Karachi Rising

Traditionally, the poor in Karachi acquired housing on the outskirts of the city. With the rising cost of transportation and the difficulty of earining a livelihood on the periphry, the poor are increasingly driven to move closer to the city centre.

In the absence of government provided land on which they can build their homes, a new phenomenon is emerging. This is the informal, unplanned, densification of the inner city settlements through the building of high-rise apartment blocks, changing the social and physical environment of the city.

Find out more:
www.urbandensity.org
www.iied.org/human-settlements