Can high-rises solve Lahore’s horizontal growth problem?

Residents fear tall buildings will merge commercial and residential areas, compounding municipal problems

LAHORE: As densely populated cities expand rapidly to accommodate their rising populations, multi-story high-rise buildings are being seen as the perfect solution to curtail their horizontal growth. Lahore, like other huge urban centres, is no stranger to such developments.

However, while the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has promulgated various laws and regulations to promote the construction of high-rise buildings in various residential neighbourhoods of the city, new construction plans have been enforced without upgrading municipal services.

As a result, residents are concerned that more high-rises will end the divide between commercial and residential areas, causing numerous problems.  The move has also drawn criticism from various urban-planning experts, who are of the view that the policy will turn the city into a non-dwelling area and therefore, should be changed immediately.

The approval for constructing high-rise buildings in Lahore was in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan who encouraged such building types to save precious land. It was aimed at shifting the buildings from densely-populated areas to specific areas in the city so that people can dwell within the cities without expanding to the outskirts.

As against the plan, the LDA Vice Chairman Imran Sheikh and Director-General Usman Moazzam, together with several officers, neglected the motive and started the project without consulting the planning and development department.

What’s more, the project has been given a go-ahead without considering some crucial urban-planning aspects, including the repair or replacement of the sewerage system, the supply of water, electricity, gas and other necessities, and parking and construction of new streets, among others.

According to sources, the construction of new high-rise buildings come under the LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019. Per the new regulations, there is no height limit for commercial buildings having an area of 12-Kanal and above.

Previously, high-rise buildings could be built on a four-Kanal plot, but according to the new law, four-story buildings can be constructed on 10-marla plots, while a seven-story building can be built on a one-Kanal plot.

Similarly, a shop can be built on 450 square feet, a 12-story building with two shops can be built on a two-Kanal plot, while a 15-story-flat with 4 shops can be built on a four-Kanal plot.

Citizens’ woes

While constructing vertically could be beneficial in many ways, citizens say that the LDA has failed to control the mushrooming commercial activities in residential areas. Owing to that, many residents have serious reservations. According to residents, the LDA authorities, instead of removing the existing flaws, permitted the construction of multi-story buildings in the form of flats which will end the divide between residential and commercial areas.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Tahir Mehmood, a resident of Lahore, said that people are against the LDA’s decision to merge commercial and residential schemes.

“The construction of high-rise buildings will accommodate 30-50 families in one place where one or two families previously lived. This will create issues of parking, gas, electricity and other municipal services. Hence, these projects should be initiated in specific areas initially on an experimental basis,” he said.

Muhammad Anwar, another resident of Lahore, agreed and said that the authorities fail to handle the situation when accumulated water, from even light showers, flood several areas of the city.

“As soon as it rains, gutters overflow, the supply of clean water becomes a problem, there are frequent power outages and there is already no space for parking in many residential areas. With the construction of high-rise flats, the problems will only worsen,” Anwar expressed his concern.

Affected areas

At present, there are 280 LDA-approved private housing societies in Lahore where 10% of space has been allocated to build flats. Instead of implementing the law in these areas, efforts are afoot to affect the beauty of the city and add to its problems.

Per sources, areas where high-rise buildings will be constructed include Iqbal Town, Gulshan Ravi, Jauhar Town, Samanabad, Gujjarpura, Sabzazar, Garden Town, Gulberg I, II, III, Jail Road, Achra, Washdat Road, Muslim Town, Mustafa Town, Laurence Road, Shadman, Zahoor Ilahi Road, Makkah Colony, Bridge Colony, Township, Tajpura Housing Society, Taj Bagh Housing Society, Amir Town, Canal Bank Society, Upper Mall Society, Jinnah Housing, Wapda Town, Punjab University Housing Society and Canal Road Housing Society, together with 53 other densely-populated schemes.

Internal disagreements

According to sources, during a meeting which recently took place, a few officers in the governing body of the LDA shared their difference of opinion regarding the construction of multi-story buildings. They maintained that it would be better if the LDA -- instead of enforcing the law on 53 schemes altogether -- implements it phase-wise in specific areas.

They said that instead of being built on 10-marla or one-Kanal plots, flats should be built on two to four-Kanal plots.

Some officers also said stressed that following the law, penalties should be imposed on the owners of private housing societies for their failure to populate their housing schemes over the past five years.

Despite the difference of opinion, however, some high-ranking officials of the LDA, together with some political figures who are part of the LDA’s governing body, refused to pay heed to the advice of the few officers and immediately enforced the Building and Zoning Regulations 2019.

Shedding light over the law pertaining to the construction of high-rise buildings and shops in residential areas, the former chief engineer of the Traffic Engineering & Planning Agency (TEPA) Khushkhal Khan called it a “childish move.”

“It is astonishing to see LDA officers making such policies, which reflect their competency,” he said. He added that there is an urban structure procedure across the globe, according to which such projects are built in specific areas to avoid doing away with the residential and commercial divide.

“By implementing the law, LDA officers will turn Lahore into a city which would soon become unfit for residence. The issues will mount to an uncontrollable extent. This will be the biggest mistake in the history of urban planning,” Khushal Khan said.

On the other hand, the Vice-Chancellor LDA Muhammad Imran Khan said that the construction of high-rise buildings in the city is necessary for the protection of the valuable land which can be utilised for agricultural purposes.

“In line with the vision of the government, we are encouraging the construction of multi-story buildings throughout the city. It is aimed at making the construction industry functional and promoting economic activities,” he said.

He also said that the new regulations will allow developers to turn buildings into high-rise ones so that they could offer cheap residential facilities to the citizens of Lahore.

On being questioned about the construction of flats and shops in residential areas without upgrading municipal facilities, director-general LDA Muhammad Usman Moazaam said that systems are gradually formed and it would take some time to streamline everything. “If any issues stem after the construction of these buildings, they will be resolved immediately following the law,” he assured.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2019.