Tenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Parks serve as important public spaces with multiple benefits. They appear in all shapes and sizes, while catering to a diverse set of users: both human and non-human. On the scale of residential urban neighborhoods, they serve as vibrant arenas for communal sociability, hence embedding a strong sense of association and ownership within the community. Unfortunately, investment in parks is not a priority in some of the fastest growing cities of the world, most of which are concentrated in the rapidly urbanizing Asian and African regions. One such city is Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most populated with over 20 million inhabitants. In the absence of competent city governance, responsible professional planning agencies, and appropriate land-use policies, Karachi’s parks are increasingly becoming subject to neglect and abuse, while others remain under constant threat of privatization and consumption by powerful forces. Under such unfortunate circumstances, Karachi’s civil society has routinely risen to the challenge of reclaiming the city’s parks and transforming them into lively community spaces. This paper traces one such effort in which a local non-profit academic institution rose to the challenge of adopting, designing, constructing, and maintaining a neighborhood park with the help of multiple stakeholders, transforming it from a space for dumping rubble and debris to a place for gathering, interaction, and play. In doing so, it critically assesses the inclusive and participatory nature of the adoption and design processes in efforts to develop and propose a more inclusive and participatory model for similar actions around the city.