Islamic City Planning

SUBMITTED BY:SANA AFREENSABIA ALITABISH NEHA

2.3. Vastu-ShastraThe street plan seems to have followed vastu shastra text which contains directions for constructing buildings and for laying out and dividing settlements of different kinds.

BASIC LAYOUT OF ISLAMIC CITIES

ISLAMABADCapital of Pakistan

INTRODUCTIONIslamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, and is

located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the

country. The area has historically been a part of the

crossroads of the Rawalpindi and the North-West

Frontier Province Islamabad is located at 33°40′N,

73°10′E. After independence in 1947, Pakistan realized

the need of capital city to serve the new state. Than,

Islamabad, a new capital of Pakistan was conceived in

1959, planned from 1959 to 1963 by a Greek architect-

planner C. A. Doxiadis, and started implementation in

1961. Rawalpindi helped in the development

of Islamabad by providing the access to

existing transport network and by supplying

labour for the development and

accommodating early inhabitants and

offices for Islamabad.

The city was conceived into grid-iron patterns developed into 2 kilometers by 2

kilometers sectors segregated by the hierarchy of wide principal roads (60 ft.)

comprising Islamabad and Rawalpindi area. The sectors were used for distinct land

uses such as residential, educational, commercial and administrative. Housing is

provided in grid-iron pattern sectors on disciplined hierarchy of communities

according to their income groups. In the square grid of sectors, four communities

clustered around an enlarged shopping centre. To slow down traffic, shopping

activities were organized in the centre of a larger square settlement.

The city is divided into eight basic zones• Administrative zone; • Diplomatic Enclave zone; • Residential Areas; • Educational Sectors; • Industrial Sectors; • Commercial Areas; • Rural Areas; • Green Areas. 

 

CITY LAYOUT ON GRID IRON PATTERN

I.  Zone I consists mainly of all the developed residential sectors.

II. Zone II consists of the under-developed residential sectors.

III. Zone III consists primarily of the Margalla Hills and Margalla Hills National Park. Rawal Lake is in this zone.

IV. Zone IV and V consist of Islamabad Park, and rural areas of the city. The Soan River flows into the city through Zone V.

Markets

Expansion of city

Expansion of city

DISTRIBUTION OF ROADSIslamabad is planned according to a system of

communities of various classes, each class comprising

the functions corresponding to its size.

These communities are properly served by a major

transportation system developed within wide corridors of

a grid-iron configuration.

Local and collector low speed roads, wide sidewalks,

pedestrian roads and bicycles lanes within the lower class

“human communities” provide access to the major

transportation system.

The above system of communities and transportation

facilities, contributes to the reduction of travel

distances/times and accidents, and to the promotion of

“green transport” (walking, cycling, public transport).

• Types of street or road system used in Islamabad are rectangular or grid iron street system the street have equal width and they cross each other at right angle

• The advantage of this system is convenient to traffic and so a speedy and free traffic can be maintained.

• The houses are constructed in rectangular blocks so convenient, economical and most suited for building construction

• There is no wastage of land since no irregular portion are left out.

• But the disadvantages of this system are they don’t provide short cuts which provide a direct access to trade and shopping centres.

• Since islamabad is situated on the plateue the surface is uneven where grid iron street pattern become inconvenience, discomfort and moreover it become expensive.

SHAHJAHANABAD

The city was planned according to Hindu planning principles of Shilpashastra from Vaastushastra The site was placed on a high land as in the Shastras and was Karmukha or bow shaped, for this ensured its prosperity. The arm of the archer was Chandni Chowk The string was Yamuna.The junction of the two main axes is the most auspicious point in the whole region and was therefore the Red Fort.

PLANNING OF SHAHJAHANABAD

The designed infrastructure of Shahjahanabad comprised •The fort•The Friday mosque •The other major mosques.•The bazaars around the Friday mosque•The elaborate system of water channels•The major gardens and the surrounding city wall.

CHANDNI CHOWK

RED FORT

JAMA MASJID

FATEHPURI MOSQUE

Primary mosques

Masjid Fatehpuri, Masjid Akbarabadi, Masjid Sirhindi, Masjid Aurangabadi, Zinat-al-Masjid, Sunahri Masjid, Masjid Sharif-ad-Daulah, Fakhr-al-Masjid.

• They were located next to the two main lines of communication which subdivided the city.

• Second in rank to the Jama Masjid was the Fatehpuri Masjid

•Numbering about 200 in Shahjahanabad. •These mosques often bear the name of their founders and they are mostly located on ‘secondary streets’. •They were at the bottom of the hierarchy and lay scattered all over the city. •They served the people in the immediate vicinity and were built by prominent or wealthy residents of the respective Mahallah or by guilds of the merchants or artisans.

Secondary mosques were the mahallas mosques :-

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