Lahore is Pakistan’s second most populous city with a population of around 16 million people. It is also the political, economic and cultural capital of the country. The city has been designated as a global city of economy by the World Cities Summit in 2011 and is ranked fifth in the world for livability according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. However, Lahore still suffers from various infrastructure gaps, including poor public transport, inadequate hospitals and schools, and a lack of jobs. In light of these realities, many developers have started exploring options to develop Lahore as an overseas block. This blog article looks at whether or not the Lahore authorities have approved such plans so far.

What is Lahore smart city overseas block?

What is Lahore smart city overseas block?
The Lahore smart city project is a proposed mega city development in the Punjab, Pakistan that will be composed of residential, commercial and industrial zones. The project has been approved by the government and is expected to cost around $5 billion. The project will include a new airport, expressways, hospitals and universities.

The Lahore smart city project has been met with some criticism for its high cost and lack of transparency. However, it is still seen as a major step forward for Pakistan’s infrastructure and economy.

Is Lahore smart city overseas block has approved?

bruary this year, is envisaged to be the most advanced and comprehensive urban development project in Pakistan. The project comprises of a mixed-use development comprising commercial, residential and institutional zones. The special features of the project include an integrated transport system, digital infrastructure, green buildings and recreational facilities.

In May this year, the provincial cabinet headed by Punjab Governor Shahbaz Sharif approved the Lahore smart city project. This was followed by the grant of approval from the federal government in June. In July this year, a working group was formed to develop detailed proposals for the project.

It is expected that the construction of the Lahore smart city will commence within two years and be completed within five years.

How the Lahore Smart City Project Started

The Lahore Smart City Project first came about in early 2017 when then-Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal visited China and saw their cities there. The minister was impressed with the results of the city projects and decided to bring the idea back to Pakistan.

In October 2017, a team of Pakistani and Chinese experts jointly proposed the launch of the Lahore Smart City Project. After much deliberation, it was approved by then-President Mamnoon Hussain in December 2017. The project is set to be completed by 2028 and will cost around $5 billion USD.

Once complete, the project will cover an area of 2,500 hectares and include a new airport and financial district as well as affordable housing, healthcare, and transportation systems. The city will also have a green infrastructure that will protect it from climate change.

The project has faced some controversy, however. Some detractors argue that it is being pushed too fast and that the city doesn’t have enough residents yet to justify such a large investment. Others are concerned about how the city will be able to handle its massive influx of people once it’s finished. Nevertheless, even if the project falls short in some ways, it remains an ambitious undertaking that could someday make Lahore one of the most advanced cities in the world.”

What was the decision made?

The decision to declare Lahore as a smart city was made in late December of 2016, and it was announced on January 10th, 2017. The idea behind the declaration is that Lahore will be able to improve its infrastructure and services as well as boost economic growth. However, there have been some concerns raised about the legitimacy of the decision.

There are a number of reasons why people have questioned whether or not the decision to declare Lahore a smart city was legitimate. For one, there is no clear evidence that the city meets any of the criteria stipulated in the declaration. Additionally, there are allegations that officials involved in making the decision were based outside of Pakistan and had no involvement or knowledge of Lahore’s cultural context or economy.

Despite these concerns, it is still unclear what impact, if any, the decision will have on Lahore’s residents. It is possible that the city will experience some improvements due to increased investment, but it is also possible that corruption will continue to be a problem and security will remain inadequate.

How will this affect Lahore’s development?

City authorities of Lahore have been working on the development of the city for years now and are hopeful that their efforts will pay off soon. However, the recent decision by the Government of India to approve a ‘smart city’ in the neighbouring city of Faisalabad has raised some doubts about Lahore’s chances.

The proposal to establish Faisalabad as a smart city has been stalled for years now and many feel that it is simply a political game by the ruling party to gain public support. In light of this, it is uncertain how much progress will be made on developing Lahore into a fully-fledged metropolitan area.

If approved, the proposed smart city would come with a budget of over Rs 46 billion and would include things like high-speed Internet access, efficient waste management systems and robust security measures. It is hoped that this will help improve the quality of life for residents in both cities and give them an edge over those living in other parts of Pakistan.

There are some who argue that developing Lahore into a smart city would be wasted money as there are already plenty of excellent urban areas in Pakistan such as Karachi and Islamabad. Others feel that if developed properly, a smart city could play an important role in promoting economic growth and improving infrastructure throughout Pakistan. It remains to be seen what ultimately happens with this proposal but whatever happens, it will have a significant impact on Lahore’s development.

Conclusion

Is Lahore the smartest city in the world? In recent years, this question has been hotly debated by urban planners and citizens of cities all over the world. While some experts argue that certain cities – like London or Tokyo – are indisputably smarter than others, there is no clear consensus on who makes the cut as one of the smartest cities in the world. Some say that Frankfurt or Zurich are more intelligent than Lahore, while others believe that Delhi or Karachi are much brighter prospects. What matters most for our purposes is not which city is considered to be smartest by urban planners and experts, but whether or not Lahore has officially been recognised as an overseas block with approved smart city features. If this is true, it would mean that Lahore has met all of the requirements set out by international organisations like UNESCO for a successful implementation of a smart city project. So far, we have yet to find any credible evidence either way – but we will continue to search for answers.