Too many people, too little planning

A third of Pakistan’s urban population lives in Karachi and Lahore, leading to unplanned sprawl and growth of illegal developments. Informal settlements do not comply with planning rules, delivering substandard living conditions and disrupting city functions, says ADB’s report “Pakistan National Urban Assessment”. Karachi has two of the world’s most overpopulated residential areas, the Garden and Lyari subdivisions, according to ADB. In 2017, Karachi Central had 43,064 inhabitants/km², while similarly sized and high-rise Manhattan had 27,757 persons/km². By mid-2023, Manhattan’s population density was estimated at 28,016/km², still far below of Karachi Central in 2017.