Economic Reform and Urban Development: Karachi’s Informal Textile Industry

Cities in developing countries, like Pakistan, have a complex array of economic, demographic, governance and geopolitical challenges that require collective action. Urban policy and planning being the domain of political, economic, and capital seeking players, socio spatial disparities caused by socioeconomic friction need careful investigation. Karachi’s informal industrial economy is an important case for analysis and learning about future planning of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and their local as well as regional geographical implications. Being a major industrial player in the textile sector, this study investigates Karachi’s informal textile garment industry and its sectors to understand the impact of current structural adjustment and urban development projects on local economic activity and influence on the spatial configuration of the city. This paper also examines linkages between the formal textile SMEs of Karachi and the emergence of informal activities through labour, production, and spatial placement.