IVS students plan for a greener Karachi

Students also presented techniques for walkability, bicycling, streetscaping.

KARACHI: In a short span of time, Karachi has developed from a small village of limited precincts into a burgeoning metropolis.

This is how Steve Inskeep describes Karachi’s development in his book The Instant City. The city has expanded exponentially, albeit horizontally, through unplanned development into a bustling space with little thought of providing basic facilities to its residents.

This frustration of living in a haphazard city such as Karachi led the students of Indus Valley School (IVS) to design projects based on the theme of ‘Placemaking,’ within the context of a sustainable city design.

“The idea behind the projects was to conceptualise, re-imagine and present a public space relevant to the requirements of a smart, green and sustainable neighbourhood,” explained IVS visiting faculty member, Farhan Anwar.

The students presented their ideas and plans for specific urban spaces at a presentation ceremony held at the IVS on Monday. They incorporated ideas from various known examples of suitable developments around the world and adapted them into their projects to design urban sites in Karachi.

The first group presented their project based on the sub-theme of ‘Green Infrastructure’. The project was based on the idea of utilising, otherwise wasteful and underdeveloped, spaces in apartment buildings and recreating them into a social space with a pleasant environment.



For this, the students presented the idea of rooftop gardening - a practical method of utilising rooftops given they receive the most sunlight. It also helps save valuable energy by absorbing the heat energy so that the climate stays cooler. Additionally, it provides a much more pleasant breathing atmosphere.

The presentation assessed the educational benefits of the scheme by conveying that young children and adults could partake in gardening activities, which would help evolve their interest. Apart from this, the students suggested using these green spaces as social hubs, where people from the community could gather to socialise.

If rooftop gardens were not enough green space, the students also presented ways to improve the facade and staircases of apartment blocks. They spoke about the different techniques of vertical gardening, which could be implemented to make the idea all the more economical and easier to maintain.

“Sustainable design demands a liberal mindset,” remarked one of the presenters, while talking about how the green spaces would improve the sociability of different people within a community. It is an effort to bury the differences within communities by building a more pleasant environment. “It’s about creating space - social space,” said Anwar.

The other projects were based on the sub-themes of walkability and bicycling, streetscaping and neighbourhood centre design. Similar to the first presentation, the students spoke about recreating spaces to promote living standards through developing spaces. These ideas, if implemented, could possibly make Karachi a better place for all its residents.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.