This report discusses the formal and informal mechanisms governing the ownership and management of the land market in Karachi. The information is based on primary and secondary research, and presented in a format that is accessible to all the stakeholders and practitioners concerned. Karachi is a megacity with a population of about 18 million. Although the effects of urbanization on the development of land in Karachi are similar to those in other megacities in the south, three important aspects of this city combine to set Karachi apart from other megacities. The first is its strategic location in the regional conflict associated with the Afghan war. The second is its immense economic power within the general context of Pakistan and the particular setting of Sindh province, of which it is the capital. The third is that fact that the migrant population of Karachi far outnumbers its native Sindhi and Balochi speakers. An understanding of these features is necessary to understand the persistent land management and governance problems in Karachi.