How are cities designed sustainable and What are features

required to make Lahore a sustainable city

Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the
natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the
goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early “ecocity” projects to
begin to identify success factors in this emerging industry. Ecocities, for the most part,
are viewed as a means of mitigating threats to the natural environment while creating
urban living capacity, by combining low carbon and resource-efficient development
with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to better manage
complex urban systems.

How are cities designed sustainable:

Urbanization presents one of the most pressing and complex challenges of the 21st
century. How cities are designed, managed and used is likely to shift substantially
based on demands created by two powerful trends. One trend involves a growing
awareness of a threat to the sustainability of the Earth’s natural environment; the
second is the rapid rise in the number of people moving into and living in cities.
Combined, these trends call for massive development of new buildings and
infrastructure, along with new social and cultural institutions, to accommodate vast
numbers of city dwellers without irreparably harming the natural environment.

In particular, rapid population and economic growth in the developing world pose
profound implications for the future of human society. About 90% of urban growth
worldwide occurs in developing countries, which are projected to triple their existing
base of urban areas between 2000 and 2030. It is estimated that by 2025, China alone
will add 350 million people to its urban population—more than the population of the
entire United States today.

The pathway taken by urban development over the next few decades will play a
crucial role in the trajectory of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and natural
resource depletion. Cities consume 60% to 80% of the world’s energy production, and
with the urban population of the developing world projected to reach more than 5

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billion people by 2050, ideas about how to combine urbanization and sustainability
are of critical and immediate importance.

In response, around the world, a few companies and government bodies have begun to
explore the creation of “ecocities”—a term that overlaps and is sometimes used
interchangeably with “smart cities” or “sustainable cities.” According to the
declaration of the World Ecocity Summit 2008 in San Francisco, an ecocity:

…is an ecologically healthy city. Into the deep future, the cities in which we live must
enable people to thrive in harmony with nature and achieve sustainable development.
People oriented, ecocity development requires the comprehensive understanding of
complex interactions between environmental, economic, political and socio-cultural
factors based on ecological principles. Cities, towns and villages should be designed
to enhance the health and quality of life of their inhabitants and maintain the
ecosystems on which they depend.

As this encompassing description implies, the term ecocity remains loosely defined. A
second, similar definition comes from the World Bank “Eco Cities” report:
“Ecological cities enhance the wellbeing of citizens and society through integrated
urban planning and management that fully harnesses the benefit of ecological systems,
and protects and nurtures these assets for future generations.” Both definitions include
environmental and social components and emphasize the importance of urban
planning and management.

Some observers have suggested that threats to the environment can be mitigated by
ecocities, which might provide “needed structural change for transition into a post-
carbon economy.” To consider this possibility, we examined eight ecocity projects
currently under development. We review both what these early efforts have in
common and how they differ as a first step in identifying factors that may affect the
success of future ecocities. As elaborated below, ecocity projects typically include
carbon emissions reduction and resource efficiency targets, economic development
goals, and unique city designs to promote healthy, socially sustainable communities,
as well as to gain recognition for sustainability. Whether or not these targets can be
reached remains an open question. Is the juxtaposition of sustainability and
urbanization an oxymoron, or the shape of things to come? The projects described

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below present evidence that a substantial number of thoughtful, deeply expert
individuals and experienced organizations are betting on the latter.

What are features required to make Lahore a sustainable city:

The current status of solid waste management in Lahore, a metropolitan city of

Pakistan, is reviewed in this article using an existing approach, the UN-Habitat city
profile. This involves a systematic quantitative and qualitative assessment of physical
components and governance features of the current waste management system. A
material flow diagram (MFD) is developed, which allows visualisation of the current
waste management system with all related inputs and outputs. This study shows that
in the current system, waste collection and transportation is the main focus, however
the collection coverage is only about 68%. There is no controlled or even semi-
controlled waste disposal facility in Lahore. There is no official recycling system in
the city. It is estimated that currently ~27% of waste by weight is being recycled
through the informal sector. Making use of the organic content of the waste, a
composting facility is operative in the city, producing 47,230 tonnes year of organic
compost. Lahore does not perform very well in governance features. Inclusivity of
users and providers of the waste management system is low in the city, as not all
stakeholders are consulted in the decision making processes. Waste management costs
US$20 per tonne of waste, where the main focus is only on waste collection, and the
current user fees are much lower than the actual costs. This study recommends that
recycling should be promoted by increasing public awareness and integrating the
informal sector to make the current system sustainable and financially viable.

Rapid urbanization along with industrialization, air pollution and other environmental
factors has imposed a threat of severe damage to the Pakistan’s built heritage. There
are several examples of splendid historic structures that have plunged into poor
condition and many more demolished due to lack of consideration for heritage
conservation . Owing to the current situation, this paper aims to make people realize
the need to preserve our architectural heritage and present the idea of conservation
and adaptive reuse of the built heritage in a new perspective

Historical buildings need to be held as assets and resources. They are often described
as reflections of the values and culture developed over the generations. It is a form of

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a connection through which people can relate to their ancestors. Heritage conservation
thus, becomes a value which is intangible and cannot be measured in monetary terms.
If the mindfulness is instilled in people, then conservation will not require extensive
amount of financial resources. Buildings of historical significance will be taken care
of by people living in the surroundings in their everyday routine without any outside
monetary aid.

While conservation and restoration form integral part of historic preservation,

adaptive reuse of these historic structures can also be another viable approach. With
the massive increase in population, the concept of adaptive reuse of historic structures
is also gaining popularity as people have become aware of the benefits it can yield in
terms of sustainable development. However, the ambiguities remain in several areas
which are addressed in the research questions. Adaptive reuse is defined as a, “key
factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl”. It is essentially, the
reutilizing of a building while restoring its original character.

The ‘Haveli’ is a Persian word used for a huge mansion often associated with royalty
and wealth. It’s a very majestic version of the contemporary urban built environment.
The timeless history, architecture and unique features of interior built environment of
Sikh Era Havelis are considered to be as an ideal aspiration for conservation and
adaptive reuse in the recent times. However, if this concept is a viable option in terms
of sustainability is the probe of this research paper.

The international scenarios indicate that throughout the world, conservation of ancient
buildings in combination with adaptive reuse is a common practice. For instance, in
India, Rajasthan, many havelis have been turned into hotels to promote heritage
tourism. There is a growing need for the concerned authorities to implement the same
model and declare all the Havelis of Sikh Era as heritage sites and prospects for
adaptive reuse.

The creation of a contemporary space in a heritage building is a promising idea due to

several factors. One of the fine examples of adaptive reuse is ‘Mangaldass ni Haveli’
an abandoned Haveli turned into a boutique heritage hotel and restaurant. Considering
all three aspects of sustainability namely environmental, social and economic viability
the research investigated into the pros and cons of adaptive reuse for Sikh Era Havelis.

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