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Mini Holland Commonplaces

Mini Holland Commonplaces Waltham Forest Council was awarded £27 million by Transport for London for the Mini-Holland Programme. The program will transform the borough, making it more cycle-friendly, and encourage more people to take up cycling and walking. Amy Priestley from the Waltham Forest Mini Holland team talks about her experience with the programme, and the benefits of using Commonplace to engage local people. Visit the Mini Holland website for more information.

February 28, 2016 No Comments

Mere Makan Main Dukan

After the deadly floods and earthquakes, more than two third Pakistanis were in urgent need of assistance. Homelessness are continuing threats to the victims of these disasters. The scope of destruction is so wide that instead of huge international donations and governmental efforts for relief and reconstruction, the situation is not healing effectively and the gap is enlarging day by day between supply and demand of houses.The Central Bank statistics revealed that now there is a total shortage of 8.8 million houses and 700,000 houses/year must be provided to cope with the increasing demand. . Especially for low-income households, there is a dearth of financial resources to build/renovate damaged and destroyed houses; this is worsened by the fact that non-sustainable methods and materials that are used continue to be vulnerable in future disasters. There is an urgent need in Pakistan towards innovative housing strategies including financial and technical assistance programs. Project is aimed to fulfill the requirements and needs of low-income housing groups, with the durability in disasters. An affordable house design methodology was used to design alternatives of low income housing in order to minimize cost and environment impact while maximizing the entrepreneurship, self help and community development. Project site is located in Sialkot comprising on total land area 21760 Square Feet (4 kanals), the master plan and house designs have been prepared with great consideration of locals and keeping in view their demands. Houses are designed in such a way that they will provide not only shelter but also will become source of income. We are looking sponsors to help poor and needy in Sialkot area to provide them shelters. The main features of Project are: 1. Affordable Housing especially for low-income 2. Eradication of poverty through Entrepreneurship activities with in house 3. House designs that will improve health conditions 4. Women empowerment through home based working areas 5.Flood resistant and energy efficient designed houses Please send your donations to: Account no. 4400663884881221, Account title: Muhammad Tariq Bank of America USA

February 13, 2016 No Comments

Making Cities Prosperous

SheherSaaz is a multidisciplinary consultancy firm with offices in Pakistan and overseas. Sheher Saaz is providing architecture, planning, and engineering services to its vast number of clients worldwide. Sheher Saaz has organized series of walks, talks, seminars and conferences in the past on various urban and social issues. In continuation of past activities, Sheher Saaz is going to organize a seminar on “Making Cities Prosperous: Lessons for Pakistan” on very first day of year 2016. Our presenter, Dr. Imran Muhammad is anAssociate Professor of Transport and Urban Planning at Massey University, New Zealand.He has over 15 years of experience working in Asia Pacific region.Besides academic interests, Imran provided consultancy services to local councils in NZ and Australia, NZ Transport Agency and the World Bank. Imran received his BSc and MSc Urban Planning degrees from UET, Lahore, the University of Hong Kong and Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne. He has worked as a researcher at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and RMIT University in Australia and as a practitioner at the Victorian Road Authority and British Columbia International. Imran’s research interest broadly focuses on how institutions can promote sustainable transport in cities in developed and developingcountries. Imran’s research argues for a greater recognition of the role of politics and the capacity of local institutions on transport decision making. Imran is the sole author of a book, Institutional barriers to sustainable urban transport in Pakistan published by Oxford University Press. Date: 1st of January 2016 at 5:00 pm Venue: SheherSaaz (Pvt) Ltd. 21 Dyal Singh Mansion, 57 – The Mall, Lahore. There are limited seats available. Register your interest at shehersaaz@gmail.com and get confirmation to mark your presence.

January 1, 2016 No Comments

Salt Range is no one’s fiefdom

Salt Range is no one’s fiefdom By Ayaz Amir This range of hills and verdant valleys is a slice of paradise, as perfect as the Greek mountains where the gods feasted. Anywhere else this would be a protected area, considered sacred, and any attempt to despoil its divinely-gifted beauty would be considered the height of sacrilege. But who’ll appreciate beauty here? Here walk no Pericles or other builders of the Parthenon. It’s our luck to have rulers and decision-makers who haven’t read a book in their lives and near whom anything resembling culture and good sense has never passed. We say we are successors to the Mughals. Of Mughal grace and aesthetics we have inherited nothing. That is why the Salt Range and its many offshoots such as Kahoon where Choa Saidan Shah is located and Wanhar which is the plateau beyond Kallar Kahar (if you are coming from Islamabad) instead of being protected, let alone honoured, are under threat of massive assault. Nay, the threat is no longer notional. It has already happened and is being carried even further because the capitalist class when it looks at the Salt Range can see not its timeless magnificence but the prospect of extracting its limestone and clay, and reaching for its underground water resources, and turning all this into cement. The devout in times gone by built a temple to the Lord Shiva at Katas. Our capitalists would raise a monument to cement, for that is their deity. Gen Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz between them, with no small help from the then Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi, allowed three mega-cement plants to be set up in the small stretch of territory between Katas and Khairpur. These plants produce 18-25 thousand tons of cement every single day. Imagine the amount of clay, limestone and water that go into this huge production. Imagine the effect of this depredation on the hills which have stood here since the world was first created. When the extractors have done their job, when the limestone has been pulled out, what remains is lifeless earth, dead for all practical purposes, capable of producing nothing, of no use to man, beast or bird. And as if this rape of Kahoon which began with the blessings of Gen Musharraf and his carpetbagger prime minister wasn’t enough, the government of the great Khadim-e-Aala has set aside a vast tract of land in Wanhar, right next to the village of Buchal Kalan, for another giant cement plant to be run by a Karachi-based company which is already a big name in the cement business. A word about cement – it is a necessary evil, you need it to build. For dams, bridges and flyovers you can’t do without it. But what is happening in Pakistan is a slightly different story. We are surplus in cement production, producing far beyond our needs. Not just one China-Pakistan corridor but several more and we have cement enough for them. So what we are doing is that we are exporting cement. We are ravaging our own landscape – destroying it utterly – for the greater good of India and Afghanistan. And because there are easy profits in this trade and the Motorway has made access to the Salt Range easy, seths and tycoons sitting in Karachi and Lahore, and even London – for two of the Kahoon plants are London-owned – salivate at the mouth when they look at the limestone hills of the Salt Range. And because they have contacts and are great at lobbying and there are big bucks to be made, and distributed, the crazy governments we have, devoid of culture and ideas, give further grants of land for cement plants which Pakistan – I emphasise again – does not need. For the company’s owners the beauty of the Salt Range means nothing. The attachment of small farmers – and in Wanhar we only have subsistence farming – to their land means nothing. If farmers were to surrender their land willingly that would be another matter. But the inhabitants of Buchal Kalan want to sell not half-an-acre, not a kanal, not one marla of their land, which has come down to them from generation to generation. The government of the Khadim-e-Aala has other ideas. It is bringing pressure to bear on the local population. And soon that most enduring legacy of the Raj, the Land Acquisition Act 1894 (yes, 1894), may be put into effect and with the might of the state the farmers will be dispossessed, so that their lordships of Karachi who have no emotional tie to this land can fill their pockets a bit more and pass on the benefits of this ‘development’, it bears repeating, to the great republics of India and Afghanistan. As cruel jokes go, what can be crueller than this? But, we will be smoothly assured, environmental impact assessments have been carried out and they all say, cross my heart, that there will be no adverse impact on the environment. There are many pious frauds in this country, much make-believe and con artistry, but there is no greater eyewash than these assessments, and the work in general of the Environment Protection Agency. The redoubtable Khadim-e-Aala can take a steamroller through the heart of Lahore and the environment guys can be trusted to declare that no harm has been caused. Half the trees on the Canal Bank road can be cut and with a straight face the guardians of the environment will say that for each tree cut a hundred will be planted. And the courts, bless them, will buy this argument. Furthermore, however dodgy a scheme local facilitators are not hard to find. The British got local facilitators for the conquest of India, and this is just a cement plant. In Musharraf’s time the local facilitator was the then district nazim. This time it is Malik Muhammad Aslam, father of provincial minister Tanveer Aslam. He should have been the first to stand against the plant.

December 29, 2015 No Comments

World Town Planning Day

“World Town Planning Day”, was founded in 1949 by the late Professor Carlos Maria Della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires, a graduate at the Institut d’urbanisme in Paris, to advance public and professional interest in planning. It is celebrated in more than 30 countries on four continents each November 8th. It is a special day to recognize and promote the role of planning in creating livable communities. World Urbanism Day presents an excellent opportunity to look at planning from a global perspective, an event that appeals to the conscience of citizens and public authorities in order to draw attention to the environmental impact resulting from the development of cities and territories. On Sunday the 8th of November the walk was arranged at Mall Road from Faisal Chowk Mall Road to Dyal Singh Mansion, Mall Road with an aim to explore contemporary practices that led to the deterioration of the Mall Road with excessive character-undermining due to commercialization. This Walk was a part of series to commemorate World Town Planning Day that is celebrated across the globe to emphasize the need for better planning of human settlements. Members from civil society, the planning community, and students from universities are participating in this event. This year’s theme of World Town Planning Day ‘’Housing Regeneration – Strengthening Communities’’, is being adopted by all planning institutes and organizations worldwide. Institute of Planners Pakistan IPP along with Three Universities is organizing seminars, lectures, and workshops at their campuses. These Universities include the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore UET, the University of Management and Technology Lahore UMT, and Lahore College for Women University Lahore LCW. Senior Planners from the public, private, and universities are going to present their work there. Lahore College for Women University celebrated World Town Planning Day on the 10th of November at the LCWU campus. University of Management and Technology is celebrating on the 30th of November at the UMT campus. University of Engineering and Technology has scheduled World Town Planning Day celebrations on the 5th of December at UET Lahore Campus. Institute of Planners Pakistan with the collaboration of UMT is also organizing a poster competition among students for the World Town Planning Day. The top three position holders will get prizes and certificates. For any further details please contact IPP at email: instituteofplanners@gmail.com

November 8, 2015 No Comments

How Smart City Barcelona Brought the Internet of Things to Life

Cities around the world are beginning to understand the huge potential of the Internet of Things (IoT). In Barcelona, those possibilities have started to become the reality. Starting in 2012, the city deployed responsive technologies across urban systems including public transit, parking, street lighting, and waste management. These innovations yielded significant cost savings, improved the quality of life for residents, and made the city a center for the young IoT industry. Spain was among the countries hardest hit by the 2008 recession, and recovery throughout Europe has been slow. In the face of these economic challenges, Barcelona harnessed technology to transform itself into a model of data-driven, sensing, smart urban systems. Xavier Trias, Mayor of Barcelona from 2011 to 2015, ran on a platform of technological innovation in city services. Upon taking office, he formed a new team, Smart City Barcelona, tasked with integrating existing projects and identifying new opportunities to enhance services for all of the city’s people and businesses. Smart City Barcelona identified 12 areas for intervention, including transportation, water, energy, waste, and open government, and initiated 22 programs, encompassing 83 distinct projects across urban systems. In launching its IoT program, Barcelona had a solid foundation: the projects took advantage of 500 kilometers of fiber optic cable within the city. This extensive network was initiated 30 years ago when the city connected two municipal buildings with early fiber technology. The fiber network now provides 90 percent fiber-to-the-home coverage and serves as a backbone for integrated city systems. The fiber network serves as a direct link to the Internet for the Barcelona’s residents and visitors. The city draws on the fiber infrastructure to provide citywide WiFi. Since 2013, the number of hotspots is up 62 percent to 670 WiFi hotspots at a maximum distance of 100 meters from point to point, and the number of WiFi users has doubled. Barcelona has also used this extensive fiber network to build out individual IoT systems across urban services. To improve energy efficiency, the city installed 19,500 smart meters that monitor and optimize energy consumption in targeted areas of the city. In waste management, households deposit waste in municipal smart bins that monitor waste levels and optimize collection routes. These sensors can be further enhanced, and plans have been developed to integrate sensing for hazardous or offensive waste material. In transportation, Barcelona has pursued a multi-modal strategy, advancing the use of electric cars and bike-sharing, while investing heavily in improving the bus and parking systems. The new digital bus stops turn to wait for buses into an interactive experience, with updates on bus location, USB charging stations, free WiFi, and tools to help riders download apps to help them learn more about the city. For drivers, Barcelona has implemented a sensor system that guides them to available parking spaces. The sensors, embedded in the asphalt, can sense whether or not a vehicle is parked in a given location. By directing drivers to open spaces, the program has reduced congestion and emissions. The application that drivers use to locate parking—ApparkB—also allows them to pay for parking online. Within a year of implementation, the city was issuing 4,000 parking permits per day through the application. The city simultaneously pursued the implementation of the Barcelona Lighting Masterplan, published in 2012, which uses smart technologies to enhance the efficiency and utility of city lampposts. By 2014, more than1,100 lampposts had been transitioned to LED, reducing energy consumption. The lampposts sense when pedestrians are nearby; when the streets are empty, lights automatically dim to further conserve energy. The lampposts are also part of the city’s WiFi network, providing consistent, free Internet access throughout the city. Moreover, they are equipped with sensors that collect data on air quality, relaying information to city agencies and the public. Cumulatively, the improvements produced 30 percent energy savings across the urban lighting system. In order to maximize the efficiency of the city’s parks, Barcelona has implemented IoT technologies to remotely sense and control park irrigation and water levels in public fountains. Using sensors to monitor rain and humidity, park workers can determine how much irrigation is needed in each area. A system of electrovalves is then remotely controlled to deliver necessary water across the city. The program, implemented in 68 percent of public parks, helped the city achieve a 25 percent increase in water conservation, for savings of approximately $555,000 per year. Together, these systems constitute a “network of networks,” generating data that can be used by city agencies to improve city operations and by citizens seeking to better understand their local environment. Barcelona’s integrated sensor network is relayed through Sentilo, a platform developed specifically for the city, which is now open-source and available for reuse by other governments. Through this platform, data is managed and shared with citizens and city workers. In order to facilitate citizen access, the city developed 44 kiosks where residents can find information, access services, and make requests to the government. Already, these improvements have saved the city money and reduced the consumption of valuable energy and water. Barcelona estimates that IoT systems have helped save $58 million on water, increased parking revenues by $50 million per year, and generated 47,000 new jobs. Through smart lighting, the city reports saving an additional $37 million annually. To capitalize on the energy around the city’s IoT projects, Barcelona has actively fostered its local technology industry. With $230 million in public funds, the city redeveloped an industrial area to create 22@Barcelona, where startups are putting public data to use in new applications and developing IoT technologies. Among these startups is thethings.io, which aims to become the primary service provider for the IoT world. Some of these homegrown companies are already starting to find market success. One 22@Barcelona resident, Worldsensing, developed an in-ground parking sensor that cities can use to manage citizen parking. Barcelona piloted the tool, Fastprk, in the 22@Barcelona district, helping the product evolve through a real-world implementation. While Barcelona ultimately purchased a different tool for broader implementation,

October 11, 2015 No Comments

Affordable Housing Dialogue Recap

On the 6th of May 2016, Sheher Saaz (Pvt) Ltd organized a dialogue on affordable housing at its office on Mall Road Lahore. Sheher Saaz is a multidisciplinary architecture, planning, and engineering design consultancy firm working since 1998. Sheher Saaz with offices in London, Toronto, Lahore, and Jhelum has extensively worked on physical, social, economic, and environmental issues that cities are facing. Affordable Housing Dialogue was attended by architects, planners, academicians, engineers, environmentalists, and students. Few participants traveled all the way from Toronto and Islamabad. Mr. Khurram Farid, Principal Planner at Sheher Saaz started the dialogue by giving an overview of the current housing crisis and issues of the low-income housing sector being faced in the country. He also mentioned that countries like India and Egypt are successfully addressing this issue through different schemes funded by respective governments. Dr. Fariha Tariq, Head of Department of City and Regional Planning at University of Management and Technology Lahore, explained different initiatives adopted by the governments and also problems being faced by this sector. Dr Tariq Habib Malik from Toronto emphasized that due to lack of housing finance it is almost impossible to address this vital issue. He further explained that getting loans from banks is almost impossible for low income group on account of higher interest rates. Emma Ahmad from Ansaar Management Company (AMC) briefed that how AMC is working on provision of affordable housing to the low income groups. She emphasized that there is need to change planning regulations in context with affordable housing. Ms Sana Malik Architect told the house how Malaysian Government is managing this issue in Malaysia and she also talked on the issues of formal and informal affordable housing in Pakistan. Mr. Naveed ul Haq from Ellan consultancy explained his experience while working with KPK Government. Mr. Asad Jan from Urban Unit explained affordability is not clear in Pakistani context. Mr. Muhammad Shoaib from Urban Unit highlighted that in Pakistan we are yet relying on 1998 census and national housing policy which was derived in 2001. Since under the 18th Amendment, housing is a provincial subject, none of the provincial governments in Pakistan have formulated the provincial housing policy and in the absence of any such policy, affordable housing is unlikely to be achieved. Ahmad Masood from NESPAK raised the issue of coordination between various planning and implementing departments. Mr. Muthair Awan explained that how through Public Private Partnership we can deal affordable housing. Dr Atif Billal Aslam from UET Lahore explained the land speculation as a big hurdle in making housing affordable. In the end President of Institute of Planners Pakistan (IPP), Mr. Aslam Mughal summed up the dialogue and gave the way forward by raising four key areas which need further deliberations and study. Accordingly, four working groups are formulated. He said, housing finance, planning standards, land speculations and rental housing will be researched and finding will be put to the next dialogue scheduled on Friday 1st of June 2016. The findings and recommendations will be shared with the government in formulating the policy and plan in this regard, he maintained.

September 25, 2015 No Comments

The Monastery of St. Simon the Tanner

The Monastery of St. Simon (Simeon) the Tannerby LaraIskander Saint Simon the Tanner (St. Sama’an, in Arabic) lived towards the end of the tenth century when Egypt was ruled by the Fatimid Caliph, Al- Muizz and Anba Abram was the Coptic Pope. At the time, the Copts (Christians) in Egypt were engaged in handicrafts. St Simon worked in one of the crafts widespread in Babylon (Old Cairo) which was tanning, a craft still known there till this day. This profession involved also other crafts that depend on the process, from where he carried several titles related to skins; St Simon the Tanner, the Cobber, the Shoemaker. The Monastery, located on the opposite side of the road leading to the Citadel contains seven Churches and Chapels hidden in a series of caves in the Mokattam (Muqattam) hills. The Monastery was erected and dedicated to him a thousand years after his miracle and his death. It lies behind “Mansheiyet Nasser”, the Zabbalin village (garbage collectors). This village was erratically established in 1969 when the Governor decided to move all the garbage collectors of Cairo to one of the hills of the Mokattam. There, they built themselves primitive houses of tin. The number of trash collectors living in the area reached about 15.000 in 1987. This number has doubled now. Reaching the monastery is quite a difficult approach. Amazingly, the people there will point you in the right direction knowing your destination without even been asked. The Monastery is reached through the narrow village streets, trash carts passing you by along with piles of rubbish, plastics, and tins on the sides of the alleys with people sorting them out. Even if described in detail, the Zabbalin village is a hard place to picture, far from one’s imagination; it can only be grasped on site. At the far end of the village, awaits you an unexpected, stunning place; a vast open space lying in the bosom of the hills, with dramatic colored carvings all over the mountain. The carvings were done by a Polish Artist who begun working there several years ago. They represent stories from the Bible such as the Holy Family journey and the Nativity scene. The main Cathedral there is named after the Virgin Mary and St Simon in commemoration of the legend of transferring the Mokattam Mountain in November 979 when Simon the Tanner was chosen to fulfill this miracle According to Coptic sayings, the Caliph Al Muizz, an enlightened man, was fond of literacy gatherings and inviting different religious leaders to debate in his presence with neither anger nor contention. In one of those meetings in which Pope Abram and a Jew named Jacob Ibn Killis were present, the Pope got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where the Lord Jesus said in Mt 17:20: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you” and demanded him to prove that his religion is right by means of this. The Caliph saw in this an opportunity to remove the mountain that was spoiling his view. At the same time, if they proved unable to do so, it would be proof that the religion of the Christians was wrong and he would be done away with them completely or so goes the Legend. Left: Interior view of the Virgin Mary; Right: St Simon the tanner Cathedral showing the projection screen. And so, after 3 days of prayers and fasts by the people throughout the land of Egypt, Simon was chosen to move the Mokattam Mountain. It is said that a great earthquake swept over the mountain. Each time the people stood up to worship, the mountain was thrust up and the sun would be seen from under it. When the people sat down, the mountain thrust down. This was repeated three times. St Simon was never found afterward. His skeleton was discovered in 1991 in Babylon in St Mary’s church (the Hanging Church). The Virgin Mary and St Simon Cathedral was constructed in 2 stages. At first, it was only a huge cave of limestone in the bosom of the hill. The audience was seated on straw rugs around the alter which was prepared in 1986. The 2nd stage was in November 1994 which falls on the feast of St Simon. The church was reconstructed and the ground was deepened once more. Fixed seats were constructed around the altar in the form of a quarter-circle auditorium to accommodate up to five thousand people and thus it became the biggest church in the Monastery. Left: An engraved figure of the Virgin Mary and Christ found on the ceiling near the alter;Right: Exterior view of the Virgin Mary and St Simon’s Cathedral. To the right side of the altar, the church keeps the remains of St Simon’s body. In the year 1974, upon the ceiling and to the right side of the altar, an obvious engraved figure of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus Christ was discovered, not touched by any human hand. It was later revised in the year 1994. Another amazing Chapel in the Monastery is St Bola’s Church, named after St Bola the first Pilgrim for virtues he possessed. He lived in caves and solitude for 70 years during which he never set eyes upon a human face. The Chapel cave was discovered in 1986 by pure coincidence during construction works when a huge rock fell showing an opening in the ceiling of the cave and thus, the church location was decided An astonishing story about this church took place in January 1992 when it was endangered by a fire caused by an electric spark. The picture of Jesus Christ hanging in the church and the alter were by no means destroyed even though the whole interior of the cave was damaged. A third church of the

August 8, 2015 No Comments

Net Zero Energy Buildings and Challenges for Pakistan Recap

A lecture was organized on the 20th of May 2016 at Sheher Saaz Lahore office on “Net Zero Energy Buildings and challenges for Pakistan”, in which Mr. Waseem Shahid Malik an expert on renewable energy gave his presentation on the subject. Ms. Huma Beg also gave a presentation on green architecture and showed her her own projects made of straw-bale and examples around the world. She emphasized that staw-bale can be the cheapest and efficient way of building homes for the poor and needy in the country. She also mentioned by using straw-bale modern luxury homes can also be built. Dr. Riaz Akbar from Canada(on Skype) also gave his point of view on green architecture and asked the house to find gaps and the way forward. In reply, Ms. Hume told that in order to proceed all we need to do is make a forum of like-minded people who are keen to work on green architecture and start taking action. Mr. Waseem in his presentation described the practices of Net Zero Energy Buildings around the world. He also explained how the middle east has scrapped all new housing projects and asked the developers to follow a new protocol on Net Zero Energy Buildings. Mr. Waseem explained how to calculate the needs and requirements of the energy of a house and how to incorporate them into the design. In his statement, he also said that Chinese vendors have made the Pakistani market a junkyard for their products. There are no rules and regulations to check the quality of imported items in the country. He also suggested that there should be a hotline in order to check the quality and report malpractices in this sector. This lecture was attended by the architects, planners, students, representatives from the society, developers, and academicians from Lahore and Islamabad. Among participants were, Mr. Mushtaq Hussain Bargatt Chairman MMBT, Dr. Sohail Qureshi, Expert on Solar Energy, Dr. Javed Iqbal DG EPA, Rizwan ur Rehman Planner, Nadeem Khursid Planner, Mohammad Shoaib Planner, Ali Haider, Syed Ejaz Hussain, Muhammad Zubair Planner DHA. Maryam Akam Electrical Eng. Saad Awan Student CS, Khaleeq Ahmad contractor, Eng Ateeq Ahmad, Eng Hassan Javed. Arch Ayesha Batool, Yasir Naseem, Arch Ayesha Farooq, Planner Affaq Butt, Ms. Huma Beg, Mr. Waseem Malik, and Mr. Khurram Farid. Dr. Riaz Akbar from Canada on video conference also participated.

July 23, 2015 No Comments

Institute of Planners Pakistan

Dear Fellow EC Member/Planner, Greetings.. IPP’s Executive Council meeting has been scheduled on May 15, 2015 (5:30 PM Sharp) at Planner Khurram Farid’s Office “Shehersaz, 21 Diyaal Singh Mansion, The Mall, Lahore”. Participation is highly encouraged and kindly knowledge receipt of this invitation as well as your availability. The agenda of the meeting shall be circulated later. With regards, (Secretary General, IPP)

June 30, 2015 No Comments

Lecture on Historic Buildings Conservation

A lecture on the conservation of Historic Buildings of Lahore was organized by Architect Ayesha Batool at Sheher Saaz Lahore office. In which students and teachers of architecture participated with great interest. Mr. Sajjad explained the process and difficulties he faced during the restoration of ”Tollinton Market” Lahore.

May 8, 2015 No Comments

Mian Muhammad Bukhsh Trust

Mian Muhammad Bukhsh Trust is a registered charity in the Pakistan United Kingdom and Canada. MMBT is working in Health Education and community development sector. Sheher Saaz has provided exclusive services in order to promote education for all, campaign for healthy communities, and empowering local communities through different initiatives.

April 26, 2015 No Comments

‘Chaliye’ Lahore

‘Chaliye’ Lahore – Walk Lahore is a self interest and a collaborative initiative to develop a sense of pedestrianization, architectural and urban observation,sharing and documentation and to discover Lahore through a common man mobility that has always been ‘walk’. The Walk take place once in every month, covering Lahore city fabric from various selected routes. In addition to the Old Walled City it focuses on the other segments of the city as well that as a whole responds to the ‘Lahore’ -we observe today. ANY ONE belonging to ANY PROFESSION can join us in walk, thus making it more and more learning experience. Feel free to comment, suggest, question and share the venture.

April 20, 2015 No Comments

Sheher Saaz: Investors in People

Sheher Saaz arranges regular training and skill enhancement courses for its employees and associates to best utilize the human capital whenever wherever needed. Our strength is our employees and associates and we always invest in our people.

March 30, 2015 No Comments

Pakistan Urban Forum

The 3rd Pakistan Urban Forum, with the theme “Reimagining Pakistan’s Cities for the 21st Century”, is an opportunity to bring together participants from Pakistan and abroad who are seeking a better urban future, including government officials, urban sector experts, public and private sector professionals, development agencies, non-governmental and grassroots organizations, academics, and students. The Forum will serve as a participatory platform to continue the conversation on urbanization, urban policy, and planning in Pakistan, and to highlight best practices from around the world. We seek to assemble diverse examples of research, urban planning, and management practices to call forth sensible policy, equitable urban development, and environmental consciousness amongst Pakistan’s citizenry.

February 17, 2015 No Comments

WTPD and IPP

WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY By: Muhammad Aslam Mughal, President Institute of Planners Pakistan World Town Planning Day is being celebrated on 8th November 2015. Institute of Planners Pakistan (IPP) has also chalked out a number of activities in collaboration with various institutions in the country to celebrate this day throughout the month of November. The idea is to create awareness in the general public and highlight issues for the planners and other related professionals. In these events, leading academicians and practitioners will be sharing their ideas and experiences with a large number of professionals and students to improve the quality of life in our cities and towns. Pakistan is faced with complex challenges in view of rapid urbanization whereby 60% of our population will be living in urban areas by 2050 as compared to 35% currently. In terms of number, we have to accommodate more than 80 million people in urban areas during this period as compared to the existing figure of 70 million. It means we need a new Faisalabad every year. Urbanization has negative effects but it is a major factor for economic growth. Currently, about 77% of Pakistan’s GDP is being generated by the cities so one can appreciate the role of cities in the national economy. This is why many countries in the world are focusing on cities to make them more efficient including the launch of programs of smart cities. Pakistan is under tremendous pressure of climate change that is going to impact our existing cities and pose serious issues with relation to the location of new cities. Recent earthquakes and floods indicate the effects. Our agricultural and forest areas, coastal zones, and areas of cultural and historic significance are under the threat of urbanization. In case of no serious action precious agricultural land will go on decreasing creating food security problems. We have a great opportunity in the form of the China Pak Economic Corridor to rationalize our settlement structure with a focus on underdeveloped areas of KPK, Baluchistan, and Sindh. All developed countries have gone through this stage of urbanization but they have prepared themselves to cope with the situation. The basic requirement to tackle these issues properly is a comprehensive spatial planning system at the national, provincial, and local levels. Whereas there have been some attempts at the local levels in the form of master plans, structure plans, and outline development plans the other two levels have been ignored so far. KPK has recently initiated Provincial Land Use Plan and Punjab is now in the process of initiating the Provincial Spatial Development Plan. Planning Commission recommended the preparation of National Spatial Strategy and Provincial Spatial Development Plans in 2005 but no action has been taken so far. It is high time we initiate these plans to preserve our national assets and capitalize on the immense natural and human resource potential in the service of our existing and future population. Recently approved Vision 2025 will provide a sound basis for National Spatial Strategy. These plans have to be prepared with the active participation of all public and private stakeholders and approved by the highest level of government to realize the fruits of this effort. A number of successful examples from other countries are available. Efforts in cities have also to be more coordinated and participation of all stakeholders has to be ensured from the preparation of plans to their implementation. To provide teeth to these plans Planning Act is a must so that all public and private developers and service providers strictly follow these plans to create sustainable cities/towns serving all sectors of the economy and all sections of the society equitably and efficiently. IPP is committed to these goals and will continue its efforts to advise and assist relevant government institutions to cope with the challenges.

January 28, 2015 No Comments

Saif-ul-Malook Conference

Mian Muhammad Bukhsh Trust and Sheher Saaz are organizing the ”Saif-ul-Malook Conference” on the 5th of June 2016. Mushtaq Hussain Bargatt Chairman of the Trust, Dr. Tariq Aziz Vice Chairman of the Trust, and Mr. Khurram Farid Managing Director of Sheher Saaz along with team members finalized the program.

January 10, 2015 No Comments

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