A Case Study of Mehmood Ghaznavi Park: Exploring Landscape Design Strategies for Enhancing Public Open Spaces
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhss.3939Keywords:
Landscape Design, Urban Parks, Social Sustainable, Green Revitalization, Safety of ParksAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to investigate contemporary landscape design and planning strategies for the revitalization of Mehmood Ghaznavi Park in Karachi. It focuses on assessing the existing physical, ecological, social and functional conditions of the park. The explores how contemporary landscape approaches can improve accessibility, safety, comfort, aesthetics and recreational opportunities as well as the overall quality of public open space.
methodology: The study adopts a qualitative case study approach based on site observation, contextual analysis and assessment of the existing landscape as well as park facilities. The research examines the park's spatial organization, accessibility, circulation, vegetation, recreational facilities, environmental conditions and user-oriented landscape characteristics. The analysis is further informed by the relevant literature on sustainable urban parks, landscape design, stakeholder coordination, public participation and smart park approaches.
Findings: The study identifies several key factors influencing the functionality and long-term usability of Mehmood Ghaznavi Park. There are including accessibility, comfort, security and safety, aesthetics, user needs, social activities, vegetation and maintenance. The findings indicate that the contemporary landscape design or landscape strategies its improved green infrastructure. The following better recreational facilities, appropriate shading and seating, pedestrian friendly circulation. Thus, the coordinated park management can contribute to the revitalization and more effective use of the park.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study contributes to urban landscape research designed for sustainable by developing an integrated, user-oriented framework for the revival of existing public parks in Karachi. In practice, it recommends combining ecological considerations with accessibility, safety, comfort, recreation, aesthetics and contemporary landscape technologies. From a policy perspective, the study recommends stronger coordination among municipal stakeholders, greater consideration of community and user needs, systematic maintenance as well as management. The adoption of sustainable and smart landscape strategies to enhance the long-term environmental, social and recreational value of urban parks.
Downloads
References
Anthopoulos, L. G. (2017). Understanding smart cities: A tool for smart government or an industrial trick? (Vol. 22, p. 293). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57015-0
Badarnah, L., & Kadri, U. (2015). A methodology for the generation of biomimetic design concepts. Architectural Science Review, 58(2), 120–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2014.922458
Carmona, M. (2019). Principles for public space design: Planning to do better. Urban Design International, 24(1), 47–59. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-018-0070-3
Chiesura, A. (2004). The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landscape and urban planning, 68(1), 129-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.08.003
Crompton, J. L. (2017). Evolution of the “parks as lungs” metaphor: Is it still relevant? World Leisure Journal, 59(2), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2016.1211171
de Groot, R. S., Alkemade, R., Braat, L., Hein, L., & Willemen, L. (2010). Challenges in integrating the concept of ecosystem services and values in landscape planning, management and decision making. Ecological Complexity, 7(3), 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecocom.2009.10.006
Dizdaroglu, D. (2022). Developing design criteria for sustainable urban parks. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 6(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2022.v6n1-7
Elmqvist, T., Fragkias, M., Goodness, J., Güneralp, B., Marcotullio, P. J., McDonald, R. I., ... & Tidball, K. (2013). Stewardship of the biosphere in the urban era. In Urbanization, biodiversity and ecosystem services: challenges and opportunities: a global assessment (pp. 719-746). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7088-1_33
Gobster, P. H., Nassauer, J. I., Daniel, T. C., & Fry, G. (2007).
The shared landscape: What does aesthetics have to do with ecology? Landscape Ecology, 22(7), 959–972.
Grahn, P., & Stigsdotter, U. K. (2010). The relation between perceived sensory dimensions of urban green space and stress restoration. Landscape and Urban Planning, 94(3–4), 264–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2009.10.012
Gulati, R., Wohlgezogen, F., & Zhelyazkov, P. (2012). The two facets of collaboration: Cooperation and coordination in strategic alliances. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 531-583. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2012.691646
Jim, C. Y. (2004). Green-space preservation and allocation for sustainable greening of compact cities. Cities, 21(4), 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2004.04.004
Jurow, K. (2016). Making Meaning Together: The role of interpretation during a short-term nature excursion (Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University). http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1468589329
Kabisch, N., Korn, H., Stadler, J., & Bonn, A. (Eds.). (2017).
Kabisch, N., Korn, H., Stadler, J., & Bonn, A. (Eds.). (2017). Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas: Linkages between science, policy and practice. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56091-5
Kabisch, N., Qureshi, S., & Haase, D. (2015). Human–environment interactions in urban green spaces—A systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research. Environmental Impact assessment review, 50, 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2014.08.007
Komninos, N., Kakderi, C., & Panori, A. (2019). Smart city planning from an evolutionary perspective. Journal of Urban Technology, 26(2), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2018.1485366
Li, Y., Abu Bakar, N. A., Ismail, N. A., Mohd Ariffin, N. F., & Mundher, R. (2024). Stakeholder involvement and preferences in landscape protection decision-making: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Communication, 9, Article 1340026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1340026
Liu, W., & Wang, W. (2025). A study on the assessment of Tour–Art–Learning quality in urban parks from a child-friendly perspective: A case study of Shaheyuan Park in Chengdu. Sustainability, 17(2), Article 684. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020684
Loukaitou-Sideris, A., & Sideris, A. (2010). What brings children to the park? Analysis and measurement of the variables affecting children’s use of parks. Journal of the American Planning Association, 76(1), 89–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944360903418338
Miao, S., & Tan, H. (2025). The construction of collaborative governance mechanisms for green space in megacities: Evidence from China. SAGE Open, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251328921
Oh, K., & Jeong, S. (2007). Assessing the spatial distribution of urban parks using GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning, 82(1–2), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.01.014
Rawat, U. S., & Agarwal, N. K. (2015). Biodiversity: Concept, threats and conservation. Environment Conservation Journal, 16(3), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.36953/ecj.2015.16303
Rehman, Z., Zubair, M., Dar, B. A., Habib, M. M., Abd-ElGawad, A. M., Yasin, G., Gilani, M. M., Malik, J. A., Rafique, M. T., & Jahanzaib, J. (2025). Urban parks and native trees: A profitable strategy for carbon sequestration and climate resilience. Land, 14(4), Article 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040903
Shen, Y., Sun, H., & Wu, H. (2020). Smart parks: Information technologies for urban parks management and user experience improvement. Sustainability, 12(4), Article 1469. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041469
Söderlund, J. (2011). Pluralism in project management: navigating the crossroads of specialization and fragmentation. International journal of management reviews, 13(2), 153-176. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2010.00290.x
Stamenou, J., & Asongu, S. (2021). Digitalization and sustainable urban development in Africa: The role of smart public spaces. Cities, 115, Article 103244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103244
Su, Y., & Shu, L. (2025). Evaluation of the social performance of urban stormwater parks: A case study in Jinhua, Zhejiang. Sustainability, 17(1), Article 259. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010259
Taylor, D. E. (1999). Central Park as a model for social control: Urban parks, social class and leisure behavior in nineteenth-century America. Journal of Leisure Research, 31(4), 420–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1999.11949875
Thompson, C. W. (2002). Urban open space in the 21st century. Landscape and Urban Planning, 60(2), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00059-2
Vincent, J. F. V., Bogatyreva, O. A., Bogatyrev, N. R., Bowyer, A., & Pahl, A.-K. (2006). Biomimetics: Its practice and theory. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 3(9), 471–482. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2006.0127
Wolch, J. R., Byrne, J., & Newell, J. P. (2014). Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’. Landscape and urban planning, 125, 234-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.01.017
Wu, J., Luo, W., Yu, W., Lin, R., & Bi, W. (2025). Public participation in urban park co-construction: A case study on exploring sustainable design paths for county cities in Kaiyuan County, Yunnan Province. Buildings, 15(11), Article 1856. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15111856
Zachopoulou, E., Tsapakidou, A., & Derri, V. (2004). The effects of a developmentally appropriate music and movement program on motor performance. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 19(4), 631–642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2004.10.005
Zohar, H., Simeone, L., Morelli, N., Martelloni, L., et al. (2023). Using theory of change to support participatory visual mapping in urban transformation projects. Design Management Journal, 18(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmj.12086
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Irtaza Ali, Asif Abbasi, Mazhar Noushad, Furqan Javed Arain
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
