Anwar, Muhammad Mushahid: An Investigation of Public Parks and Life Quality in Karachi, Pakistan

Parks do not only serve as the breathing lungs of cities but also cater for the recreational and aerobic needs of the urbanites. These green islands are important ecosystems. They influence social well-being of people and their quality of life and play an important role in urban landscapes. Their presence affects the quality of life and reflects environmental quality as a whole. In the fast growing cities of developing countries most parks have been reduced or even been replaced by buildings. This reflects callous disregard for health and recreation of the citizens. Moreover the parks have been stratified according to socio-economic status of the urban dwellers with very little consideration to the recreational needs of the low-income urban lot. In an attempt to reduce this glaring disparity in developing world cities, Karachi in Pakistan has been taken as a case study.