The Karachi Experience: High-Density Housing Challenges
As Pakistan’s cities continue to grow, providing affordable housing while maintaining quality of life has become one of the country’s most pressing urban challenges. High-density housing is often seen as a practical response to rapid urbanization and limited land, but its success depends on thoughtful planning, adequate infrastructure, and the creation of healthy, inclusive communities.
Drawing on case studies from Karachi, this session explores the opportunities and challenges of high-density housing in one of South Asia’s largest and fastest-growing megacities. How do dense residential developments shape mobility, public spaces, access to services, environmental sustainability, and community life? What lessons can be learned from successful projects, and what planning failures should future developments avoid?
About the Speaker:
Masooma Shakir is an architect, urban researcher, and academic whose work focuses on the interdisciplinary dimensions of urban and spatial challenges. Her research explores how socio-cultural and environmental factors shape cities and the lived experiences within them.
She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Planning at NED University of Engineering and Technology, where she engages students and professionals alike in critical discussions on sustainable and inclusive urban development.
This session is free and open to all. Just visit the venue to attend it.
The Black Hole
Plot 5H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad.
Click here for Google Maps Location
