According to Hasan, it was never the wish of a common man living in Karachi to be deprived of basic facilities such as the transportation system. PHOTO: FILE
For the development of any mega city, an efficient transportation system is very important, as it can change the shape of the city and determine its land use.
Dr Arif Hasan, a well-known architect and urban planner, said this at a talk, titled Karachi-The housing imperative, organised by Aga Khan University’s Sixth Sense Forum (6sf) on Thursday.
The lecture, in which a large number of students and teachers participated, was part of a series organised by the 6sf.
Sharing interesting pictures, maps and charts during his presentation, Dr Hasan said the political demography of the city has changed because of the sprawling katchi abadis and the inefficient government institutions.
“The Afghan war and the war economy can be linked to the structure of the city and the prominent rise in irregular settlements,” he said. “If the government improves the transportation system, the population would relocate and this could improve the shape of the city.”
He said that with time, Karachi had undergone rapid change with the increase in katchi abadis, which has also changed the social and political behaviour of the society and political demography of the city. In Karachi, around 36 per cent of the total area is utilised for residential purposes, of which 22 per cent of the area is covered with katchi abadis - 62 per cent of which is populated - while 4,000 goths have been established around the city, he added.
According to Hasan, it was never the wish of a common man living in Karachi to be deprived of basic facilities such as the transportation system.
“The role of the city government has been very important in this regard and the segregation of the so-called ‘classes’ of the society have proved to be unwise through the course of time.” It is because of the investors, villagers and local bodies’ nexus and the negligent role of political parties that 150,000 plots have been developed informally, he added.
In the end, the architect encouraged the audience to hold on to the hope of a better Karachi.
He himself showed great optimism that architects and planners will address the problems of the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ