Written by: Saram Maqbool
Posted on: August 16, 2023 | 
| 中文
A housing society (Mega City Housing Project in Gujar Khan) creating a concrete jungle
Are we running out of land to live on? Technically, not at all. Nearly half of the Earth’s land surface is still untouched by humans, but does that mean we can keep modifying it and building on it until it’s gone? What kind of a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world would it be when everything is covered in concrete and the sky is no longer blue? That’s not a very nice vision of the future!
Our cities are becoming larger and larger, spreading uncontrollably. Green spaces are sacrificed to make way for asphalt boulevards, and natural habitats are destroyed to create space for blocks of concrete and steel. Catering to the needs of the people living in these far-off areas requires building even more infrastructure. Just take one look at all the housing societies being built in Pakistan right now, and you’ll see how unseemly this unplanned growth is for the country. Where there used to be agricultural land now stand “200-feet wide main boulevards”, designed to attract investors. In place of serene and peaceful hills is now heavy machinery flattening it all down for development. If we keep going like this, we might actually just run out of space, or worse still, fresh air to breathe.
The state of affordable vertical housing in Karachi, Pakistan
Going vertical is one solution to this problem. High-rise architecture not only populates a large number of people within a small horizontal footprint, but also maximizes land efficiency. Distances are vastly reduced, creating cities that are walkable and easily accessible. Green spaces can be preserved because of more available land, adding to the quality of life. It also has a positive effect on the economy, because of the increased density and the resulting demand for more goods and services.
ZH Zarkon Heights, Islamabad
So, why is it that a country like Pakistan that is battling economic crises for decades, hasn’t made much progress with regard to vertical housing? Instead, all we see on a regular basis is an increasing urban sprawl. Rapid migration from rural to urban areas and below par urban planning, are two major reasons for this phenomenon. Such pieces of land lack basic amenities like electricity, water and gas, putting even more strain on an already suffering economy. The result? Traffic congestion, air pollution, inequality, environmental degradation and more.
In my opinion, another cause for the lack of vertical housing is our social structure. As Pakistanis, we like our privacy and living in an apartment building with strangers while sharing the same floor, isn’t appealing to many. That's something which could be easily fixed though, by designing high-rises in a way that ensures a certain level of privacy. However, what we see increasingly are buildings designed like student dormitories, with rooms crammed into a small floor area without proper amenities. These structures are built without any standard of living in mind, so the only people who live in them are those who don’t have another choice.
Luxury apartments like the Silver Oaks in Islamabad, remain out of reach for the masses
Despite that, the newer generations seem to be warming up to the idea of buying or renting an apartment. For them, a major concern is regarding the safety of the structure itself. Islamabad, for example, is a seismic hotspot, and we've seen time and again how apartment buildings develop cracks or even collapse when an earthquake strikes. I personally know people who don't want to invest in an apartment that they might have to evacuate, or where they'd be constantly worried for their lives. This is where our building authorities need to step in. Instead of putting all their efforts on limiting homeowners to three storeys or 30 feet in height, they need to shift their focus on enforcing strict building regulations that cater to seismic activity. Instead of measuring every square inch of a structure and slapping heavy fines on the owners, they must lay down the policies for safe and resilient vertical development and incentivize it.
In fact, why can't our building authorities allow people to construct taller houses? Doing so could lead to smaller and cheaper plots, hence utilizing the available land more efficiently by populating people more densely. There are beautiful examples of compact houses worldwide that are taller than usual, giving people the space they need without having to invest in a huge chunk of land. This could potentially strike a healthy balance between vertical, dense housing and the privacy most families desire.
Overcrowded Rawalpindi
The bottom line is that something needs to be done, and soon. I've seen firsthand how the city of Rawalpindi has become surrounded on three sides by Islamabad, because the latter just keeps expanding. Agricultural land has been destroyed, rivers have turned into nullahs, and trees have been replaced with concrete columns. A slight glimmer of hope comes in the form of new vertical residential projects in the twin cities. However, only time will tell just how resilient these buildings are and what kind of living standard they offer to residents.
You may also like:
