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Authors: Ahmad Adeel, Kris Scheerlinck, Ansar-ul-Haque Yasar
Keywords: land use transformation, redevelopment, transit oriented development, streetscape
Abstract: Lahore is rapidly growing metropolis with marvelous heterogeneity second largest city of Pakistan with a population over 11 million inhabitants and major challenges facing Lahore includes Housing shortage, mass transit problems, income-based segregation, service delivery accompanied by the rapid urbanization. State of the art mass transit systems such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) have appeared to be innovative solutions to meet the mobility needs of many world cities. Mega transport infrastructures like BRT and LRT lines, have been introduced in Lahore. Mega transport infrastructures tend to have a strong impact on the constituent collective spaces and land development patterns. This paper examines the impacts of BRT Lahore on land development patterns considering the phenomena of land use transformation, densification, redevelopment, property reconfiguration, streetscape activity shifts and spatial fragmentation. Transformations in the urban fabric are represented by a graphical analysis on a specific timeline of ten years and by using different scales. We have also used experimental approaches to examine the changes in development patterns quantitatively. Outcomes of the quantitative analysis include the changes in the land uses, and built area added. Further results of the statistical models reveal heterogenous impacts in the conversion of single-story commercial units to the higher density buildings around BRT stations. Some of the transit stations are surrounded by high-rise buildings and some locations have not experienced any land development changes. Size of the abutting properties on BRT corridor, plot amalgamation status, land availability and distance from the transit station have proved to be the significant factors in the conversion of single- story buildings to multi-story structures. But overall, one can notice an overall lack of sense of place-making by the government and missingness of transit-oriented zoning. For this reason, we suggest that impacts of BRT are highly context dependent and future developments are closely linked with established factors such as land development regulations, property size and reconfiguration, land availability, location, building User’s and developer’s perspectives, flexible market conditions and above all, qualitative place-making strategies by the government and stakeholders.