One, Karachi needs a permanent consultative forum, which in addition to local government (LG) and federal and provincial institutions, is represented by professionals and concerned citizens with experience and knowledge of urban planning and management.

Its mandate should include the challenges of urban living and governance, the appraisal and review of development projects and addressing citizens’ complaints regarding civic affairs. With city governance dominated by several authorities and organisations, the forum can deliberate issues and discuss solutions. It can be given legal powers, equivalent to those of a city ombudsman, to enforce decisions.

Two, Karachi needs a broad-based rehabilitation plan to upgrade and fix roads, drains, parks, local-level public spaces, etc. Ordinary citizens across rich and poor neighbourhoods can work towards changing their immediate environs. Such rehabilitation must evolve a process where residents’ priorities are addressed first.

Three, the city needs a policy for supplying land to house the urban poor. Extremely high land rates, legally dubious land options in the informal sector, missing facilitation options for credit to acquire land, and limited availability of rental housing make housing a pipe dream for the majority of Karachi’s denizens. Knowledge-based intervention with input from low-income housing experts can fix matters.

Four, upgradation of notified katchi abadis must be undertaken immediately. Deprived of such upgradation for years, millions of residents of settlements such as Orangi, Qasba and Baldia continue to live in sub-human conditions. Lessons can be drawn from the past. Operationalising the survey of katchi abadis, revising urban housing density standards, initiating the delivery of lease documents and recovering applicable charges are some steps that are needed. There are many citizen-led pilot projects which offer ready-to-use recipes for such reforms in our informal settlements. A common plan that consists of civic input will help address the perennial issues that plague squatter settlements by enabling the latter to graduate to the level of ordinary city neighbourhoods.

Five, the plan must create a mechanism for organising and updating city-level records for land, infrastructure, development projects and utilities. Across society, land is viewed as a precious resource. Policymakers generally view land as a commodity which can be traded to obtain short-term financial gains. From a city planning and sociological perspective, this is not right. Land is a finite asset, which can only be used for public benefit. Its utilisation is best determined through a professionally sound and socially appropriate planning process. There can be no healthy urban life without a proper utilisation policy for land and a land-use plan that details all proposed functions, keeping in mind constraints and potential. Given the crisis of infrastructural decay, poor governance and declining urban management capacities, any new venture must be examined for its operational viability and sustainability in both the short and long term.

Six, the city needs taxation reforms with regard to levy, collection and spending control on taxes. It is true that property tax is a source of urban finance. But Karachi must be able to actually benefit from revenue deri­ved from its territory and a range of en­­terprises. Acti-va­­­t­ing the provincial finance com­miss­i­on is key to making this happen.

Seven, the ca­­p­acity building of an elected LG is a prerequisite for enabling this vital tier to contribute to urban development and management. From training councillors and union council chairmen to the provision of essential administrative staff and facilities, it is a comprehensive area of action.

Eight, a public audit and appraisal is necessary for projects initiated with donor support. We always hear of billions of dollars being spent on certain infrastructure projects and ‘reform’ initiatives, but see very little of the benefits trickling down to the people. Water supply, sanitation and public transport are key areas where this massive ‘investment’ has been purportedly made, without much result.

And lastly, a legal and institutional arrangement must be evolved to make the new plan a binding framework for all to follow. Otherwise, its fate will be no different from earlier attempts.

The writer is an academic and researcher based in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, By Noman Ahmed November 4th, 2025