01 March 2004	Monday	09 Muharram 1425

If one goes by the news reports, urban development scene in Karachi appears bustling with activities of all kinds. For instance, on 18 February 2004, the City Nazim issued permission to 13 firms to operate 885 passenger buses as part of the Urban Transport Scheme (UTS) - a positive undertaking indeed.

The City District Government, Karachi (CDGK), has also finalised the bye laws for outdoor signage and the layouts/management of graveyards. In another instance, the Chief Secretary (Sindh) advised the concerned department to prepare a comprehensive land use plan for Karachi.

Other recent mentions are not so constructive. The head-on clash of CDGK and GoS on the issue of building control; rejection to grant magisterial powers to CDGK; accusations and counter-accusations by different tiers of government on each others' performance; non-observance of the orders of government by functionaries are few happenings of concern.

The approach to development and management adopted by the different actors is ad hocist and short sighted. Keeping good but hollow intentions, holding inconclusive meetings every now and then as well as taking spot decisions without scientific analysis can only make developmental affairs worse.

Needless to say that a combination of planning and management is the viable approach that requires the attention of city and provincial governments. From the review of the prevailing scenario and lessons drawn from the retrospect, it appears an uphill task.

A focus on the planning and development establishes the fact that market mechanism is now the key stake in decision-making. The promulgation of new commercialization policy and bylaws by the CDGK in January 2004 is a glaring example.

Six major corridors of the city were declared as commercial from the onset of this policy. The next phase shall include 11 more roads as administratively valid sites for commercial development.

The decision obviously came from the City Council itself, marking a success for the unscrupulous but all powerful lobby of real estate builders and developers who have been vying for such actions since long.

Departmental sources revealed that the only studies or base work undertaken towards this end were the working on the distribution of commercial gains and revenue sharing. The intensity of load on various components of infrastructure such as water supply, electricity, sanitation, transportation and parking space were not taken into consideration.

It was criminally assumed that by earning revenue in cash, the vices of development shall be dealt away with. Spot commercialization are already taking place in the various areas of the city.

Multiple jurisdiction, lack of motivation to enforce the writ of law and the absence of political will to rationalize between short term revenue gains and sustainability in development were the common issues found in such cases.

According to an empirical calculation, it was found that developers shall be able to maximize the profits to an exorbitant scale of 225 percent. An example. A builder who was aspiring to construct a high-rise office complex on Shahrah-e-Faisal, was of the view that the recent commercialzation policy shall be extremely beneficial for the real estate business.

On an average, construction up till ground + 16 storeys shall become possible. This shall account for a two fold increase in the saleable area. On a plot of 1000 sq yards as many as 180 offices could be costructed.

The profit margins may extend to over 225 per cent. With the present fall in the interest rates, sizeable external financing shall be included in the enterprise. (Source: an interview with a builder in February 2004)

In the present situation, planning is now viewed, very differently by varying set of stakeholders. The provincial bureaucracy considers planning as a departmental activity undertaken to fulfil the administrative procedures for funds allocation and their release. Local government representatives normally view the planning process as a wish list generated to obtain political mileage for public appreciation.

Professionals term the planning process as a set of lucrative opportunities for consultancy and contractual assignments. The public views planning as an ultimate means to resolve their ongoing problems. Politicians are averse to planning as it refrains them from taking adhoc decisions. Contractors and developers agree with politicians since ad hocism normally favours the profiteering and short cuts to dubious but rewarding projects. Factual situation is a combination of some of these view points with few fundamental differences.

Planning is essentially an ongoing process instituted to fulfil the aims and objectives laid down by the regime according to aspiration of the society. In the present situation, market forces and the inter governmental frictions hamper the creation of a viable planning process for the city.

A small group of people is trying to institute planning process. It includes concerned citizens, few scholars related to urban planning, some non-governmental as well as research organizations. However, due to the misplaced priorities of the local government institutions, it appears to be a remote possibility.

Professional strength and institutional capacity to undertake planning process has eroded sharply. During 1969, the master plan department of the KDA (now defunct) was consolidated to undertake the planning exercise from a technical stand point.

The institution soon evolved and developed into a full fledged department. Many qualified and competent professionals were inducted in it. However, when the previous development plan was set aside by the authorities, this department also gradually fell apart.

With the devolution of the KDA in 2002, the department possessed only a token existence. The number of qualified and competent professionals currently available in the market is extremely low. At best, few physical planners are available who can only render basic services related to the impending task, not commensurate to the actual scope of work.

Needless to say that urban planning is much more than physical planning. It is a process which lays down the vision for the growth, development and management of the city and its environs.

It bases its undertakings on the study, analysis and synthesis of existing trends and potential changes. It lays down a comprehensive framework to upscale good practices and regulate negative ones. Obviously these complex tasks require intellectually sound and technically capable people.

Decision-making for development and management is an important aspect in sound urban planning. The decision which evolves from scientific wisdom gained through analysis and evaluation of realities, give rises to optimum results. In the case of Karachi, decisions are geared to generate political benefits and short term gains only.

The creation and development of mega projects, neglect in the domain of pressing issues, centralized preponderance of federal government on all the other tiers are few glaring shortcomings. Lack of decisions on most vital issues such as the creation of a planning institution for Karachi are also cases in point. Varied types of information is required for a sound planning process.

Demographic data, physical details, maps and plans, profiles and scientific opinions are few of the information types needed for such exercises. While information is generated from different perspectives, its usage is constrained due to several factors. Lack of free access, absence of timely updating, incompatibility of multiple media and differences in formats are some mentions in this regard.

In order to streamline the planning and development affairs, a planning agency with considerable autonomy, legal and administrative cover is utmost vital. Such an agency shall provide the minimum institutional setup to carry out planning as a professional activity.

It shall lay down the proper guidelines for urban management, develop scenarios and ensure social justice in the space allocation and utilization pattern. Such an agency shall possess the capacity to acquire, process, store, organize and disseminate information according to needs of various assignments.

Planning agency shall develop its capacity to coordinate with different stakeholders on a neutral ground. Voices, concerns and aspirations of people of all kinds including interest groups shall be accounted for.

The said agency shall also undertake development control and enforcement of plans through the building control process. The idea of this institution is not new. It has been categorically recommended in the successive planning exercises so far undertaken for Karachi. What it requires is serious thought, review and concurrent implementation.