CASE STUDY ON URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN
BLOCK H AND L, NORTH NAZIMABAD, KARACHI
M A N H A M M A D H AYAT K H A N
OBJECTIVE
The presentation examines the urban development and its impact in Bock H
and L, North Nazimabad, Karachi. As North Nazimabad is of the well
planned localities of Karachi and in terms of aesthetics, amenities, and
grandeur, no other locality in Pakistan could match the town planning of
North Nazimbad.
The increase in commercialization and demand of housing in North
Nazimabad Block H and L, the planned blocks are now facing urban
challenges in terms of traffic jams, parking issues, noise pollution, inadequate
water supply, drainage problems and congestion.
INTRODUCTION
• The world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth
• By 2030, almost 5 billion people will be living in towns and cities, with urban
development concentrated in Africa and Asia
• By 2030, it is estimated that nearly half of the Pakistan’s population will be living in the
urban areas and about 17 cities will have a population of more than one million
• The increase in urban population is attributed to either continued rural to urban
migration or natural increase
• As a consequence of the above increase in population the urban living conditions are
under great pressure
• Karachi, the economic hub of Pakistan is also going through the process of urban
development and thus facing urban challenges
INTRODUCTION
• Pakistan’s current population is about one-third urban. However, that figure will
rise to nearly 50% by 2025.
• More than 60 percent of the population of urban Sindh lives in Karachi and this
concentration has increased over time.
• Karachi is growing so fast that estimates of its population range from 12 million
to 18 million.
NORTH NAZIMABAD
• In 2001, North Nazimabad was declared as one of the 18 towns of Karachi
• Locality / Township of North Nazimabad was planned to house Federal government
employees when Karachi was capital of Pakistan
• In 1962, the capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad and the planned neighborhood of
North Nazimabad became available to general public instead of originally planned employees
of Federal government only
North Nazimabad Town
Boundary of North
Nazimabad
NORTH NAZIMABAD
• North Nazimabad consists of 20 residential blocks identified with alphabets from A to T
• North Nazimabad of today boasts of at least four First-Class cricket grounds, several
hospitals, a medical and dental university, several higher secondary colleges, Taimuria library,
several parks and sustained commercial activity which makes it a complete city within the
city.
BLOCK H & L PROFILE (STUDY AREA)
• The 1 km long and 150 feet wide strip between Block H and L of North Nazimabad known
as Shahra-e-Jahangir has been developed as a vibrant urban space.
• This strip is also experiencing growth as well, and multistory towers are seen to change the
skyline of a previously residential neighborhood.
• Block H and L of North Nazimabad is facing urban problems and challenges due to this
commercialization and development of multistory towers and walkups
LAYOUT PLAN OF BLOCK H AND L, NORTH
NAZIMABAD
METHODOLOGY
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Review of literature
Collection of qualitative and quantitative data through field surveys
Questionnaire
Interviews from residents, shop keepers and booking officers
Capturing photographs and co-ordinates
GIS Mapping
GIS Analysis
Softwares Used; ArcGIS 10.0, AutoCAD 2010, Google Earth Pro
RESULTS
• Block H and L of North Nazimabad of today have lost much of its past glory. like many
localities of big cities, businesses from city center slowly creep into residential areas
• The once peaceful residential locality of North Nazimabad is now fast turning into a
commercial market
• Significant percentage of large size plots (area>400 Sq. yards) of block H and L have seen
change in land use from residential to some private school, private University, marriage
lawns, fast food centers, medical centers
• Another major landuse change in Block H and L of North Nazimabad is the development of
high-rise (multi story) residential buildings
• During survey 7 new high rise projects were identified. Many of them are completed and
booked and residents have started living there and the under construction projects have
already been booked before the foundation has been laid
RESULTS
S.
Project Name
Status
No.
1
Floor
s
Saima Grand
Under
12
Construction
2
Mahnoma
Constructed
1277
Sq.
Yards
7
Heights
3
Area
650
Sq.
Yards
Sheikh Heights
Constructed
10
1250
Sq.
Yards
4
Habib Pride
Constructed
7
600
Sq.
Yards
5
Burj View
Under
12
Construction
6
7
Euro
Clock
Under
Tower
Construction
Ajwa
Under
Apartments
Construction
1200
Sq.
Yards
7
600
Sq.
Yards
7
1000
Yards
Sq.
RESULTS
• Uncontrolled walkups is posing a serious issue of
densification
• The increase in population is highly affecting the
infrastructure of block H and L
• Water supply, electricity supply, drainage,
sanitation is over burdened
• At the other hand there is increase in load on
hospitals, dispensaries, parks, play grounds and
most importantly result in lengthy and frequent
traffic jams
• Many high rises are without parking facilities this
will create traffic jam on the main road as it is
already a food street with no parking facility
Walkups
LAYOUT PLAN OF NORTH NAZIMABAD (BLOCK H
AND L)
COMMERCIALIZATION INCREASES
DEVELOPMENT OF GROUND+1 AND GROUND+2
WALKUPS STARTED
DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH RISES (MULTI STORY)
PROJECTS
RESULTS
Open Spaces
• Open spaces/amenity plots are not developed in a
manner to encourage public use and recreation
• The playgrounds and parks are being encroached
and land mafia is grabbing the land of playground
day by day, reducing its size which can be easily
seen in yellow polygons
Encroachment on open
spaces
RESULTS
• Irregular Land use, Such as batching plants in amenity plots is creating
environmental pollution and utilizing public space. Marriage lawn on Sharah-eJahangir, is too narrow to accommodate flash in flux of arriving and departing
guests
Batching plant in a JAFCO
cricket ground near LandiKotal roundabout
White house marriage lawn
on main shahra-e-jahangir
road
PROPOSALS
• Commercialization of strip has created a disjoint in land use and density
• A large scale solution is needed to tackle this rupture in the overall city’s
urban fabric
• The planning agency could create a system of area wise land pooling where
successful commercialization has taken place
• The Authority Managed land pooling system could create transition zones
such as walkups, plazas, parks between multistory and residential
neighborhoods
• It is proposed that in order to retain the quality of the neighborhood
authority incentivized land pooling schemes should be launched.
PROPOSALS
• Transitional zones could be created to ease the stark differences and densities of
development. Parallel roads could be established to create a shunt to separate
residential and thoroughfare traffic.
Transition Zone
PROPOSALS
• Regularization of illegal land use can be curtailed by creating a public vigilance cell where
complaints about illegal land use/ construction could be reported and hence the local
Authority observer kept under check
• To increase development of new public amenities such as parks and cater for expansion of
such facilities, the authority will have to ameliorate and amortize some plots.
There are two types
 Illegally occupied to be returned to amenity
 Legally occupied to be consumed by amenity
• Illegal occupants can be relocated in peri urban localities where planning agency would
provide tenured housing units
• Legal occupants could be bought out on market value, this could be achieved by creating a
one time tax to residents of the block, or spread over a period of 3-5 years
PROPOSALS
CONCLUSION
• Monetary value increase due to
qualitative amendments
The solution
must be
identified in
terms of
• Political Gain and Leverage
• The gain from inclusive solutions
(law & order and lack of court
interventions)