ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Urban Science
This article is part of the Research TopicAssessment of Users' Satisfaction in Public Spaces: Volume 2View all 6 articles
From Industrial Past to Sustainable Futures: Assessing Users' Perception of Green Infrastructure in Naya Nazimabad, Karachi
Provisionally accepted
- 1Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- 2University of Bahrain, Sakhir, Bahrain
- 3Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
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Abstract Post-industrial land transformations in rapidly urbanizing cities are increasingly incorporating green infrastructure (GI) to address environmental degradation and improve urban liveability. However, there remains a limited understanding of how such ecological interventions shape user perception, belonging, and everyday social experience in the Global South. This study examines the adaptive reuse of a former industrial site in Naya Nazimabad, Karachi, to evaluate how GI influences residents' perceived environmental quality, comfort, satisfaction, and sense of place. Temporal mapping of satellite imagery (2001–2024) was combined with a structured survey (N = 141) and statistical analysis, including Principal Component Analysis, Kruskal–Wallis tests, ordinal logistic regression, and mediation modelling. Results indicate that increases in tree cover, shaded walkways, parks, and stormwater-sensitive landscapes are associated with improved perceptions of air quality, noise conditions, and outdoor comfort. Frequent engagement with green spaces enhances satisfaction, which in turn mediates feelings of belonging and place attachment. Awareness of the site's industrial history further strengthens identity and emotional connection to the neighbourhood. Ordinal logistic regression shows that comparative environmental quality is the strongest determinant of higher belonging categories (β = 1.406, SE = 0.282, z = 4.989, p < 0.001; OR ≈ 4.08), with satisfaction (p ≈ 0.09) and tenure (p ≈ 0.06) positive but marginal; mediation modelling confirms a significant indirect effect of usage on belonging via satisfaction (a×b = 0.072; 95% CI [0.013, 0.150]), evidencing a behavioural-to-affective pathway from routine engagement to place attachment. Findings indicate that enhancing comparative environmental quality and everyday GI satisfaction via shade, parks, and drainage can strengthen belonging and place attachment in post-industrial regeneration.
Keywords: Adaptive reuse, green infrastructure, Karachi, Post-industrial urbanism, Temporal mapping, Urban sustainability, User perception
Received: 13 Nov 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Hafiz, Shah, Soni and Abid. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dalia Hafiz
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