This document proposes financing models for developing creative infrastructure like play spaces in Pakistan. It suggests obtaining land through local governments and foreign aid, developing recyclable surface materials through university research grants and venture capital, and funding construction through equity sponsors. Ownership and regulation of spaces could be handled by local NGOs and sports organizations funded through remittances and sponsorships. Long-term sustainability requires collaboration between academia, government, and industry on projects that mobilize domestic resources and create financing channels for innovation.

1. Creative Financing for Creative
Infrastructure in Pakistan
Financing Innovation Through Play Space
Augmented benefits: awareness of physical
health, recreation, education, improve
quality of life
Increase community involvement: schools,
medicincal and health avenues, family
leisure, sense of belonging
Spur economic clusters of activity:
vendors, development of material,
construction & maintenance, services
Encourage utilization: play,
recreation, congregration
Set up of field: material,
construction, maintenaince
Concept Behind
Infrastructure

2. Concept – Innovation Through Play
Space
Play space, as advocated here, is a designated area where sport and
recreation can take place without the risk of non-play-related harm to occur.
This translates specifically into a field, or otherwise open space that may be
called a park that allows a variety of sports and recreation foster, yet is
regulated so as to ensure proper use.
Since 1946, UNICEF has been advocating that development must take into
account the role and place of children in developing areas. It is important to
note that UNICEF’s method of urban programme-implementation was
different from the traditional approach. Traditional urban development (at
that time) emphasized building physical infrastructure within cities and
introducing and encouraging formal economic development, whereas
UNICEF focused on providing affordable services in basic health, nutrition,
education and sanitation to all poor children and women in urban areas
(Safilios-Rothschild, 1971).

3. Concept – Innovation Through Play
Space
Public parks and playgrounds have a well-documented (global) effect on health and
happiness as well (Aybaniz Ibrahimova, 2003). In the context of Pakistan, added
value can be created by introducing proper sanitation, allowing use during
particular times of the day so as to discourage misuse, and introducing structured
group activities in areas where this is not common at all.
In the past, introducing public parks has not achieved the desired outcome and has
led to misuse, neglect, and reinforcing cultural stereotypes. A different approach to
this problem is to instead invest in play space via the sports industry. Pakistan has
an emerging culture of sport for development projects and non-profits who work in
this field specifically. One of their largest difficulties is finding adequate space.
Connecting these two unmet needs, the proposition here is to invest in the sport
for development and sports industries to create and regulate play spaces. This will
have direct impact on the type of funding necessary, and widen the channels with
which with to procure the capital and maintenance.

4. Financing Summary
Input Funding Source Financing Mechanism
Land (Legal Allocation and
Rights)
• Local Government
• ODA
Reallocation within budget – using the
money coming in already in better
ways. Equity investors mainly.
Surface Material • Venture Capital
• Academic Endowments and
Research Grants
VCs supporting projects that work
towards innovating recyclable surface
material in collaboration with local
universities. Local industry will need to
get involved (banks, universities, other
debt investors)
Construction • Equity Sponsors High risk, equity investors who can use
the construction for economic further
growth.
Ownership and Regulation • Local NGOs/Sports
Organizations
Remittances and Sponsorships via
sporting agencies (FIFA and associated
federations)

5. Financing and Sustainability
Industry
AcademiaGovernment
Long term projects that use infrastructure design and development can only be
sustainable if there is collaboration between the following sectors. This will
create space for innovation and financing channels that involve collaboration
and mobilization of domestic resources.

6. Possible Financing Models
Collaboration
between
Academia +
Government
+ Industry
Microfinance for
Small Vendors
Around Space
Academic Grants
for Creating
Recyclable Surface
Venture Capital for
Start-ups that
Create Synthetic
Surface Material
Government
Policies and ODA
Allocation that
INCREASE the Lack
of Disincentives to
Invest
Remittance
Insurance Policies
that work towards
INCENTIVIZING
Remittance
Funding
Introducing Tax
Reform and Policy
that Enables the
Community to
Reinvest in Itself
The following models
may be used at different
stages of the project and
will depend on the scale
of each space. However,
it is important to know
that this is a long term
project that will only
show economic growth
once the planning and
construction phase have
already been surpassed.