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KARACHI, July 26: The city district government Karachi (CDGK) has chalked out an ambitious plan to develop new urban centres in peripheral areas to decentralise economic and public services activity in the central business district (CBD) and the urban centre, Dawn has learnt.
The CBD and the current urban centre (or inner city) focus on the port, Saddar, and portions of Keamari and Jamshed towns. Most activities related to the flow of commerce through the port are centred here, as are most local and provincial government offices, and the area has therefore become very dense and congested. Meanwhile, these areas, which constitute the heart of the city, have become run-down and are in dire need of revitalisation.
City centre regeneration
Referring to the CDGK plans to regenerate the inner city, sources said that vehicular movement will be restricted or curtailed in many areas to facilitate pedestrians.
This will enhance the areas’ attractiveness and could open up the possibility of additional economic activity. The move will start on a small scale by identifying areas such as Burnes Road, Zaibunnisa Street and Tariq Road and closing them to vehicular traffic after office hours.
“The traffic can be temporarily diverted,” said the sources, “and lessons learnt from such experiments could be implemented on a larger, more permanent scale.”
The current urban centre will be revitalised under the city’s master plan, with the work being undertaken in three phases: 2007-2010, 2011-2015 and 2016-2020.
Commercial areas
Meanwhile, new urban centres are to be developed in areas including the Northern Bypass, the Super Highway and the RCD Highway. According to Dawn’s sources, each centre is to have new warehouses, wholesale and retail markets, freight terminals and other facilities. In this way, alternative financial centres will be established and growth will be spurred in areas where new development can be planned.
Sources said that these centres may be zoned so that some are predominantly commercial while others contain a mix of light industries, offices and shops.
Reportedly, land has also been earmarked in the new urban centres for offices of law enforcement agencies, in order to meet projected future requirements. The land allocated lies primarily along the RCD Highway, the National Highway, the Super Highway and Korangi.
Urban centre facilities
• A trade and warehouse centre will be built at the RCD Highway and Northern Bypass interchange, thus promoting trade and commerce while helping decongest the area around the port.
• A new lorry terminal will be established west of the RCD Highway. A warehousing area will be established across the road, adjacent to a new wholesale market intended to serve the western half of the city. A retail centre located north of the Northern Bypass will complete the complex.
• A new centre for Sindh and city government offices will be set up at the intersection of the Northern Bypass and the Super Highway. Most such offices are currently located in the city centre and the shift will simultaneously provide the city and provincial government the opportunity to upgrade their offices. Sources said that since the area immediately adjacent to the intersection has already been allotted – though not built upon – the government centre can be located east of the intersection next to a proposed greenbelt. The CDGK is to negotiate with the current land owners with a view to acquiring the land through marker mechanisms. Failing a voluntary purchase, sources said, the possibility of compulsory purchase will be explored.
• The proposed information communications technology centre is to be located near Education City in Bin Qasim town and will focus on business process outsourcing, knowledge-based services and software development. Residential areas for the centre’s employees will be developed to the northeast and the south, said the sources.
• The development of the new urban centres will be closely coordinated with new or improved radial and concentric roads as well as improved public transport services. This will ensure that they do not become isolated islands of development.
• Referring to the provision of water in the new urban centres, sources said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has been asked to consider a proposal to bring a new water transmission line along the Super Highway that will take advantage of gravity to serve the north and northeast expansion areas.
