Landscape design guidelines for Karachi City, Pakistan

This study examines landscape regulations and their potential to improve the urban environments of developing countries. The literature on environmental problems of developing countries suggests that landscape solutions must be both economic and environmentally sound. Religion and cultural ethics are the basis for landscape values in the Muslim society. Religion governs Muslims. The religious landscape values would be readily acceptable by Islamic society when used as an implementation strategy. Model landscape guidelines are presented for Karachi, Pakistan which should be helpful in preparing actual landscape regulations. Karachi's economic constraints pose unavoidable restrictions. Setting up design standards requires a careful and realistic approach. Suggestions are made to build up a conceptual policy umbrella at the national, and provincial level, providing a basis for developing landscape regulations by local governments.