Uneven Development and the Phenomena of Housing Societies in Pakistan

The ‘struggle for dignified housing in Pakistan’ is described as an arduous journey by Rashid (2019), one that is a reflection of ‘entrenched income and wealth inequality’. As per his article, ninety nine percent of housing in the formal market is beyond the buying power of sixty eight percent of the population. To add to this staggering figure, Rashid (2019) contextualizes the state of affairs further when he states that the house price to income ratio in Pakistan is 20:1 compared to a global average of 5:1. The statistics he offers in his piece for the country at large are eye opening, and a fitting precursor to my exploration of the housing society phenomena at large, as investigated through a case study of DHA Lahore. The phenomena of the urban-gated communities must be understood within this context of massive inequalities, and as a way to see how uneven development is felt in the city. DHA Lahore as discussed in this paper is only piecemeal, but is a place to start asking questions.