DESIGNING THE URBAN · Razia Liaqat & Usman Zia Marketing & Publicity Madiha Arslan & Azhar Ali...

March2017

Volume 01 / Issue 02

www.urbanunit.gov.pk

DESIGNING THE

FUTUREURBAN

CONTENTSTABLE OF

02Global Urban Briefs

Three of the World's Best Cities for People

01Editor in Chief’s Note

09In FocusH

ow the Car w

ill Kill the City

14Urban Poverty

19Urban Research

Urban Land Records System

in Punjab

26

Segregation, Treatment &

Disposal Facility, Sahiwal

30

Culture for Environment

Urban Facts

39

35Why is the City M

ale?

CreditsEditor-in-ChiefDr. Nasir Javed CEO, The Urban Unit

EditorMemoona Arslan Bhatti

Editorial Team Madiha Arslan & Nadia Qureshi

Layout & Design Razia Liaqat & Usman Zia

Marketing & PublicityMadiha Arslan & Azhar Ali

Published & Printed byThe Urban Unit, Planning & Development DepartmentGovernment of the Punjab.

Copyrights @THE URBAN UNIT All Rights Reserved. No part of this magazine may be reprinted or reused without permission.

For feedback/suggestions please contact

503 - Shaheen Complex, Egerton Road, Lahore042 - 99205316 - 22, Ext: [email protected]

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Opinions expressed in articles, columns and features in Urban Geographic are those of the author(s) or person(s) quoted and are not necessarily those of Urban Geographic nor of the Urban Unit. Advertisements appearing in Urban Geographic do not constitute or imply endorsement by Urban Geographic or the Urban Unit.

This issue of the Urban Geographic strives to generate and advance the local as well as the global conversation about the most important issues regarding land use rules in Pakistan, highlighting three of world’s best cities for people, Urban Poverty, Cars killing the cities, cities in male and female contexts, building tempo for environmentally livable surround-ings, waste segregation and treatment and much more of interest for all and sundry.

The magazine, with its genuine and quality write-ups, attempts to focus the most relevant and happening issues including building highly livable, sustainable communities with the transit and other infrastructure necessary to support them; promoting intelligent densification and urbanization worldwide; and understanding how technological and demographic trends will influence to built environment.

The over-whelming success of the first edition has encouraged me to invite the who’s who in writing domains to join the Urban Geographic writers’ guild to contribute their work, comment on articles, suggest us measures of improvement and be a part of this campaign to create awareness on urbanization issues and their solutions with the power of pen.

I would also take this opportunity to extend heartfelt thanks to all the valued advertisers who have put their trust in a magazine that deals with not –very- fancy and glamorous content and brings out some hard talk and solid topics of urban development to the readers. By quality of content and production, I ensure all advertising partners to take their messages to best of their stakeholders too, for a better business outreach as a thriving sponsor of Urban Geographic will strengthen our brand name positively.

Dr. Nasir JavedEditor-In-Chief and CEOThe Urban Unit

Editor in Chief’s Note

Urban Geographic is the magazine for Urbanization –

covering best practices across a broad spectrum of

topics relevant to urban development in general, and

in Pakistani context, in particular.

Vol. 01 / Issue 02/ Urban Geographic

02

THREE OF THEWORLD'S BEST

CITIES FORPEOPLEPlanning cities for people to

promote development–CC Huang–

Vol. 01 / Issue 02 / Urban Geographic

03

A new Energy Innovation report, Cities for People in Practice, compares three sustainably developed communities that offer successful examples of the “cities for people” approach to urban development.

The three neighbourhoods -located in Guangzhou, China; Stockholm, Sweden; and Freiburg, Germany—are located in very different countries and cultures. Yet each of these districts has a handful of common elements that have made the neighbourhood a model for sustainable urban form:

1. There are very few cars.

2. People dominate the streets and public spaces.

3. Walking and biking are primary forms of transit.

By emphasizing public transit, walkability, and bicycling, these neighbourhoods provide increased mobility and a higher quality of life for residents and visitors, but development costs have been comparable to traditional neighbourhoods.

The 8 Principles from Planning Cities for People promote alternatives to cars and emphasize mixed-use development clustered around transit hubs:

WalkDevelop

neighborhoods that promote walking.

ConnectCreate dense networks

of streets and paths for non-motorized

transit.

CyclePrioritize bicycle

networks that offer protected lanes.

TransitBuild extensive,

high-quality transit. Make connections between modes.

DensityActively encourage

greater density around major transit hubs.

MixZone for mixed-use

neighborhoods.

ShiftIncrease mobility by

regulating parking and road use.

CompactSet growth boundaries and plan for compact

regions with short commutes.

Liuyun Xiaoqu in Guangzhou Features walkable, mixed-use neighborhoodIn Liuyun Xiaoqu, Guangzhou’s sustainable neighborhood, commercial space now dominates the ground floor of buildings after mixed-use development was permitted in the area. As a result, ground floor building area increased in value by 30 percent.

The introduction of mixed-use development, public space improvements, and improved transit connections has substantially enhanced quality of life. The neighborhood is now much more walkable and offers easy access to goods, services, transit, and recreational areas. Liuyun Xiaoqu’s mixed-use nature and people-centered urban design has also made it a friendlier environment for children and the elderly.


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Hammarby in Stockholm Reduces environmental footprintIn Hammarby, Stockholm’s sustainable neighborhood, demand for living space has been so strong that each new phase of construction has sold out almost immediately. The environmental impact of this community is 30-40 percent less than other developments built at the same time. Car travel accounts for only 21 percent of trips made by Hammarby’s residents. Most impressively, the improved livability and environmental performance only increased costs for developers by 2-4 percent.


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Few Cars in VaubanA sustainable district in Freiburg, GermanyIn Vauban, Freiburg’s sustainable neighborhood, the design of the district has successfully deprioritized the car and promoted transit, walking, and biking. As a result, only 16 percent of the residents own cars and 64 percent of all trips are by non-motorized means. With safe streets, outdoor recreation opportunities, and attention to the location of child services in the district, Vauban has attracted and retained many families, contributing to social stability. The cost of construction was only 3-5 percent more than traditional, less sustainable construction methods, and demand for both residential and commercial building space has been strong.

Why Sustainable Cities ProsperBeyond the environmental, social, and cultural benefits, communities designed according to the 8 Principles also perform better economically. Mixed-use and population density create a built-in customer base for local businesses. Quality of life and vibrant cultural spaces attract talented people, supporting further economic growth, thus creating a virtuous cycle.

In a world of rapidly growing cities facing a host of challenges, including congestion, pollution, poverty, and crime, these are a powerful combination of benefits. We think developers and city governments around the world should incorporate the 8 Principles into their planning practices since they offer a solid foundation for urban success.


07

HOW THE CAR

WILL KILLTHE CITY

– Uzair A. Faruqui –

What is it about a car that drives us just a bit mad? We all have that magazine shot of shiny new wheels pinned to that soft board inside our head. Some would be itching for the next hot release from our car manufacturers while others, await anxiously as their salary creeps past the financial barrier and secures them the license to spend beyond their means. Even those who honestly believe they won’t see one in their lifetimes, brood like stalkers at the sight of one. So what is this obsession with an object which was primarily a device for transportation? Is it the fundamental necessity of travel and convenience; the freedom to move and access opportunity, or is it something much more? Where do we draw the line between our right to freedom, exercise of power and eventually the

commission of injustice?


09


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1 http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/08/21/cairo-traffic-much-more-than-nuisance

The Economics of 128 Square FeetThe connection between ‘Man’ and his ride, as far as we know, goes back to 3500 BC where the Botai culture in Kazakhstan domesticated horses for hunting and food. This domestication fits in well with the pattern of human society’s evolution where wild animals, like sticks and stones, were used as tools to augment their physical capabilities. As civilization advanced, horses primarily provided an economic advantage, enabling humans to transport heavier loads, reach further and save time for other stuff while those deprived of this toiled away with little else than to just subsist. Today, for the ordinary citizen, the battle for accessing opportunity is also one for survival. With Pakistani cities growing bigger and bigger and incomes segregating the urban space, the need for travel, and the car, is a necessary cost in money and increasingly in time.

The fundamental problem with the car is that it exists. And that takes up space. Ignore the pollution factor for now. Even if everyone was able to afford a Prius it would not change the equation much. If each one of us was to take up 128 square feet of space in the city there just would not be space for much else. But let’s take a slightly different perspective on this, one that should worry the economist in you; we have for our primary transportation system, a five-foot deep layer of metal and mechanics, spread over miles of road, flowing, slug-like while steadily burning up fuel and gulping up precious air. While it may

contribute to a thriving automotive and healthcare industry, is this really the best use of our national resources?

For one, such a system, will soon be unable to address our basic need; quick & convenient access. Agreed that Pakistan has a bad transport system and most would prefer the safety and comfort of their private vehicles if they could afford it. Doesn’t matter if you have a V8 under your bonnet- it won’t get you anywhere being boxed up in traffic for 3 hours every day. We can already see it ahead; with the banks rearing herds of new vehicles, the

scenario for our cities seems obscenely absurd at its best. Everyone recognizes this is a problem but is the realization clear? The simple fact is that our infrastructure will soon be brought to its capacity and we face nothing less than clogged arteries and the slow painful death of our cities.

According to a 2012 “Cairo Traffic Congestion Study”1 by the World Bank, It was estimated that the Greater Metropolitan Area of Cairo

loses around 8 billion dollars annually to traffic congestion, or almost 4% of the total GDP of Egypt. The unwarranted additional fuel costs, the constant widening of roads, battalions of traffic policemen and the space to park cars, where they remain idle for four-fifths of the day, makes private transport a significant drain on the economy. The associated infrastructure costs are huge but that is not the only price we pay. The unaccounted for environmental costs, the health impacts and social costs that flow from this system are essentially what we should be worried about. There is a choice to be made between building cities that serve either us or our cars, but not both.


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2 Approximated from report: Aziz, A. (2015). Imperiling Urban Environment through Varying Air PollutionRein in Measures and Mass Transit Policies (A Case Study of Lahore). University of Engineering andTechnology Taxila. Technical Journal, 20(2), 63.3 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/jan/28/londons-cycling-superhighway-may-inspire-similar-schemes-across-the-uk

And it’s Politics…What we fail to recognize is that the tussle is taking place in an increasingly constricted urban and fiscal space. And this is where the lopsided focus on private transport infrastructure has its most insidious impacts. I write this as one of those in minority who own a car, yet the city is being built for us. In an era of indiscriminate and untargeted taxation, everyone pays but only a few get; robbing from the poor and giving to the richer; between have-cars and the have-car-nots. If it were not true that everyone aspired to own a car someday, we would have already descended into anarchy. It is not merely the issue of where the tax rupees go but rather the competition for space within the city and the ordinary citizen’s basic right to live and live well.

If one were to retrace their daily routine, from the moment you exit your house till you eventually plod home, try and notice what space is actually allotted for the most basic of transport modes; your feet. Give it a moment. Now imagine that you did not have a car or a

motorcycle. Stumped? But this is the reality for almost half2 the people who dare to venture out into the Pakistani city. They exist on the blurry line between road markings and the building façade, constantly on guard and braving dust and fumes with their only relief being that; with all the traffic jams, they are now finally moving faster than you.

The world has moved on in terms recognizing that cars are not a solution and have started putting in place policies to wean themselves off a suicidal habit. Beijing, under its Road Space Rationing policy, alternately allows only odd or even numbered license plates on the road while new licenses are awarded through a lottery process. Central London has imposed congestion charges in an effort to reduce the number of cars in its jurisdiction and to raise funds for public transport infrastructure and also recently announced plans to build bicycle “super highways”3. Toronto also plans to narrow its lane widths to calm traffic and make room for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure. The list goes on and with the world ready to do what’s needed, why is it, then, that we still aspire to their mistakes?


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4 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestrian

The Pedestrian as Public TransportInterestingly, the word pedestrian according Miriam’s dictionary “[]...was to be drab or dull, as if plodding along on foot rather than speeding on horseback or by coach”4. As far as our urban policies are concerned, that still seems to be the implied definition; something not worth mentioning at all. While there is an increasing focus on public transport with new mass transit projects, there appears very little in the way of mainstreaming pedestrian infrastructure despite the fact that a ‘walk’ constitutes, at the very least, the end mode of every transportation system if not the whole journey for most trips; and often, the only option for the less well-off.

There is a need to re-conceptualize our thinking on public transport. Provisions are made for cars buses and even motorcycles, but unfortunately when it comes to pedestrian infrastructure, we would rather build sidewalks only to put up huge flower pots, space-devouring, hazardous

transformer poles or simply make more parking for motorcycles. This is a noticeable problem even in upscale neighborhoods and this has resulted in people being forced onto the streets, jostling for space with motorized vehicles, while those who can afford it, drive to the park to take a walk. Provision of public transport should not merely be about providing mobility for those who can’t afford a set of wheels but more so for those who can.

What if we were to consider the ordinary sidewalk as part of the public transport system? Our planners are well aware of the necessity of pedestrian infrastructure but it is often the purview of building byelaws to provide some space for the foot-bound. Between the compartmentalized planning of land-use, transport and utilities, we often end up with little or no accessibility, what to talk of safety. So what would happen if we did consider the footpath as public transport? For one, we would finally have a budget for it, while more integrated pedestrian planning would ensure that our cities would finally become walkable and safe; and provide a new way of living based on the pedestrian.


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Back to the FutureThere is perhaps a lot more that can be said on the subject but the writing on the wall is clear; we will need to move toward public transport whether we like it or not. The common refrain is that “our weather is not suitable for walking” and that usually ends the debate. But, is it really this reason or is it the inherent human nature to seek convenience at all cost or is it simply a symptom of our increasing disconnect with nature and the outdoors? The marketing gurus may have convinced us that it is more important to be seen to be arriving rather than actually doing what we set out to do, but the onus remains on us to understand and make the right choices. We have moved from being an adventurous and outdoor species to one confined increasingly by technological progress, first within living rooms, then bedrooms and now a 5-inch TFT screen. With VR technology around the corner there is no telling how far we would go to imprison ourselves.

Out in the city, this pattern of alienation is reflected in the form of the car, where we are left to view the world through a private windscreen; essentially avoiding the human contact that could make our cities livable again. Even if the government promises us that it will solve our traffic woes, the fact remains that it would be an outright lie. It is up to us, the “have-cars” to ask of the government to return to the Human Aspect of our urban space and ask ourselves what kind of cities we bequeath our posterity. And it is for our own good; knowing that with every minute of travel, we not only harm ourselves, our own families and fellow citizens, abrogating their rights to safe living and preventing them from enjoying what the city has to offer. It is time now for us to reclaim the city and it all starts from us getting rid of the car.

While I will do my best not to kill you, I will however, clog

up the streets, spew invisible clouds into your lungs, divide

the city, fume at the humans daring to

set foot on my tarmac and all the

while complain about the

mismanagement of our government for

making me late.

Uzair Faruqui, Urban Development Specialist the Urban Unit, specializes in urban architecture and planning. Having earned his degree from University Internacioal da Catalunya, Barcelona Spain, he has been involved in key projects undertaken by the

Urban Unit.

URBANPOVERTY

- Neil Buhne -UN Resident Coordinator

Population of Pakistan in 1990 was 120 million people and population in urban areas was 33m. After five months there were 70 to 80m more Pakistani citizens, and the population in urban areas doubled to 80m people. The bulk of this growth is characterised by an increasing number of people living in slums. The urban landscape today is predominantly shaped

by families squatting in substandard housing.


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This alarming rise in urban poverty represents a current and future risk for Pakistan. It is a current risk because the paucity of public services means that the millions living in slums do not have access to the education and health services which are both their right and the foundation for any meaningful development to take place. Their situation is often worsened by threats to their human security from increased level of crimes, sometimes accompanied by

armed violence.

It is also a future risk for Pakistan. The country has a young population with over 50pc being under 25. A similar proportion defines the slum occupancy. If current conditions do not improve, young people will continue to face daunting social and economic challenges with fewer opportunities to break the vicious circle of abject poverty. This puts them at risk of being involved in crimes, extremism and drugs thus destabilising the social fabric of society and its economy. There is also the risk that they will live in places where a weak sense of community

hampers rather than helping their well-being.

It is the children and mothers that will feel the pinch of urban poverty the most. In a recent report I read, children under five of the urban poor are twice as likely to die as the urban rich. Similarly, the average survival rate of children in rural areas is better than their counterparts in the slums. Obesity in children will increasingly capture the public health sector as the next big challenge. The migration of families from rural to urban areas affects their food consumption patterns. Children become deprived of necessary nutritional values with the increased intake of processed food, high energy, sugar and refined grains fat-based as they abandon their

traditional sources of intake from ‘home-grown’ production.


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Slums can beTransformed into

Thriving CommunitiesBut there is still hope and a strong resolve. With the right policies and with the right programmes implemented in the right ways, these slums can be transformed into thriving communities that would provide opportunities for

development and community growth.

The experience from the Orangi Pilot Programme in Karachi 25 years ago, which is a best practice adopted and applied worldwide, shows what can be done when people are given the space to organise themselves to improve conditions in their ‘slum’ communities, and when the government provides a conducive

and enabling environment for this.

The government has recognised the importance of urban development in Pakistan and encapsulates this in its Vision 2025 which says, “The challenge for Pakistan will be to address the existing challenges of the large urban centres while planning ahead for the continued migration towards cities”. It lays out a vision for urban development and smart cities linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly to Goal 11 of “making cities and human

settlements, inclusive safe, resilient and sustainable”.


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The first specific target for this global goal is: “By 2030 ensure access for all to adequate safe and affordable housing and basic service and upgrade slums.” In order to meet this target, there is a need to work across a number of areas and in an integrated manner — including education, health, jobs, energy efficiency, and responsible consumption and adapting to climate change — among others. When this target is met, the benefits to all the people of Pakistan will be enormous with transformative changes taking place that converts the risks into opportunities for equitable and sustainable human development.

Everyone has to be involved with the government taking the lead to help transform these slums into thriving communities. More specifically, this will involve implementing national plans, and leadership at all levels, complementing community action.

International experience shows this works only when there is such national resolve.

To complement this, the UN team in Pakistan can build partnerships, provide technical expertise and assistance, and support implementation of programmes. For instance, UN-Habitat is the UN agency specialising in issues of urban development and can play a crucial role, along with a number of other agencies that have the necessary expertise to

help across the range of diverse needs.

Improving conditions in slums is a broad development challenge. It only requires a strong and collective resolve where all people work together at the national, provincial, local and community levels to transform the challenges of urban poverty into opportunities and

well-being for all.


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System in Punjab

rban Land Records

Land and property play a fundamental role in national wealth. Land is a primary factor of production in classic economic theory, and considering that nearly two-third of a nation’s capital wealth is derived from its property assets, recording, managing and using property assets effectively are crucial. Land and property markets, including construction, may contribute as much as 15% to GDP in a developed economy, and, returns to property are often greater than returns of stock and bonds. A good land administration systems allow people to sell, lease, develop and mortgage their property with

confidence and security.

The Economist 2013

UVol. 01 / Issue 02 / Urban Geographic

19

– Faisal Fareed –


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Land has enormous economic, social and symbolic significance for the people of Punjab and it is the responsibility of the state to protect their rights for socio economic development of the province. The urban land has relatively higher value than others but no system clearly sets out rights over land. Even if it does exist, in one form or the other, it has become archaic in many respects. The causes of the existing problems with urban land records are rooted in the history of land policy and administration of rights.

Increased urbanization has also created complex land transaction-related issues. Some of the problems associated with urban land transactions include unnatural increase in the demand for urban property, creation of fake documents, ‘benami’ and fraudulent land transactions, etc. This uncertainty about

rights on urban lands undermines the objectives of good governance and poses a serious threat to social stability and economic development.

The importance of land, together with the fragile institutional arrangement for urban land administration, calls for the formation of a comprehensive Urban Land Record Management System. There is general consensus amongst policy makers that such a program is necessary and that it will have significant medium to long term social and economic benefits. Now the question is; “how to bring about such improvement in most efficient, sustainable, transparent, reliable and modern fashion”. This paper sets out briefly the conceptual basics for establishment of Urban Land Management System in Punjab.

Gaps and Issues in Existing Urban Land Records Systems

The system in Punjab for recording rights and interests in land was originally established for the fiscal purposes of Government by the British. The system is centuries old and, with few modifications, is still in use under Board of Revenue. The following is the summary of the practices

being followed for land administration systems in urban areas:


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Source: The Urban Unit

District Boundary

New City Boundary

Ex-MCL Boundary

Absence of any System inside Lal Lakeer Old Built up AreasThe purpose of those institutions was to generate tax revenues, and as such the focus was the productive of rural areas, leaving 'marginal' rural and urban areas outside the system. Resultantly, the built up areas were not measured and recorded as Abadi Deh (the residential area of a revenue estate). These areas are being managed on the basis of right of occupancy only rendering a huge vacuum in the urban land records.

The lal lakeer in Lahore is largely confined to the old walled city, a very small part of the greater urban area of Lahore as shown in the figure

Record of Urbanised Revenue EstatesThe land revenue system that was originally designed as a system to record rights for agricultural lands has continued, under some sort of arrangements, in much of the urban areas of Punjab. This arrangement has its own shortcomings. The textual record of Patwari is completely isolated from the tax record and record of other utilities. This record does not capture the necessary attributes required for a comprehensive property record system such as covered area, dimensions, location, structure and right of way etc. The cadastral part is either completely missing or does not correspond ground realities.


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The Registration of DeedsA deed registration system is operating under the Land Registration Act 1908 which has been adopted as a Provincial law under 18th Constitutional Amendment. However, the system is not very efficient as most of the system operates without any indices linking the registered deeds to persons or property. Deeds registration is implemented in sub-reg-istry offices (SROs) at the Town/Tehsil level. Given the large number of transactions and legal and organisational constraints, the SROs cannot verify the authenticity of the contents of the documents. They just register the transaction between two parties without identifying the land parcel - which lies at the core of whole exercise. Still it is the only authentic system of urban land transactions but it merely acts as a fiscal instrument of the state to collect a ‘fee’, and does not provide statutory guarantee to the land title.

Khasra ImartiSome local governments also developed record of land parcels in urban areas on the basis of possession rights such as Khasra Imarti that was prepared for the old walled city in Lahore. This system has been discontinued since long and is not in use.

Housing Societies RecordThe development authorities that were established to facilitate urban development and provide housing, have established their own record systems. Private housing associations and societies also have established and maintained plot based systems to record changes in ownership. The Defence Housing Authority has perhaps the best system to record land rights in Lahore and this system largely operates as a separate one. Although the Registration Act 1908

requires that a deed to transfer property must be registered within 4 months in order for the deed to be legally valid, the transfers of property in housing schemes are regarded as a transfer of membership in the housing scheme with an associated use right in a defined property rather than the transfer of title. Record systems are also maintained by other organisations including the Cantonment Boards and the Settlement Office. Government has established procedures for the housing societies and associations to collect transfer taxes and duties, but the systems operate largely independently and therefore add to the complexity and uncertainty of urban property rights in Punjab.


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Pilot Project for Urban Land RecordsThe Urban Unit carried out research work in Mauza Sheesh Mahal Lahore, which is one of the most densely populated areas of Lahore comprising of Bilal Gang, Sant Nagar, Islam Pura, Karim Park, Mohni Road, Outfall Road etc. At the first place, the Urban Unit conducted survey of the total station of the entire area to identify the individual land parcels and formulate the cadastral map. Later on, a survey form was developed to capture the title and attribute data of each property unit in the area. About five thousand properties were surveyed and data was collected and collat-

ed for each individual property unit.


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The documents and data provided by the people depicts the poor state of property management in the urban areas such as:

Many of the respondents were without any property documents i-e about 20%.

Inheritance is mostly not been registered or entered in Records creating gap in the system.

Instances of sale of Govt. properties by the occupants on simple stamp papers.

In many cases where area of the properties were not mentioned – so the spatial information provided in the documents is mostly not reliable.

The data reveals that 40% (approx.) owners do not prefer registration of the transactions that results in loss of government in terms of fee.

During survey it was found that a kind of private mortgage system is vague due to lack of title documents; which is very exploitative.

The fact is that neither a system is available nor any organization is responsible to confer undeniable and conclusive title rights to the people of the province. As a result the courts are overburdened regarding the litigation on property issues; properties worth billions are out of the economic cycle; extractive private loaning system is in being practiced; land mafias have become very active; and, above all, people are at the mercy of the unscrupulous system paying, sometimes, heavy transaction costs. Due to these very reasons, the situation of property rights in Pakistan is not very encouraging in comparison to other countries. Pakistan has got only 30 points in property rights index which measures the degree to which a country's laws protect private property rights, and the degree to which government enforces those laws. Higher scores are more desirable, i.e. property rights are better protected.


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Suggestions for Government of the PunjabLong Term ApproachThe Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department, is working on the subject for last three years and has devised a well thought out strategy to develop a system for a comprehensive Urban Land Records Management System. The proposed plan envisages long term legal, institutional, organisational and structural changes in the existing set up for management land records in urban areas. Briefly, it is like following in the footprints of NADRA (a system for registration of citizens) for registration of property units in the urban areas. The main features of this approach are:

Establishment of separate Authority for Urban Land Records under BOR that would serve as central registry for the entire province.

Establishment of Land Records Offices in each district and related field formation.

Creation of spatial database of each land parcel including public spaces with its land use through TSS, digitisation of HRSI, measurement of their boundaries and are through latest available technology.

Survey of each land parcel/property unit for capturing the attribute data e.g. record of ownership and other rights, historical transactions, total area, covered area, number of storeys, picture etc.

Electronic registration of all attributes data.

Verification of Records

Comprehensive software with central data management system.

Electronic registration of documents and establishment of service centres.

Separate tribunals for adjudication.

Guarantee of title rights

Short Term ApproachThis strategy envisions the capacity improvement of the offices of SROs in one of the pilot areas of Lahore District to implement the shorter version of the system as prototype with in a period of two years. The aim of the pilot would be to formulate the modules for each activity, analyse various financial models and the cost of the exercise.

ConclusionThe government may adopt any of the options for a comprehensive Urban Land Records System. Each option would require the policy decisions, work plans, strategies and resources accordingly. Nevertheless, the short term plan may be taken as precursor of the final goal which is long term plan of establishment of Urban Land Records Management System for all the urban areas of the province.

Faisal Fareed, former Senior Institutional Development Specialist and currently Consultant for Punjab Spatial Strategy Project the Urban Unit, has earned his Master’s degree in Development Management from London School of Economics, UK. He has been serving on key positions in various

public institutions.

Segregation,Treatment & Disposal(STD) Facility, Sahiwal

MovingBeyondLandfills


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Waste collection efficiency in different cities of Punjab has substantially improved due to different successful interventions of Punjab Government. This has made these cities cleaner, healthier and aesthetically much better. Simultaneously, collection and transportation, of the increased amounts of solid waste to final disposal sites, have also increased.

Landfilling is most common and economical way to have safe waste disposal in developing countries. Construction of an engineered landfill facility needs higher degree of technical know-how and financial strength. Another very important issue in this regard is the availability of enough and suitable land at feasible distances to make the system sustainable. Most of the cities in Punjab are dynamic and vibrant - the population growth and settlement is growing at a high rate. This makes the availability of land for landfill quite difficult in Punjab as compared to less populated provinces of the country.

Currently, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is being dumped openly in Sahiwal City with no economic recovery or environmental protection measures in place. In order to exploit the economic potential of the MSW through recovery of recyclables, RDF and compost production; a material sorting and composting facility (STD Facility) is being established in Sahiwal enabling TMA Sahiwal to initiate waste diversion from open dumping or landfilling. STD facility Sahiwal would produce, compost, RDF and saleable recyclable materials.

STD refers to Segregation, Treatment & Disposal of theMunicipal Solid Waste

SegregationMaterial Sorting Facility for recovering the Recyclables (Plastic, Paper, Glass, Ferrous Metals, Non-Ferrous Metals, Tetra Pack, cardboard etc.) and combustibles for production of Refused Derived Fuels (RDF)

Treatment Production of compost from organic/ putrescible waste Production of RDF which can be used as fuel

DisposalSafe disposal of remaining inert waste on scientific basis


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Fact Sheet of MSW SahiwalWaste Amount and Characterization Study (WACS) conducted in Sahiwal reveals that approximately 125 tons/ day waste is generated in Sahiwal City.

Expectations from STD FacilitySTD Facility has the capacity to convert 71 tons of the MSW to natural fertilizer (Compost) that is marketable to nurseries, farming units and PHA, Sahiwal. Approximately 15 tons/day RDF produced each day can be sold to brick kilns, cement industry and other thermal energy production units. Another 11 tons of recovered recyclable materials can be marketed to the respective recycling industries for revenue generation. The remaining inert material is to be used for earth filling. This facility is one of its kind in Pakistan and may serve as role model for other cities.

The most important features of this facility are to provide local design and plant for waste segregation and compost production. After segregation and composting, the waste requiring landfill would be only 30% of the original amount. This implies that in future Punjab may need much reduced, only one-third of the land originally required for safe disposal of waste after introducing STD facilities along with decreased operational costs of landfills.

The establishment of STD facility may assist the TMAs and District Governments in achieving national goals of sustainable development and the formation of a cleaner and more efficient SWM system. This would not just provide a healthier environment for the general public but the production of alternate fuel and organic fertilizer would assist both power and agricultural sectors respectively.

CULTURE FOR

ENVIRONMENT................................

– Azhar Ali –


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It was indeed a dreamland; tall pine trees in thick old forests and the beautiful castle sitting like a pearl on the opposite peak were just few of the wonderful things around. It was none other than the beautiful town of Füssen in Germany. In the midst of this natural beauty, I wondered how these people keep the environment so clean and intact. My brain had flashbacks of the lectures I received during my Environmental Engineering studies from one of the toughest universities in the world. These flashbacks all converged at one point; that development results in production of more waste. So how was it that these heavenly Germans were keeping their land pure? I also wondered why we

couldn’t simply copy them - both their technology and their success?

In the middle of all these thoughts I saw a beautiful angel walking in front of me; her long brown hair were flying in the breeze and she looked like an eternal part of the natural beauty around. As we walked up a hill, the angel got thirsty; luckily she had a small plastic water bottle in her hand. She took sips of water from that bottle and I could see the water passing through her well-shaped transparent neck. After some time the bottle was empty.

Being a waste professional, I was really interested to see what she does with that empty but clearly recyclable bottle. While walking we came across several dustbins on the sides of the path but she did not put the bottle in them. The bottle remained in her hand; lifeless between her conical fingers. After about 20 more minutes of walking, a dustbin clearly marked with the word ‘Recyclables’ came up; this is when that empty

bottle left the charming touch of her beautiful palm and was dropped in to the bin.

Bingo! This was indeed the answer I

was looking for; Germans have

indeed developed technology to cater

environmental pollution but they

have also developed a culture amongst

their people that day have to care for the environment first

and foremost.

This was more important than

everything else. We, the people from

the less developed parts of the world feel that we are free of all responsibility once the waste we create leaves our premises. On the other hand Germans take full responsibility for safe recycling and disposal of the waste that they produce. This is not limited to only their behavior but also includes investment of their time as well as personal finances; they pay for the whole process because they consider themselves responsible for the production of waste in first place.

Unless we develop such a culture, no technology, foreign expert, innovative idea, foreign aid or technical trip can solve our problems. We must, and I emphasize, we must take full responsibility for the waste produced from a product we enjoy using.


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We must hold ourselves responsible for all the waste we produce, whether solid or liquid.. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, can never be our solution. While choosing technologies to rectify the problems and concentrating just on the product, we should be careful not to forget the process behind the success of these technologies in the West. . The human brain acts on messages that are repeated and have the force of belief behind them. The culture that cares for the can only be developed through sustained public information campaigns. These campaigns need not cover the entire country but should be conducted round the year at least for a decade or half of it. In addition, these messages should also be coupled with the injection of this matter in to the educational syllabus from cradle to grave.

We strive to reach a higher standard of living standard, increased comfort and all sorts of facilities in life. In hot weather, we do not even lower thermostats let alone shut our air conditioners. In winter we need quite the opposite to keep our environment and ourselves warm. Similarly, we also wish to have crystal clear safe water in our taps and clean houses and streets. Furthermore, we wish to have all types of

commodities ready for purchase - satisfying our appetite for consumerism.

All what has been described above is neither a sin nor a crime. However, it becomes a dishonesty and greed when we cross our limits to attain them. ‘Environment’ is the word we use for describing everything around us and associated with us, excluding ourselves. We take the term for granted when explaining nature as well as our very own surroundings. In the prior case, it should be noted that environment is not a non-living thing. Environment when used synonymously with nature defines something living, something breathing and something that shares the globe with us.

Long ago humans had a very similar approach and considered both the living and non-living things as part of their lives. The quest for life was a common goal; people knew that if their environment suffers, inevitably, they would too. The nucleus for the web of life on earth was preserved on a singular principal; ‘sharing the burden’, both humans and the environment shared the hardships and burdens. However, with time as humans became more domesticated, they reclined to laziness and comfort.

Gradually, all the burden of the lifecycle was shouldered by the nature. Whereas previously people used to be happy with limited luxurious giving a breath to nature, they now became greedy for more and more, pressurizing the nature’s resources.

We, the humans are exploiting the natural resources to satisfy our never-ending wishes. We are putting enormous pressure on nature by polluting it. We use large amounts of water for agriculture, industry and dwellings taking away precious water from mother nature’s breast. In return we pump dangerous wastewater in to its veins. We dig out precious metals from its belly and put back the waste into its lap. At this rate, within less than a century when our next generations dig for soil they will find a lot of plastic, metal, glass and different n o n - r e c o g n i z a b l e substances. When they will try to tap water they will find it polluted and not fit for any use. Even now, we can see previously used taps with a warning that says ‘not fit for drinking’. The situation of air pollution is also not very promising. Our major/mega cities are one of the most polluted ones; people are suffering from respiratory diseases as the direct consequence and cardio-vascular irregularities as indirect benefits.


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Along with following up the basic priorities of earning bread and butter, having an access to healthcare, educational facilities and security, we also need to leave a livable place for our future generations. In our case, we have become so mean that while not caring for the next generations we put blind faith in some force assuming that it would take care of our mistakes later on. We also tend to ignore health factor that is supposed to be effected negatively because of careless human behavior that also adds to ratio of environmental pollution in our surroundings.

In order to inculcate civic sense in our fellow human beings, we need to have the technical experts as well social engineers, community representatives, financial experts and also the old cultural wisdom with folk stories all put together with religious teachings. Sustained efforts are required and maybe our street smartness skills could help us to achieve the required results in lesser time - only if we put efforts, time and prioritize our issues.

Azhar Ali, Senior Specialist Solid Waste Management the Urban Unit, has earned his degrees from Middle East Technical University, University of Wales, John Hopkins, Maryland, PENN State, Leiden and Harvard Business School. He has worked with EU, WB, UN, DFID, Kfw, ADB and SwS on various projects in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.


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Why is the

MaleCity

Urban space is shrinking rapidly for women. It could be argued that cities are becoming bigger, better even, but they are not necessarily becoming smarter. There are around 4 million women, even by very shy estimates, in Lahore. They are the every other person in the city; they are in the ratio of 1:1, give or take a few decimals. By numbers alone, they are a powerful lot, but they do not have their space to grow and prosper.

– Umaira Ansari –


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Going around the city is a challenge that almost all women face routinely. Roads are unsafe for pedestrians, and more so for women. Roads do not have clear pathways. Ill-intentioned passersby, fragmented pavements, street vendors sitting illegally on footpaths, motor-cyclists crossing over in a hurry, electricity poles bending precariously low, and gaping open manholes hinder women’s freedom on city roads and their sense of well-being. When women leave their houses, most of them take a deep breath and gear up for a walk that is akin to crossing the bride of Siraat except that they are not dead, and they have to do it every day. That’s why many women ask their brothers and fathers to chaperone them outside the house.

Bus stops do not have women-only sections. Women stand by the side of the roads for long intervals, exposed to intense inspection and harassment. They are jeered at, hooted upon, and examined from head to toe by most men who pass by, and by those who are waiting for the public transport standing shoulder-to shoulder to them.

Some women have small babies that need to be fed occasionally. Breastfeeding is beautiful, but it should not be a public spectacle. Women are forced to cast aside their modesty and feed their babies under intense scrutiny at public places. With a tiny tot clutching at them, they crumble inwards under the weight of societal expectations and stares of intense social disapproval. The urban sprawl denies space to the mother and child.

A lack of urban space manifests itself in more intrusive ways. Women on the roads are also unable to offer their prayers. Mosques do not offer prayer sections for women. When women hear the call for prayers, they eagerly rush back to their houses or work places. Some plan their outings in a way that they leave their house after they have offered their prayers, and then come back in time for the next prayer.

On the roads, women do not have access to toilet facilities nor do they have any options. The rich ones in their big cars are able to use these facilities at roadside restaurants and hotels. What about the rest of the women?

Such women are not allowed inside by the towering guard at entrance doors. Most bazaars offer crammed shops, where women are wedged between the counter and the shop hand. Most times, it is difficult for them to negotiate and buy the things they need. The social fabric does not allow for women to interact with men. Shopping is a personal experience. Haggling with male shop keepers is not always pleasant. There are a few up-scale shops in the Defence and Gulberg markets which have female assistants for their female customers. But these elite ‘touch-me-not’ and ‘enter-me-not’ markets do not cater to the city’s women population.

Public parks are the same: the constant harassment, lack of women-only zones and baby-friendly restrooms, mobs of unmanned boys bunking schools and colleges, the unrelenting teasing, the pounding of women’s heart. As most women understand, these experiences are the norm.

Urban planning in the city should consider the needs of one half of the city’s population. This is possible only when important men in suits and ties, the policy makers and planners, take out fifteen minutes - only fifteen minutes – during meetings and think of how their plans for urban development impact women.

Plans for roads should include clearly marked women-only section at bus-stops. Posters displaying anti-harassment and emergency numbers for complaints registration should be pasted at visible places along all major roads.

This would act as a deterrent to most of the monkey business going around on the streets. Women should have access to clean and secure toilet facilities along all major roads and routes, and especially bus stops.

Planners could consider launching unique and colourful women-only bazaars solely run by women. Such bazaars, or shopping streets, would cater exclusively to women and families. This initiative would provide immense opportunities in enhancing

women’s participation in economic activities. Lahore did something similar successfully under the banner of Food Street and is now ready for a women-only Shopping Street. Safety and gender-debate aside, the empowerment that such streets would offer to women are enormous.

Public parks should have timings during which only women and families are allowed to visit. Every street and city road should be illuminated by street lights, so that un-pleasantries could be avoided under the cover of darkness.

The potential for expanding women’s urban space is immense. The will should be there. It is time to re-think women’s space in development.

Like the city, women have dreams. They dream that they will be able to leave their houses with a smile on their face, and a longing

in their eyes; a soar in their steps and a song in their hearts.In their dreams, the city is their friend.


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Umaira Ansari, Senior Specialist Gender Mainstreaming in Development the Urban Unit, has extensive work experience in field of Gender Mainstreaming and development. She has worked in South Africa and Central America on various development projects.

Cities may be home to growing numbers of people, but cover less than

1 percent of the world's surface

Around 54 percent of the world population currently lives in urban areas which is forecast to rise to 66

percent by 2050

The urban population rose to 3.9 billion in 2014 from 746 million in

1950, according to the United Nations

The world's most creative city is Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia, according to UNESCO's Creative Cities' Network

UrbanFacts(Sources: United Nations, UNESCO, Mercer)

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3 4


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There are now 28 mega-cities - with populations of 10 million plus -

compared to just 10 mega-cities in 1990

Tokyo is the world's largest city, with the greater Tokyo area housing about

38 million inhabitants

Asia is home to about 53 percent of the world's urban population while Europe is home to 14 percent, and 13

percent live in Latin America and the Caribbean

With a population of just 500, the Vatican is the world's smallest

independent state

According to the Quality of Living Rankings by consultancy Mercer, in 2016 the city offering the best quality

of life was Vienna, with Zurich coming second

China has its own version of a European city called "Thames Town".

Located 19 miles (30 kms) outside Shanghai, its architecture is based on

a British market town, with red telephone boxes, corner shops and

cobblestone streets

7 8

9 10

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DESIGNING THE URBAN · Razia Liaqat & Usman Zia Marketing & Publicity Madiha Arslan & Azhar Ali...

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