Karachi suffers from a lack of public space that would bring people together
KARACHI: Do you know who your neighbour is? This is a question that many people in the present day world have difficulty answering. Each day, numerous neighbourhoods across Karachi struggle as a consequence of economic instability, diminishing resources, unemployment and political complexities. Social bonds among neighbours are under stress and in many communities, a sense of community is severely lacking. While there may not be a magic bullet to solve our complex social, economic and environmental challenges, there is promising potential in a seemingly unexpected spot: public places. By taking a people-centric approach to creating and revitalising our public places — neighbourhood parks, community markets and downtown squares — we have the potential to truly transform the hearts of our local communities.
Superficially, it’s simple to look at great public places and see them as nothing more than well-designed physical locations. But beneath the surface, these places can be so much more. They are locations where the community may come to live, where people feel rejuvenated, where bonds among neighbours are reinforced and where a sense of belonging is nurtured. They are locations that spark economic development and drive environmental sustainability. The future of our communities and cities depend on great public places and more specifically, on ‘placemaking’, a powerful approach to creating and revitalising public spaces around the specific needs and desires of the community. I like to think of it as crowd-sourcing meets urban and community planning.
According to the Project for Public Spaces, the pioneers of this approach, ‘placemaking’ is “the art and science of developing public spaces that attract people, build community by bringing people together, and create local identity.” The exceptionality of this method lies in its emphasis on putting people’s needs and aspirations first in the process of designing and improving public spaces. It recognises that while planners can give a place structure and access, it is the community that gives it heart and vivacity. Ultimately, ‘placemaking’ creates public places for the community with the community.
Karachi suffers from a lack of public space that would bring people together. After all, what defines the character of a city is its public space, not its private space.
Hana Khalid
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2017.
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