PUBLIC spaces are considered to be public assets that define the physical, social and cultural identity of an urban space and community. Regrettably, over the years, Karachi has experienced a decline in the vitality of public spaces, despite being historically known for its lively public spaces including streets, markets and squares. The iconic Saddar area and the coastal ecosystem, once vibrant hubs, have lost their appeal due to factors such as increased commercialisation, neglect, encroachment and changing societal preferences.

Recently, the World Banklaunched the publication The Hidden Wealth of Cities — Creating, Financing and Managing Public Spaces, which looks at public spaces as catalysts of overall improved urban liveability; the section on spatial patterns in Karachi indicates thatgreen areas have decreased by four per cent, whereas the urban extent in this core city expanded by 8pc between 2005 and 2017. The share of public spaces of the total built-up area is 14pc; the share of street areas is 8.7pc. A closer examination of public-space typology shows a considerable number of unclassifiable public spaces and a relative lack of city and neighbourhood parks in the city.

Despite being a highly residential city, many residential neighbourhoods in Karachi have almost no green areas to provide environmental and social benefits to the people. If we take the case of urban streets, which are globally being revived as vibrant public spaces, then pedestrian access has been neglected, and most roads and pavements in Karachi have been encroached on, lack basic safety features or are not maintained regularly. This hampers accessibility and mobility, particularly for women, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The shift towards prioritising land for profitable endeavours, for instance residential gated complexes, shopping malls and high-end eateries, has resulted in a scarcity of accessible public spaces. Land that needs to be considered a social asset has been treated as a financial commodity. This shift towards privatised spaces has led to a less inclusive and more segregated urban landscape. The glamour of private spaces and the gloom of public spaces sharply reflect development priorities that promote inequity. Many causal factors contribute to this decay. The creation and upkeep of public spaces in Karachi have been deprived of political support. At the core of the rot lies ineffective governance and a lack of clear vision in understanding public spaces as critical triggers of improved overall urban liveability.

Public spaces aren’t seen as crucial to Karachi’s liveability.

Public spaces aren’t seen as crucial to Karachi’s liveability.

There is a need to develop a holistic policy construct mandated to cover all forms and typologies of public spaces with a guiding framework for designing, implementing, managing and monitoring urban public spaces in an inclusive manner. This policy agenda for change should emerge as a shared, consensus-based vision for the city’s urban spaces, and involve relevant formal and informal stakeholders and be jointly owned by all public entities whose mandate includes various public spaces in Karachi. Also engaged should be authorities such as the cantonments, DHA and housing societies so that they also find the inspiration to develop their own policy guidelines in alignment with the larger shared vision.

The policy framework should incentivise the rejuvenation of inactive passive urban public spaces and the protection of existing functional spaces from encroachment. Also included should be considerations for restoration and the adaptive reuse of built heritage spaces for community use. An urban street design manual needs to be prepared and imp­lemented to catalyse the activation of streets as vib­rant public spaces. Public entities with jurisdiction over public spaces should engage with communities to promote volunte­e­rism for building greater social capital. Space design should be inspired by and sourced from local sociocultural and architectural sensitivities for incentivising a sense of greater belonging and ownership in communities where forms follow function. Globally, local governments faced with similar challenges are open to learning from successful approaches adopted by civil society and the private sector, which can be streamlined in a policy framework to expand the scale and benefits of resulting interventions. There is an urgent need to both document and critically analyse such projects and programmes that are actually working in this city.

Public spaces are now regarded as critical triggers for overall improved urban liveability with dividends that are social, economic and environmental. By prioritising public space revitalisation, Karachi can build a stronger, vibrant, more inclusive urban identity.

The writer is an urban planner and associate professor of practice, Habib University.

farhan.anwar@ahss.habib.edu.pk

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026

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