I HAVE grown up witnessing Karachi’s exponential growth in terms of population, buildings and markets. Due to excessive commercialisation and poor planning, the city has now turned into a concrete jungle.

Major cities in the developed world bar the random construction of high-rise buildings; they focus on the suburbs.

I recently drove down the National Highway and Super Highway for about 50km, but could not find many well-established housing schemes or apartments except a few that had no residents.

The city should expand in the outskirts, and more new high-rise buildings should be constructed there. The city should hire smart and competent civil engineers, not politically-assigned appointees, to come up with a plan. Efficient use of modern technology can certainly help in planning for the next 25-50 years.

Syed Arif

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021