New Developments in Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. It is the historical center for the Punjabi people and most populated city of the world, with native Punjabi citizens. With a rich history dating back over a millennium, Lahore is a main cultural center of Punjab and Pakistan. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains an economic, political, transportation, entertainment, and educational hub.

It is ranked 25 in the most populated urban areas in the world and the 8th largest city within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Lahore has expanded almost double area-wise in the last 12 to 14 years. In 2010, Lahore was ranked as a Gamma+ world city. The Guardian has rated Lahore as the 2nd best tourist destination in Pakistan. It is 32 kilometers west of Amritsar in India and therefore, very close to Pakistan's eastern border.

We don't support any political party, government authority or department. Only purpose of this blog is to show the positive image of Lahore to the world.

1. Kalma Chowk Flyover

The Kalma Chowk intersection is one of the busiest in Lahore. Kalma Chowk Flyover is a flyover and a road bridge passing over the main square of Lahore. This flyover was made due to the heavy traffic on the Ferozepur Road. The two flyovers constructed at the location provide signal-free passage to traffic moving on Ferozepur Road. The completion of awe inspiring Flyover at Kalma Chowk in record 135 days is regarded as a monumental achievement by experts in the field of civil engineering.

The total cost of this project was Rs 1.3 Billion which includes the 575 Meters length of Flyovers with 3 lanes on each side thus resolving the traffic problem at the site. Chief Minister of the Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated it on August 14, 2011.

Height of underpass:       Full height 5.1 meters
Barrel width:                  15.3 meters and 12 meters (each)
Green planter:                3' Wide on either side of ramp

Central green planter:     5.2-meters
Commencement date:     11 December 2012
Completion date:            3 March 2013
Time for completion:       82 days
Project cost:                   Rs. 1746 million

2. Kalma Chowk Underpass

The Kalma Underpass is an underpass where east-west Main Boulevard Garden Town and Main Boulevard Gulberg join under north-south Ferozepur Road, connecting two southern suburbs of Lahore, Pakistan.

Total length of project:                3.0 km
Underpass length with ramps:    1070 meters
Barrel length:                             95 meters
Height of underpass:                  5.1 meters

Number of lanes:                        4 + 3
Barrel width:                              15.3 meters and 12 meters
Green planter:                                3' wide on either side of ramp
Central green planter:                5.2 meters
Commencement date:               11 December 2012
Completion date:                       3 March 2013
Time for completion:                 82 days
Project cost:                              Rs. 1746 million

3. Lahore Ring Road

The Lahore Ring Road is an 85-km long 6-lane high-speed limited-access or controlled-access orbital motorway around Lahore, Pakistan. It is linked to the M-2 Motorway and the N5 National Highway.

Length: 85 km

Lanes: 6 lanes

Speed limit: Universal minimum speed limit of 80 km/h and a maximum speed limit of 100 km/h for heavy transport vehicles and 120 km/h for light transport vehicles.

4. Fortress Square Mall

Fortress Square is set out to be Lahore's most happening shopping and entertainment destination. Located at the Fortress Stadium, welcomes more than 30,000 affluent shoppers from all corners of Lahore and out side, every day.

Sophisticated, trendy and upscale, The Fortress Square enhances the class of its already popular location. The mall accommodate only the most exclusive, and cater to the taste and style of Lahore's new breed of highly sophisticated shoppers. A place bringing together the finest fashion stores, global brands, luxury boutiques, and all kind of designer and life style goods under one roof. Besides spoiling its customer of choice; the Fortress Square itself serve as a heart warming experience for visitors for its choicest range of food and entertainment facilities, and luxuries.

Above all it is be a break through business location for every modern urban outlet. In addition there are two main attractions - cinema screens and food court.

The other interesting features of Fortress Square Mall are 

• Indoor parking (Ample Car Parking: 3 Level and Roof top)
• Centrally air conditioned with Stand by power generation
• 2 Escalators going up and 2 going down
• Escalators connecting the parking to the Mall
• Management and Maintenance of International Standards
• Branding and signage facilities for retailers
• 50 x 80 feet atrium
• Multi Screen Cinema
• Play land
• Food Court and Restaurants
• Fire Escapes
• Fire Fighting System
• Garbage disposable system
• Wide Corridors
• Washrooms and baby changing rooms
• Prayer Area
• Information Desk

5. Canal Bank Road Underpasses & Flyovers

Canal Bank Road is a 3 lane road in Lahore that runs along the banks of the Lahore Canal passing through Harbanspura, Mughalpura, Gulberg, University of the Punjab and Thokar Niaz Beg. The road starts from Thokar Niaz Beg and ends at the village of Khera near the border with India. The total length of the road is approximately 30 km.

It contains a heavy traffic of Lahore travelling on it. It has been converted into a signal free highway by building underpasses and flyovers. There are at least 10 underpasses at crossings with Shalimar Road, Infantry Road, Mall Road, Jail Road, Chauhdry Zahoor Elahi Road, Ferozpur Road, Masood Farooqi Road, Khayaban-e-Jamia Punjab, Maulana Shaukat Ali Road, Johar Town Main Boulevard. It also has a flyover at Thokar Niaz Baig, where it merges into Multan Road before the entrance to the Motorway M2 towards Islamabad.

6. PU Link Road

After completing various overpasses and thoroughfares in record time, the Punjab government utilized Punjab University (PU)’s land to build a road linking Allama Iqbal Town to Maulana Shaukat Ali Road, Faisal Town.

According to a news source, PU provided the land free-of-cost to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). The authority also built service roads to better utilize the varsity’s land and to prevent traffic congestion.

The LDA decided to construct the road at the cost of Rs1.7 billion. It was expected that road will benefit a huge population and can save fuel, time and energy.

7. Metro Bus Lahore

The Lahore Metro Bus System (MBS) is Pakistan's first bus rapid transit system that runs from Gajju Mata to Shahdara down Lahore's main artery, Ferozepur Road. The route has forty-five 18-meter-long articulated buses that run between twenty-seven stations along a 27 km corridor; nine stations are built on top of an overhead bridge.

It was inaugurated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on February 11, 2013, in a ceremony attended by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

8. Azadi Chowk Flyover and Circular Road

A flyover and an elevated roundabout have been constructed under this project at Ravi Road. The roundabout has three up-ramps and three down-ramps; two up-ramps and two down-ramps on Ravi Road, starting from Texali Chowk and ending at Timber Market and vice verse. One up-ramp and a down-ramp have also been constructed on Ahmad Ali Road. The overall length of the interchange is 2.53 kilometer.

New Circular Road was also part of this project, which has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.35 billion. Total length of this road is 1.6 kilometer. This dual carriage way is 14.7 meters wide on each side. Each side comprises of four lanes and every lane is 3.3 meter wide. A roundabout and two U-turns were also made on this road. This new road was started from Maulana Ahmed Ali Road and then connects Minar-e-Pakistan, Lorry Adda, Badami Bagh, Masti Gate and Circular Road.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the signal-free Azadi Chowk flyover and alternative route of new Circular Road on Sunday July 13, 2014. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Shahbaz Sharif said Azadi Chowk Project was completed in a short period of less than six months. He said not only best travelling facilities will be available from it but precious time will be saved.

9. Muslim Town Flyover

The Flyover is one of the longest flyover (2655 Meters long) in the Pakistan which helped a great deal in solution of traffic problems of the Lahore City. The flyover pass over the Canal Road and Wahdat Road-Ferozpur Road intersection. 

Project Cost: Rs. 2.3 Billions

Number of Spans: 58

Width of Flyover 11 M (Flyover-1 & 2) and 8.1 M (Wahdat Road Slip)

Number of Lanes 3 No. (Flyover-1 & 2) and 2 No. (Wahdat Road Slip)

10. Pedestrian underpass at Azadi Chowk

Reference:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalma_Chowk_Flyover
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalma_Underpass,_Lahore
• http://www.homespakistan.com/development/fortress-square
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Bank_Road
• http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/18-Jul-2014/azadi-chowk-flyover-a-remarkable-project

You can discover all new development POIs and many more places of Lahore city on Locally Lahore App. Locally Lahore is a must have App, which allows you to explore Lahore and it covers up your all point of interest. It gives you information about latest events and happenings in Lahore.

Download Locally Lahore Android & iPhone App. Join locally lahore on G+ and Facebook to get in touch with the latest information and events of Lahore.

Find out more information of Locally Lahore App on www.locallylahore.com

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Posted by Anonymousa at Monday, April 27, 2015 0 comments

Model Town Community

Model Town is one of best residential area of Lahore. It is located next to Faisal Town, Gulberg, Garden Town and Township suburbs of Lahore. Model town’s cooperative was formed in November, 1921 and Sir Ganga Ram played an important role in the planning that went behind Model Town’s civil design.

HISTORY

Model Town was the fruition of Dewan Khem Chand’s life long dream to see the establishment of a 'Garden Town'. Advocate Khem Chand’s unshaken able belief in the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity are the values of cooperation upon which the principles of co-operative societies are founded and also the reason why Model Town was established as and still is a co-operative society.

On Sunday, 27 February 1921, about 200 persons assembled in Lahore's Town Hall under the chairmanship of Rai Bahadur Ganga Ram and decided to establish a cooperative housing society to be named as garden town. The meeting approved Diwan Khem Chand's proposed housing scheme based on cooperative principles in the suburbs of Lahore to solve housing problems and also to provide improved sanitary and better living facilities for the residents, and thus the government was requested to provide a 2000 acre (4 km²) plot of land.

The residents of Model Town, who owned their spacious houses, were retired judges, rich businessmen, traders and upmarket store-owners. Many high court judges, doctors and engineers had also moved to Model Town from the city. Included among the residents of this best laid-out residential estate of Lahore were college professors and officers of the civil service. The famous communist leader BPL Bedi, who had studied at British and German universities, lived here. His son Kabir Bedi became a famous actor in post-independence India.

MODEL TOWN SOCIETY

A preliminary committee of 21 members was formed under the chairmanship of Khan Bahadur Sir Sh. Abdul Qadir to frame the by-laws and to carry out other necessary work in connection with the formation of the society. As a result, The Cooperative Model Town Society Limited was formed and subsequently registered under the Cooperative Societies Act II of 1912 in 1924.

History

• The Society was declared as Evacuee property in 1947 (after partition) as 85% of the plots belonged to non Muslims who migrated to India . 
• At the time of partition, total Number of Members of Society were 1366, out of which 277 were Muslims & Christians and 1089 were Hindus, Sikhs. 
• In 1960 the Chief Settlement & Rehabilitation Commissioner allowed it as Legal entity and was allowed to be registered as Cooperative Model Town Society on the payment of Rs. 100/- in Government Treasury as token money. All Assets & liabilities of the old Society including those properties declared Evacuee were transferred to the present Society. 
• New Bye-Laws of the Society were registered under the Cooperative Societies Act 1925. 
• The basic object of the Society, however continued to be the same as originally planned, namely to promote the economic and social interests of its members and more to lay out, establish and maintain a garden town”. 

Objectives

• To conceive, design, develop and maintain a garden town.
• To buy or otherwise acquire land, buildings, and other movable and immovable property.
• To provide services and construct, manage and maintain works, and other infrastructure of various kinds for the convenience and benefit of the resident members.
• To sell, mortgage, and lease land, houses, home sites, buildings, and all movable or immovable property as necessary for carrying out the objects of the society.
• To build residential houses and other buildings for private and public use and for the convenience of members etc.

Website: http://www.mts.com.pk/

AREA & POPULATION

Model Town Society is spread over an area of 1463 acres (5.9 km²). This area is further divided into ten blocks (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K). Blocks L, M, N, P, Q, R and S are in the outskirts of Model Town and are administered by Lahore Development Authority (LDA). These blocks were named "Model Town Extension" when Model Town Society sold this land to LDA in return of developmental works.

Residential	819 acres	56%
Commercial	29 acres	2%
Roads	278 acres	19%
Nurseries & Play Grounds	59 acres	4%
Green area (Parks)	278 acres	19%
Total	1463 acres	100%

Model Town Society is a unique housing area in its design and is considered a posh locality of the town. Each block has its own market, playground, mosque, triangular parks, etc

DESIGN

Model Town is designed in the shape of a square with major roads dividing it into blocks vertically, horizontally and diagonally. The area of Model Town is 5.9 square kilometers (or 1463 acres). The center of the square shape is a circular park. Besides the obvious symmetry of design, what else has always attracted me to Model Town’s planning is its generous allotment for green areas and parks. Almost 19% of model town’s area is allotted to parks. Another 4% area is allotted to plant nurseries and playgrounds.

This ratio of open area (23%) to residential area (56%) is hard to match in most of the well-planned localities of Pakistan. It is very clear from the following satellite image of Model Town that how well the groups of residential plots have been provided open air facilities.

Residential Blocks

Following schematic map of model town shows location of main 10 blocks. From this map one can easily appreciate the symmetry of town planning done here. Model Town is one of the best examples of town planning in Pakistan.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Model Town’s Cooperative society lists following important personalities on their website, who have lived in Model Town.

Ashfaq Ahmed, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Hafiz Jallandhari, Hasan Nisar, Mian Aamer Mahmood (nazim Lahore), Nawaz Sharif, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Shahbaz Sharif. Besides these, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi also lived in Model Town Lahore in 1950s before moving to Karachi. Cricketer Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja and Ijaz Ahmed as well as tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq also call Model Town as home.

CIVIL WORK

The total length of road network in Model town is 64 km. The length of water supply pipelines and sewerage lines are 60 km each.

SCHOOL & COLLEGES

• Quaid-e-Azam Law College
• Divisional Public School
• The City School
• Grand Charter School
• Hamdard Public School, Lahore
• Beaconhouse School System
• Lahore Grammar School

MODEL TOWN PARK

The Model Town Park (former Nawaz Sharif Park) is a family park and also a golf course located in Model Town. It was developed in 1990 by the Governor of the Punjab, General (R) Ghulam Jilani Khan. Model Town Park is one of the largest public parks of Lahore consisting of 125 acres (0.51 km2) of land. People from all surrounding towns visit Model Town Park, as it offers a 2.5 km long circular jogging track, lush green lawns and serves as a social meeting spot.

It was declared the best park of 2007 in Lahore by the Forest Minister. About 5000 people daily visit this park.

History

The current Model Town Park was a dedicated residential area for the elite before partition as Hindu Lawyers and Doctors had their housing in the area covered by what now is Model Town Park. After partition during 1967 most of the houses were sold as the area was still outside since at that time Walled City of Lahore was considered the main residential are and it would take hours to reach area designated as Model Town now. The big circle in center now serving as Model Town Park is still as green as before. During 1990 it was part of the original plan but was developed by Governor Punjab General Jilani. This circular park is surrounded by the inner circular road of Model Town.

Attractions

1. Human Development Forum: Human Development Forum, a forum of intellectuals of Model Town, including Dr. Ahmad Saeed, Dr. Akhtar Jafri, Qazi Javed, Prof. Imtiaz Ahmad, Prof. Tanvir Sadiq and others, arrange lectures on every Sunday morning in this park near the canteen on any topic related to public life. A large number of morning walkers attend these lectures, which is a tradition that has continued for many years without fail, regardless of the weather.

Jogging Track in Model Town Park

2. Walkers Group: There is a proper 'Walkers Group' who hold tea parties and dinners among themselves. They have even printed a directory of all these walkers with their residential addresses and telephone numbers.

A Rose Garden, a Chambeli Garden, and a Families Corner near the lake with flower beds and swings for the children. A small water area is also there for paddle boating. In addition a well know cafeteria is also present in Model Town Park serving all sorts of Lahori snacks.

Boating in Model Town Park

3. Annual Flower Show: An annual flower show started in 2008; prizes are given to best houses (flower-wise), Malis, etc. Mayor Lahore, Mian Amir Mehmood gave away the prizes to the residents and staff in 2008 and 2009.

The park has a beautiful pond with a fountain in the middle that shoots water high into the air. Many benches surround the pond where people can sit and watch water flow.

MARKETS

In the heart of Model Town is the Bank Square Market and Central Commercial Market. In addition to the central market, every block has an individual market place for grocers and bakers, etc. In 2006 the new Managing Committee under the Presidency of Col Tahir Kardar leased a vacant plot to an international cash & carry store, Makro. It has come up very well and beside having a fine shopping mall.

A-Block Market is the hub for automobile repairs and suppliers of hardware, electrical goods, plumbing, paint and Shahid Glass and Framing House. The Link Model Town Road connects Model Town with Faisal Town and Township areas. On both sides of the road, there are shops for almost everything, from timber, steel, and cement to general grocers.The famous fabrics shop Crimson fabrics is one of the most famous fabrics shop in Lahore.

SPORTS

Sports facilities in the area include Model Town Greens, Model Town Whites (a new club in E-Block), Nawab Mansoor Academy, Model Town Club (home of renowned tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi), Amir Mehmood's Club, and International Cricket Academy (LDA). Model Town also has its own Football Academy and Football Club, known popularly as Model Town Football Academy (or MTFA/MTFC). The Academy caters to all age-groups with a strict training regime. It is based at the D-block football ground. Another upcoming football club is the Fame Football Club, housed in B-block football ground.

SECURITY

The Co-operative Model Town society is now ensuring security for its residents by building barriers at each exit except four main entrances. These barriers (gates) are closed after 9 pm and only four entrances (Ferozepur Entrance, Link Road, Mariyan, and Nawaz Shareefs entrances) are open 24 hours a day. Now Model Town society is also issuing stickers for residents vehicles.

Reference

• http://pakistaniat.com/2008/08/28/the-best-planned-localities-of-pakistan-model-town-lahore/
• http://whitengreen.com/pk-672-model-town-park-lahore
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_Town,_Lahore

You can discover all new development POIs and many more places of Lahore city on Locally Lahore App. Locally Lahore is a must have App, which allows you to explore Lahore and it covers up your all point of interest. It gives you information about latest events and happenings in Lahore.

Download Locally Lahore Android & iPhone App. Join locally lahore on G+ and Facebook to get in touch with the latest information and events of Lahore.

Find out more information of Locally Lahore App on www.locallylahore.com

Read more...

Posted by Anonymousa at Friday, April 24, 2015 0 comments