Assessment of Public Safety Standards in Commercial High-Rise Buildings of the Central Business District of Peshawar, Pakistan

Rapid vertical development in South Asian cities has led to an increase in high-rise buildings, but enforcement of safety regulations has not kept pace with construction. This study evaluates compliance with public safety standards across twenty-three (23) commercial high-rises in Peshawar’s Central Business District (CBD). Using a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), the research assesses seven safety parameters, including Emergency Exit, fire extinguishing systems, staircases, elevators, parking, basements, and building structures, in accordance with the Cantonment Board Peshawar (CBP) by-laws. Data collected through field surveys were spatially analysed and categorised into three safety levels, i.e., good, moderate, and poor. Results reveal that only two buildings (8.7 per cent) achieved a “good” safety rating, five (21.7 per cent) a moderate, and sixteen (69.6 per cent) a poor. Key deficiencies included a lack of Fire Extinguishers, locked or missing Emergency Exit, the absence of elevators, and non-compliance with parking and accessibility standards. Spatial analysis indicated that poorly rated buildings were concentrated along Saddar Road, reflecting older, unregulated commercial areas. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening institutional coordination, adopting GIS-based compliance monitoring, and enforcing mandatory periodic safety certifications for commercial high-rises. Beyond technical measures, the study stresses that public safety should be integrated into broader urban resilience and sustainability initiatives. This developed methodological framework can serve as a High-Rise Safety Index for other cities, fostering data-driven governance and safer vertical development nationwide.