities such as, Larkana, Sukkur, Khairpur and Karachi2 where entire schemes are lying vacant for over three decades. Accessing informally developed settlements is also economically less viable than before. Apart from the cost of land, construction and rentals have increased way above the day-wage for unskilled labour. The case of Karachi is given in the table below.
For the last year and a half, the entire nation, led by the media, has been preoccupied with issu... more For the last year and a half, the entire nation, led by the media, has been preoccupied with issues of corruption and misuse of power. New acronyms' and terms previously unimportant are now on everyone's lips. NAB, JIT, ACT and what they represent are subjects of discussion all over the country. Political representatives also speak of nothing else and accuse each other of evil, in ugly and un-dignified terms. Something that could have led to a better understanding between different political parties and state institutions has led to conflict because of the megalomania and narcissism of the protagonists, aided by a controversial Supreme Court judgement. In this process, issues related to desperately needed development issues such as water, sanitation, education, etc, have been put on the back burner and so have the causes of avoidable deaths. Meanwhile, Pakistan struggles with the repercussions of unplanned urbanisation. People die when it rains. They drown or they are electrocuted. This is accepted as normal although flooding takes place at the same place and for the same causes every year. In Karachi, the cause given for it is encroachment by katchi abadis on the natural drainage system. Attempts are often made to remove these encroachments. However, even if they are removed, Karachi will still flood. This is because of encroachments on the outfalls to the drainage system to the sea which for the most part have been encroached upon by formal sector developments. Also, though Karachi's 50 plus large natural drains are still intact, the hundreds of minor drains that fed into them have disappeared and in the absence of a planned drainage system, the roads and neighbourhoods have been turned into drains. The process of eliminating the sub-drains continues unabated. Another major cause of avoidable deaths are road accidents. In Pakistan, it is estimated that 2.7 per cent of 30,000 plus road accidents that take place are fatal. In Karachi, there are more than a thousand fatal accidents yearly. Fatal accidents involving pedestrians in the city have more than doubled after the development of signal-free roads because the design process did not consider pedestrian needs. In addition, buses carrying passengers constantly fall off mountain tracks or trucks overturn because of overloading. The police puts the blame for these accidents on unskilled drivers (60 per cent without licences), over-speeding and overtaking without indication. But there are other reasons also. The public in general is unaware of traffic rules and regulations and also of safety related precautions that need to be taken while navigating traffic. Also, planners do not take into consideration the needs of the poorer sections of society. Over the last five years, regular fires in factories and offices have been reported from all over Pakistan. Usually a short circuit is identified as the cause of the fire. This means that substandard wiring has been used or the electrical system has not been properly designed. The question that arises is why the manufacturing of substandard cables is allowed and who is responsible for the substandard designs.
Profiles of three Pakistani cities are given in this report. These cities are Karachi, Faisalaba... more Profiles of three Pakistani cities are given in this report. These cities are Karachi, Faisalabad and Thatta. Karachi is a mega city. It contains about 9 percent of Pakistan's population and is the country's only port. Faisalabad, established as a market town in 1895, is a major industrial centre, the third largest city in Pakistan and the largest intermediate city in the country. It contains about 1.7 percent of the country's population. Thatta was a large industrial and cultural centre between 300 BC and the mid 18th century. Today the signs of its former glory can only be seen in its extensive ruins. Its present population is no more than 30,000.
There is no dearth of information on Karachi. For Faisalabad the information is less detailed and for Thatta it is almost non existent. The extent and nature of information is directly proportional to the political power of the city and so are the inputs that governments make in the development of physical and social infrastructure in these three cities.
Most programmes developed for the poor in the Third World, in the opinion of the OPP, fail becaus... more Most programmes developed for the poor in the Third World, in the opinion of the OPP, fail because they are designed by professionals who belong to the upper classes and are not fully conversant with the sociology, economics and culture of low income communities or the causes of the conditions in informal settlements. On the other hand, the informal sector, that increasingly caters to the needs of the urban poor in Third World countries, and the urban poor themselves, do not have access to technical research and advice that qualified professionals can give. Subsequently, the development they bring about is substandard and fails to make use of the full potential of informal sector operators and low income communities. Therefore, an arrangement has to be made and institutionalised to enable effective interaction between qualified professionals and research institutions on the one hand, and the informal sector and low income communities on the other. The OPP has succeeded in creating such an arrangement.
Rural to urban migration is taking place on an unprecedented scale. At present, the State has no ... more Rural to urban migration is taking place on an unprecedented scale. At present, the State has no plans for dealing with the migrant influx. It is also not in a position to provide them with homes and their options of living in katchi abadis or ISALs in the absence of the availability of land near the city are becoming difficult due to an increase in cost, distances, and the inconvenience related to commuting. As a result, for the first time in Pakistan’s urban areas (especially in Karachi and the larger cities) we are seeing people sleeping under bridges, on roundabouts, on pavements, and open-air ‘hotels’. The politician-developer nexus is producing gated communities for the elite and middle classes, segregating cities further into rich and poor areas, and thus increasing the possibility of urban conflict. The process of gentrification is taking away space from the public and transferring it to the rich and the middle-class. This is being facilitated by large loans from the international financial institutions leading to massive speculation which needs to be contained. This speculation has put housing beyond the reach of even middle-class young couples. The provincial governments are promoting regularization and improvement of informal settlements. However, through new legislation, they are also promoting their demolition and conversion into medium and high rise apartments through the developers. They feel that this will integrate them into the city. Although finances for such large interventions are not available, and even if they were, they are not feasible for social and political reasons. What is required are house improvement loans for the katchi abadis and technical advice on how to use those loans effectively. This advice can be given to the individual family, neighborhood, or to the contractors working in the low income settlements. The credit facilities available through banks and HBFC are not sufficient to cater to even a fraction of the demand. Without a reform in these institutions and their means of raising and disbursing funds, the situation will not improve. A very important element that needs to be introduced if the housing demand is to be met better is the creation of credit for the purchase of land for individuals as well as small cooperatives.
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Papers by Arif Hasan
The trends discussed in this article apply to individuals and groups in all of Karachi, including low-income settlements — except for new settlements on the fringe of the city or groups of juggis [shacks] scattered all over the city. Even within the settlements, individuals and groups have varying levels of exposure to the world around them and, as such, generalisation is difficult.
Low-rise, low-income urban settlements are rapidly and informally
becoming high-rise, high-density informal settlements, with all
the physical, social and environmental problems of unplanned
densification. Meanwhile, speculative low-density elite housing
is encroaching on the ecological assets of the city. This working
paper explores the factors that have led to this crisis – and also
what policy actions can be taken to help mitigate it, such as
passing legislation to acquire land for low-income settlements,
suppressing land speculation and prescribing minimum density
for all settlements. Providing affordable credit and house
improvement loans for informal settlements will also be crucial, as
well as advice on how to use those loans effectively. Appropriate
housing standards are also needed so that design and technical
advice is available to those involved in the informal and formal
densification process, while also establishing criteria for judging
the merits of new housing projects. Finally, more research is
needed to better understand the processes, actors and dynamics
of the evolving informal densification process.
The trends discussed in this article apply to individuals and groups in all of Karachi, including low-income settlements — except for new settlements on the fringe of the city or groups of juggis [shacks] scattered all over the city. Even within the settlements, individuals and groups have varying levels of exposure to the world around them and, as such, generalisation is difficult.
Low-rise, low-income urban settlements are rapidly and informally
becoming high-rise, high-density informal settlements, with all
the physical, social and environmental problems of unplanned
densification. Meanwhile, speculative low-density elite housing
is encroaching on the ecological assets of the city. This working
paper explores the factors that have led to this crisis – and also
what policy actions can be taken to help mitigate it, such as
passing legislation to acquire land for low-income settlements,
suppressing land speculation and prescribing minimum density
for all settlements. Providing affordable credit and house
improvement loans for informal settlements will also be crucial, as
well as advice on how to use those loans effectively. Appropriate
housing standards are also needed so that design and technical
advice is available to those involved in the informal and formal
densification process, while also establishing criteria for judging
the merits of new housing projects. Finally, more research is
needed to better understand the processes, actors and dynamics
of the evolving informal densification process.
Some of them are entrepreneurs who are a part of the upper middle class in economicterms and increasing in cultural terms as well. And although their relationship with therest of the population, especially newer residents, is not a friendly one, they continue tolive in katchi abadis [informal settlements] for historic reasons.
country like Pakistan, which is deeply marred by political influences of
external actors (including the establishment), their role has been subject to
controversy and a lack of trust. In this article, we will explore how the
judiciary has impacted the development of Karachi through the lens of recent
evictions of the city’s poor.
There is no dearth of information on Karachi. For Faisalabad the information is less detailed and for Thatta it is almost non existent. The extent and nature of information is directly proportional to the political power of the city and so are the inputs that governments make in the development of physical and social infrastructure in these three cities.
The politician-developer nexus is producing gated communities for the elite and middle classes, segregating cities further into rich and poor areas, and thus increasing the possibility of urban conflict. The process of gentrification is taking away space from the public and transferring it to the rich and the middle-class. This is being facilitated by large loans from the international financial institutions leading to massive speculation which needs to be contained. This speculation has put housing beyond the reach of even middle-class young couples.
The provincial governments are promoting regularization and improvement of informal settlements. However, through new legislation, they are also promoting their demolition and conversion into medium and high rise apartments through the developers. They feel that this will integrate them into the city. Although finances for such large interventions are not available, and even if they were, they are not feasible for social and political reasons. What is required are house improvement loans for the katchi abadis and technical advice on how to use those loans effectively. This advice can be given to the individual family, neighborhood, or to the contractors working in the low income settlements.
The credit facilities available through banks and HBFC are not sufficient to cater to even a fraction of the demand. Without a reform in these institutions and their means of raising and disbursing funds, the situation will not improve. A very important element that needs to be introduced if the housing demand is to be met better is the creation of credit for the purchase of land for individuals as well as small cooperatives.