IIED Density Study

The objectives of the research as stipulated in the Terms of Reference (ToR) state that the current trend in Asian cities is to:

• Demolish low income informal settlements and place their residents in six to eight storey apartments. The reason given for this is that higher densities are achieved as a result of which cost of the housing unit is reduced. Also, land nearer to the city, which is costly, can be used for low income housing.
• New townships on the fringes for low income individual housing units are also being discouraged for the same reason.
• There is sufficient evidence in the form of reports and studies that show that low income groups are 1) unhappy with high rise solutions 2) usually sell their possession of high rise units and move elsewhere 3) the units are expensive to maintain and get degraded as the residents cannot or do not wish to pay their maintenance 4) residents cannot carry out any informal businesses in the apartments and 5) the apartments are expensive as compared to individual core units 6) As a result the residents become poorer and some of them destitute. The objectives of this study are:
• To test the thesis that the same densities as prescribed by the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) byelaws can be achieved by building houses on small plots as opposed to apartments without compromising on the overall social and physical environment.
• To see to what extent densities for new plots/ townships can be increased while at the same time fulfilling the needs of the residents.