Urban Sprawl in Karachi S. AKHTAR, MRDHANANI++* Department Of
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Sindh Univ. Res. Jour. (Sci. Ser.) Vol.45 (3) 482-491 (2013) SINDH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH JOURNAL (SCIENCE SERIES) Urban Sprawl in Karachi S. AKHTAR, M.R.DHANANI++* Department of Geography, University of Karachi Received 17th January 2013 and Revised 30th May 2013 Abstract: In the period of 1981to1998 massive flight of population was recorded in Karachi City from the central city to the outskirts. As a result central population density sharply fell and population density gradient adopted a gentle slope. Similarly during the period 2002 to 2012, massive rural lands in Karachi had been converted into urbanized lands. As a result first time overall population density of Karachi fell. These results indicate urban sprawl phenomenon in Karachi which was first identified in America in the 1950s. This paper is an attempt: a) to investigate urban sprawl phenomenon in Karachi b) to evaluate how urban sprawl in Karachi is dissimilar to American cities c) to probe causes and impacts of sprawl in Karachi, and d) to analyse opinions of the city dwellers about the policies of dispersal and counter dis persal. Keywords: Karachi, Urban sprawl, counter dispersal, density gradient. 1. INTRODUCTION Kingdom suburbanization started in the late Urban sprawl is a term associated with 19th and early 20 th century as a result of the the rapid growth of urban area resulted loss of policies of population deconcentration and agricultural land, forest and rangeland. It was industrial decentralization(Hall,1996). In the first identified in 1950s when it was noted that 19th century, because of congestion, bad the gross urban population density across housing condition, violence and crime in large America fell quickly (Miron, 2003). There are cities of Europe and America like London, three parameters used to identify urban sprawl: Paris, Berlin, New York, Chicago etc. were considered slum cities(Hall,1996).To provide a) It occurs when urban expansion clean environment and independent houses, consumes land at a faster rate than population ideas of garden cities, satellite towns and mass grows. transit suburbs were introduced. Due to rapid b) Population density of urban area suburbanization central population density fell declines significantly as a result of areal and population density gradient became gentle. growth. In the 1950s it was observed that population c) Central population density falls density of cities declined and urban areas significantly and population density gradient expanded with faster rate than population becomes gentle. Urban sprawl is emphasized growth rate. Urban researchers coined a term by following characteristics: ―urban sprawl‖ for this phenomenon. The rapid increase of personal cars, development of i. Loss of open spaces as a result of urban freeways and shopping Malls encourage areal growth population dispersal and sprawl. ii. Low density characteristic in the peripheral city in contrast to compact central There are different views in favour city and against of sprawling. Environmentalists are iii. Residential degradation of inner city concerned about increase in urbanized land is areas and increase dependence of automobile. the loss of rural land, forest, wildlife and rangeland. It is estimated that in just a 15 years Urban sprawl in developed countries from 1990 to 2005, approximately 25 million like United States, Canada, United Kingdom acres (53,000 square kilometers) of rural land etc. has been linked with rapid suburban (cropland, rangeland and forest) in United expansion. In the United States and the United States had been converted into urbanized land ++Corresponding author. M. R. Dhanani, E -mail: [email protected] Cell. No. 03453541162 *Department of Geography, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. S. AKHTAR, M.R.DHANANI 483 (houses, freeways, factories, malls, airports i. Population density gradient is an etc.) (Miron: 2003). Urban planners who important method to study dispersal of support population dispersal are in favour of population. This method was applied on suburban development. They are in support of Karachi in the study of sprawl. For this detached housing, neat and clean environment, purpose Population data of all Censuses avoid congestion and local government. The conducted after creation of Pakistan; 1951, urban planners who are against dispersal 1961, 1972, 1981 and 1998 (last Census) consider urban sprawl cause loss of cropland, were taken into account for study. forest and rangeland, increase commuting cost, number of personal cars, traffic Jam and ii. Decline in overall population density of increase community segregation. The anti – urban area as a result of growth of sprawl urban planners support apartment urbanized lands is an important housing, vertical growth and raised population measurement of urban sprawl. Similarly, density. They are in support of rehabilitation relative higher rate of urbanized area than and renewal of housing quality of inner or old rate of population growth is an important city to attract middle class population of parameters of urban sprawl. Both these suburbs to reside there. In United State this parameters were computed for Karachi policy is known as gentrification. About City with the help of data of population and urbanized area in different periods. dispersal or counter dispersal residents’ opinions are also important. In United States iii. Urban sprawl is linked with loss of rural majority of citizens like independent housing land, increase in surface runoff and urban with open space rather than apartments. flooding, escalating commuting cost and However suburban residents show concern of fuel consumption, dependence on personal increasing commuting cost (Hall, 1998). vehicles, increased urban infrastructure In the Less Developed Countries, where development cost, community segregation percentage of urban population is low and etc. To examine these facts, relevant data suburbanization has not achieved desired were analysed. results, urban sprawl is an important problem iv. There are two different phenomena in the in the mega cities like Mumbai (Bombay), growth of urban areas. United States, Kolkata (Calcutta), Lagos, Dhaka, Jakarta etc., Canada, United Kingdom represent urban particularly in the absence of proper urban dispersal model while in contrast Hong infrastructure like water supply, sewerage Kong, Singapore and Japan follow urban system, mass transit etc. The same is also true compactness model. It is important to to Karachi where rapid conversion of rural land examine the views of the residents of into urban land uses had been taking place Karachi city in favour of the policy of during the last decade (2002 to 2012). Such dispersal or counter dispersal for the rural lands around Karachi City have been future growth of Karachi. For this purpose converted for planned and unplanned housing, survey research technique was used. About squatter settlements and factories. Land 1000 questionnaires comprises open and grabbing in which political elites, investors, closed ended questions were filled through land revenue department of government, police stratified random method and results were and city administration are involved has analysed. become a most profitable business in Karachi. The city administration has failed to check this 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION urban mismanagement due to lack of urban land Analysis of population density, rates management policies, corruption, and of urban areal and population growth are involvement of political mafias. important measures used to explain urban sprawl in Karachi. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Urban sprawl in Karachi is different Population Density Distribution from the American and European cites in this To investigate the pattern of population manner that massive suburbanization had not density gradient, the Model of Clark (1951) taken place in Karachi as happened in the was found fit to explain population density American and European cities. To examine distribution in Karachi City. The model states urban sprawl phenomenon in Karachi following that population density exponentially declines methods were applied. with increasing distance from the city centre. Urban Sprawl in Karachi 484 Mathematically it is expressed by following The reason was that because before expressions. 1947 Karachi was a small city. In 1947 Pakistan came into existence and Karachi was chosen as a first capital of the country. Due to Where is population density at distance influx of about 1 million populations in Karachi from India, rapid growth of population from the city centre and areal expansion of the city took place. is central density , b is population Therefore the density gradient decreased from density gradient 1.37 in 1931 to 1.16 in 1951. However, central x is distance from the city centre and e is density continued to rise from 11.63 in 1931 to natural log. 12.61 (Shakila: 1983), mainly due to lack of To examine the changes in the pattern rapid transportation and poor economic of population density in Karachi City during condition of the people who could not afford the period of 1951—1998, population data of commuting cost. Diesel tram was introduced, 1951,1961,1972,1981 and 1998 censes were but the whole network confined in between used. The graph (Fig 1) and values of density Saddar to Tower (the present city centre of the gradient (b) and values of central density ( city), resulted further concentration of (Table 1) of the model indicate that population population at the centre. In the period 1961– density gradient and central density