URBAN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
Lecture at the
Institute of Engineers, Pakistan
on October 24, 2007 at Islamabad
By
Riaz Akhtar-Urban Planner
“Our towns and cities are facing a multitude of
issues and problems, which are complicated in
nature and are growing in number with every
day passing”
1. Urbanization and Urban Sprawl


Unprecedented pace of urbanization
resulting in increase in size of urban areas
as well as increase in their number.
The level of urbanization in Pakistan has
gone up from 17.8 per cent in 1951 to 32.5
percent in 1998.
Number and Size of Cities in Different years
Year
1981
1998
2007
Source:
No. of cities
No. of cities
No. of cities with
with + 50,000 with + 100,000 + 1.0 million
Population
Population
Population
32
27
5
57
48
7
71
58
7
www.world-gazetteer.com
Reasons
•
•
•
•
Migrations from rural to urban areas,
Migration from smaller to bigger urban areas
Natural increase at a high rate,
Urban expansion and change from rural to
urban
There are both disadvantages as well as
advantages of urban expansion(big cities).
Disadvantages
• Management problems of a big city are an obvious
disadvantage.
• Lack of compact development-uneconomical services
provision.
• The travel costs in terms of distance and time also
increase significantly.
• In social terms big cities are known for not being on
the human scale
• Furthermore, urban expansion is fast converting green
agricultural areas in the suburbs into built up areas.
Advantages
• Cities have now been recognized as Engines of Economic
Growth.
• We can achieve economy of scale in big cities, as the cities
are also consumer markets.
• It is possible to provide highest order urban facilities in big
cities where threshold population to support these facilities
is available.
• Thirdly, a larger variety of services is available in big cities
and a diversification in range of quality can also be
achieved.
• Fourthly, very specialized services can also be available, for
example a Pain Clinic, Allergy Center, Burn Center, Stock
Exchange, international stadium etc.
Appropriate Size of a City
• The spatial distribution of urban services is
perhaps the most dominant criteria identified by
many theorists to determine the best size.
• The urban services including education, health,
employment, commercial areas etc. need to be
provided in a hierarchical manner starting from at
street level to neighborhood level, to district level
and then to the city level and all at appropriate
distances (Diagram).
• City Centre or CBD has traditionally played the role of
area of centralized and specialized services.
• Cities became multiple- nuclei, where there are more
than one city centers. The CBD of Lahore which
covered Anarkali and surrounding areas has been
supported by similar CBDs at Icchra, Liberty and other
local CBDs. This means to have cities within the city.
2.
Housing
• National Housing Policy-2001
• It covers wide range of issues pertaining to
housing and housing and housing related
aspects, but lacks flexibility to address the
changing conditions.
The present backlog of housing in Pakistan in
the said housing policy is estimated to be 4.30
million housing units and annual need for new
housing units is approximately 270,000 units.
• INFORMAL PRIVATE SECTOR
• PUBLIC SECTOR
• FORMAL PRIVATE SECTOR
• Public sector has largely failed to meet the
demand, whereas the performance of the formal
private sector has also been insignificant. It is the
informal private sector, which has contributed
more than 70% in housing stock.
• Area Development Authorities in 10 major urban
centers of Pakistan were established to solve the
urban problems mainly housing, but their share
in the existing housing stock is only fractional.
• Housing for low-income has never been a
significant part of any of the housing programs of
these authorities. On the contrary, they have
mainly catered for the high and middle-income
groups.
• The role of the public sector in the housing policy
has been defined to be only a “facilitator”,
whereas the private sector has to take the lead.
On the contrary the public sector is competing
and not complementing the private sector and as
such acts as a real estate developer.
There has been a BOOM in housing sector as
real estate emerged as profitable option for
investment.
• This boom was more significant after 9-11
incident
• There was a lack of alternate and secure
investment opportunities in Pakistan.
• Corporate banking to consumer banking. The
interest rates decreased from 18% to 8%!!!
Housing finance also become accessible like it
was never before. The finance ceiling also
increased to Rs. 10 millions.
• A mushroom growth of housing projects has
taken place in all the major urban centers
including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
(Data)
• The formal private sector grossly misused the
opportunity which were mostly fake and
frauds. Many of them owned only a small
fraction of land or no land
The formal private sector and housing
development by the Area Development
Authorities have also created significant land
speculation in the real estate market resulting in
a large number of developed plots remained unconstructed in anticipation of better profit.
For example in 1990 more than 300,000
developed plots were lying vacant in Karachi
while there was acute housing shortage at the
same time and at the same place.
Lack of Alternate Investment Opportunities
Hundreds of thousands of people are investing
hundreds of thousands of dollars and rupees
in real estate business.
Pace of Development in Defense Housing Authority,
Lahore as an indicator of Housing Development
Development Phase
Phase-I
Phase-II
Phase-III
Phase-IV
Phase-V
Phase-VI
Phase-VII
Phase-VIII
Phase-IX
Phase-X
Phase-XI
Phase-XII
Date of Development
Early 70’s
Mid 80’s
Early 90’s
Mid 90’s
Late 90’s
Early 2000’s
2003
2004
2004
2004
2004
2004
• It is interesting to see that in all cases the plots
were sold within days after the opening of the
phase. In many cases files were traded and not
the plots.
• During 2004 two persons were killed and few
others injured as a result of scuffle broke out due
the crowd gathered at a bank branch to buy the
allotment forms of Bahria Town.
• Innovative marketing techniques are being use to
attract people to invest, like the Bahria Town
Housing Card and some lottery schemes.
• It is interesting to see that in all cases the
plots were sold within days after the opening
of the phase. In many cases files were traded
and not the plots.
• During 2004 two persons were killed and few
others injured as a result of scuffle broke out
due the crowd gathered at a bank branch to
buy the allotment forms of Bahria Town.
Real Estate Agents Registered with DHA Lahore
Year
2002
No. of Registered
Brokers
75
2004
263
2007
150
Average cost of plot in DHA Lahore Phase-I
Year
1984
Price (Rs. per
Kanal)
200,000
1994
2,000,000
2004
10,000,000
Average Rent of Office Space in
DHA Lahore Phase-I for Property Business
Year
Rent (Rs. per
month)
1994
6,000
2004
40,000
2007
12,000
Impacts of Real Estate Boom
• Increased the land prices in a sky rocketing fashion
• This investment has been made at the cost of investment
in other sectors of economy, This became more critical as
the boom was temporary, superficial, unrealistic and
eventually crashed to adjust itself to actual market
forces.
• The infrastructure development cost in these housing
areas will be an economic waste if they are not built and
occupied for a long time due to heavy costs or lack of
demand in time.
However, this boom has clearly indicated a
great deal of potential in the housing sector,
which is rightly known as multimillion dollar
industry and requires appropriate government
policies to harness this potential and
safeguard private sector investment.
Consumer Banking/Housing Finance
• Shift from corporate banking to consumer banking
• Offering Housing Finance Facilities at lucrative terms
and conditions.
• Interest rate decreased from 18% to just 7.5% a few
years ago which has again taken an upward trend.
• The process of financing has also been easy and swift:
sometimes in less than 24 hours.
• Attractive schemes like, Ghar Asan Scheme, Shandar
Ghar Scheme, Simplified Scheme, Home Address
Scheme, My Home Scheme, Easy Home Scheme etc
Lack of Corresponding Pace of House
Construction
While the real estate market has shown a
remarkable increase, a parallel increase in
house building is not seen.
3.
Slums and Katchi Abadies
The urbanization took place at a rate faster
than the rate at which the municipal agencies
were able to provide different amenities
including, water supply, sewerage, street
pavements, and education, health and
recreation facilities. The result was a
mushroom growth of extremely substandard
residential areas called slums and katchi
abadies or squatter settlements.
• Estimates indicate that as much as 50% of urban
population is without access to safe drinking
water, 60% have no access to sewerage and on
average one third of urban population lives in
these slums and katchi abadies.
• The only serious effort made was during the
regime of late Prime Minister Muhammad Ali
Khan Jonejo in 1985, through the katchi abadi
regularization programme.
• Even 20 years later land titles in all the katchi
abadies have not been awarded nor
development works completed for two main
reasons.
• The Area Development Authorities find the
job less attractive because of lack of large
sums of money involved in project executions.
Many of the katchi abadies have significant
real estate value by virtue of their prime
locations and potential to be sold in open
market for commercial development. Serious
disputes about legitimate titleholders
frequently exist.
• Urban improvement replaced urban renewal and
slum improvement replaced slum clearance
• This was important for two reasons:
• A significant proportion of existing slums could
become healthy living urban settlements keeping
intact the social and cultural fabric.
• A large number of newly developed planned
residential areas were becoming Planned Slums.
Planned Slums
• Planned slums are created in two ways.
• Firstly, plots allotted to low-income are soon sold
to middle and high-income groups with high
demand of services per capita. The services soon
became insufficient causing breakdowns and
eventually converting decent housing areas into
planned slums.
• Planned slums are also created by formal private
sector by not providing the infrastructure
services.
Increase in Population against design population
• When population increases many times more
than the design population, the utility systems
work under pressure and become inadequate
and insufficient and eventually fail completely.
It is also true in case of education, health,
commercial, recreation and other urban
services
Commercialization or Commercial Development
Commercialization
process
is
taking
place
indiscriminately.
• One serious impact of the existing commercialization
process is the acute shortage of off street parking on
almost all the major roads, creating havoc during the
peak traffic hours. The problem is so serious that it is
necessary to prepare TIA (Traffic Impact Assessment) in
addition to EIA of a project.
• Commercialization fee has in fact become a major
source of income for the Area Development
Authorities in the major cities.
Faizabad
Chowk
Shalim ar Trave ls
Legend
LANDUSE
MAP
Landuse Map
Rawalpindi
RAWALPINDI
Nullah
Landuse
Commercial
Park/Ground
Edu Instt.
Pond
Offices
Residential
Godown
Traffic Terminal
Graveyard
Utility
Anjum an-i-Fazul Islam High School
N
Inter Serv ice s
Inte llige nc e
Pindi Ha zara Hote l
W
Surv ey of P akist an
Ojhri Ca mp
Army Surve y G roup
Alis ha n P laza
Jam ia Mas jid G uls ha n Dada n Khan
Hospital
Under Construction
Industry
Vacant
P ublic
Apartm ents
Arie s Tow ers
Ra fiq CNG
Jam ia G ha usia
Ra wa lpindi
Cricke t S tadium
Workshop
Mosque/Church
Ch.Rehma t Ali Mem orial S chool
UIMS
Sta
dium
Raw alpindi
Roa Art Council
d
Saint Francis Sc hool
Divisional P ublic S chool
Ja mia Ghausia Mas jid
Fa
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Govt. De gre e College for Wome n, New P agw ari
Modern Shining S chool
Monument
Ne w Faisal Arabic Mode l High School
Publ ic Park
China Park
Un iversity o f Ari d A gricul ture
R aw al pi ndi
Social We lfa re S ociety
q-e
-Az
am
Ro
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Quaid-i- Azam Pa rk
0.01
0.02 Miles
Park (Kata rian)
1:10,000
8 th Road
7 th Road
Ha bib Bank
G ovt.
Comprehensive
Girls High School
Wom en's Colle ge
Jam ia Hanifia
Govt. Madrisa Ma lia High School, Katariyan
Buksh Road
Datta Gunj
Ra wa lpindi College for G irls, 6 th Road
Govt. Jam ia
High S chool
Anw ar Mem orial Hos pita l
OPF College for G irls, 6 th Road
6th Road
Jam ia Mas jid S ufa (Ahlay Hadis)
Manasik-i-Haj Training Centre
Govt. De gre e
College
Govt. Girls Comm unity Model S chool
Jam ia Mas jid Ma kki
Jam ia Mas jid, Kaya ban-i-Sirs yed
Jam ia Mas jid
5
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Dubai Plaza
Ro
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Rabi
Ce ntre
Free Dispensa ry
Murree Daw ak ha na
China
Ce ntre
Saad Marria ge & Pa rt y Ha ll
Ha bib Bank
Children Pa rk
Jam ia Muham mad Ghosia Hanfia
Govt. High S chool, Ka yaban-e -Sirsyed
Kha na Farhary Is la mia Jam horia Iran
Police S tation
Idea l Public Sc hool
Islam abad Clinic
Jam ia Mas jid
in
Ma
Ro
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Agha Kha n Building
Park
Mohk Mode l Sc hool
Jam ia Mas jid
Ro
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Jam ia Mosque
Govt. High S chool
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Pura Ro
Amar
sjid Road
Jamia Ma
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rc
Ci
Ra wa l Labrasy
Hospital
Police S tation Wa ris Khan
Civil Defe nc e Office
Malik CNG St ation
Hamilton Road
Govt. Za ya-ul-Allom High School, Raja Ba za r
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Ro
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Ta qi Plaza
Ro
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co
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City Sa
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Qu
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Shah Ke Taliyan Qabris tan
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Govt. Girls Middle Sc hool
Dhoke Khabba Qa brista n
-M
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Rawal Road
La
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Al-Iba d Sc hool
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Ro
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Com miit tee Chowk P ark
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Govt. Girls High Sc hool, Mohanpura
Ra na Ma rkit
N.B.P
Ba nk of P unjab
RMC St aff Colony
Iqbal Ro
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Church
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Ka
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Govt. De gre e College for Wome n, Mohanpura
Air Port
MC Boys Central M odel School,
an
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Ra wa lpindi Dis trict Hospital, Raja Bazar
Im am Bargah Ka shmiriy an, Dhok e Ratta
Qasim
abad Ro
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Bohr Ba zar
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MC Boys High School
Roa
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Zafar-ul-Haq Road
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Markazi J amia Masjid Anw ar-i-Must afa, Jam ia Mas jid Roa d
New
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Suzuk i St and + V ideo Marke t
Gawala Ro
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Allied Bank of P akista n
Fa iz English School
Fa is al Model High S chool, S adiqa ba d
Ha le em G ha r & Edhi Centre
Special P olice Branch Off ice
De hli Da va Khana La bs Limite d
Al Q am ar Flour Mill
Railway Workshop Road
Govt. Girls Degree College, Muslim Town
Hos tel for Work ing Women, G OP
Govt. Girls Primary Sc hool
N
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Govt. Girls Higher Se conda ry S chool
Jadid Qa brista n
Direct orat e of E duc ation, GO P
St. Ma rry High School
Ha bib Market
A.S.S. Chak la la
Fa uji Tow er, Fauji Foundation He ad O ffice
Eid Ga h G aw almandi
Nationa l College of Arts
Liaquat Bagh, Raw alpindi
Malik Iron Ste el Corporation
Raw alpindi
Sports Com plex
Ha
fe
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Islam ia Higher S econdary School
Tipu
Police S tation, Ga wa lm andi
Raw alpindi
Medic al College
Road
Sirs yed P ublic School for Boys , Tipu Roa d
Jam ia Mas jid
Ro
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Wiqar-un-Nisa College
for Girls
Ra wa lpindi
Te chnica l and Vocational E duc ation Institute
Al Habib Ma sjid
JS P ublic School
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Ja
PREPARED BY: W AQAS KAREEM AWAN
Shahid Comm ercial College
Ali Public S chool, Muslim Tow n
Qa brista n
Kurri Road
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Ka brista n Kay aban-i-Sirsyed
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B.
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Markazi Darulaloom Ahsan-i-Madaris
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Asghar Mall Road
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Asgh
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Al Razi Public Sc hool
Shahnaw az P la za
Todller S hine High Sc hool
Govt. Girls Se conda ry S chool
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Jam ia Abba sia P ublic School
Shalim ar Taba q Rest ura nt
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Pak Moham mad Bin Mode l Sc hool
Syed Public Sc hool
P aris Bazar
Public School & College
Shaheen Plaza
Mus lim Comm ercial Bank
Asghar Mall
College
Dhok Has su Chow k
Ku
Inter Pak is tan School
Chirah
Road
Park
G ovt. Muslim
Higher S econdary
S chool
Old EidGa h
Q abrist an
Jam ia Mas jid
Ra ilw ays O fficers Colony
Jam ia Mas jid
Jinnah Preparat ory Sc hool
Ka usar Hom eopathic Medic al College
Da rba r-e -Aliya Pee r Mohra S hareef
Suzuk i St and
Ta ba k CNG
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P ir Widhai
Bus Terminal
Govt. Kha n High Sc hool, B-Block
Sult
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Anglo Arabic Public High School
4 th B Road
Di
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College Road
Bok
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Qabris ten Kayaban-i-S irsy ed
MC G irls High S chool
Ka li Ta nk i and WAS A Gow don
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Jam ia Mas jid Muham ma dia
Jam ia Mas jid Noori
Unique Model S chool
Tennis Court
Water Work s
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Govt. Elim antary School
Al
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Govt Shimla Is la mic Girls High Sc hool
Ge
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Ho
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Lahore Adda
St ar CNG
Sh
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Saidpur
Road
Holy Family Road
Be conhouse S chool Sys tem
Holy Family Hospital
Water Work s
Sh
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Jam ia Mas jid Ha ji Alla h Ditta
me
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Ah
0.01
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Khanna
Road
CNG St at ion
Traffic Planning, Engineering and Management
• Traffic is in chaos in most cities and towns where
traffic volume is not always the reason of
congestion and chaos.
• No relationship between traffic planning and land
use planning as a result the traffic generating and
traffic attracting facilities are wrongly located
• Transportation plans, new Ring Roads to link
lateral roads
• Roads as tool for guiding physical development
Policies, Procedures and Institutional Arrangements
• Urban planning had traditionally a low priority in
development process in Pakistan. It is still in
infancy stage both in conceptual as well as
practical terms.
• Master plans have been prepared for all the
major cities including Islamabad and all the four
provincial capitals, whereas Outline Development
Plans have been prepared for more than 110
urban centers in Punjab by the Punjab Housing &
Physical Planning Department during the past 25
to 30 years.
In the absence of an adequate planning
process, the decisions were taken by different
agencies mostly from top to bottom. Most
development related policies were prepared
at provincial level and different local level
agencies
were
involved
in
the
implementation.
• Under Devolution Plan 2001 the process of urban
planning in Pakistan is now based on the
preparation of the following plans:
District Development Plans,
Tehsil Development Plans, Union Council
Development Plans.
• No such plans have so far been prepared;
therefore no assessment about them can be
made at this stage.
Urban Management
• The urban management functions were
distributed among more than one agency in
larger urban areas mainly the development
authorities and the local municipal agencies.
• Decisions are normally not based on
consistent policies in the local government
agencies; they are rather “ad hoc” and aim to
address the “sore points”.
• These functions do not include health and education
facilities, which are kept with the District Government.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) is the chief
executive of district administration. The TMA’s among
other things can levy municipal taxes and take
decisions locally. However, four years experience of the
new system reflects that little has been changed in
terms of the traditional weaknesses of these
institutions and there is acute shortage to adequately
qualified and sufficiently trained staff, especially the
town planners, engineers and financial experts.
Planning Standards & Design Criteria
• There are presently no institutional
arrangements to update, revise and develop
for adoption a set of dynamic and futuristic
planning standards and design criteria to
provide various urban infrastructure facilities
and civic amenities.
• A Manual of Planning Standards & Design
Criteria in mid 1980 and the same are adapted
to date.
• Car ownership rate has increased many folds
due to car leasing facility by all the banks
increasing the traffic volume on roads with
same old ROW.
Land use Control, Zoning and Building Bye Laws
• Land use control, zoning regulations and building
byelaws are effective and essential tools and
regulatory measures to ensure the healthy and
conducive living environment in urban areas.
• The Floor Area Ration restriction for example has
created enormous demand for new commercial
land giving rise to increase in land price and
creating urban sprawl, which in turn has become
expensive for provision of services.
• Encroachment is one of the serious issues in
almost all cities and towns causing great deal
of congestion on roads and streets. The
effective right of way is reduced from half or
one-third because of vendors and
shopkeepers place the products in front of the
shops on footpaths and pavements
• Need for Adequate and Appropriate data &
Mapping
• Coordination among Public Agencies
• No Complaint Redressal Arrangements
• Lack of focus on Low-Income Areas