Owais Mughal
Today we are going to feature Model Town, Lahore as one of the best planned localities of Pakistan. In the past we’ve featured North Nazimabad, Karachi and Eight bazaars of Faisalabad in the same series.
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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. I don’t know the exact dimension but somewhere I’ve read the circumference of this circular park is more than 2km. 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 alloted to parks. Another 4% area is alloted 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
![""]("http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/owaism1971/model_town_lhr/model_town_lhr.jpg")
Model Town has been divided into 10 residential blocks which have been named A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J. Surrounding the big square of Model Town there are 8 more residential blocks named as K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, and S which form a locality called Model Town Extension.
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. When I look at the following map, I am just amazed by the geometrical patterns created here. For this reason alone, I’ve always considered Model Town as one of the best examples of town planning in Pakistan.
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How Old is Model Town?
I tried to do an internet search on Model Town’s history. Most of the internet chatter seems to come from one unconfirmed source; according to which 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 desgin. However, a more authentic record comes from Model Town Cooperative Society’s page which lists first President of the society as Raja Narendra Nath who joined the post on April 3, 1924. The complete list of Presidents of Model town cooperative can be viewed here.
Famous People Who Live(d) in Model Town
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 I also know that 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(ed) Model Town as home.
We can always use our knowledgable readers’ input on adding more names to the list above.
Electric Supply to Model Town
The model town cooperative buys electric power in bulk from LESCO at a distribution voltage of 11000 volts from three feeders. It is then downstepped at several transformers to bring it down to a distribution voltage of 220V.
Civil Work Details:
The total length of road network in Model town is 64 km. The length of water supply pipelines and sewarage lines are 60 km each.
Following is an aerial photograph of Model Town.
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References and Credits:
1. Title photo is from Adnan Latif‘s collection at Flickr.
2. Model Town Cooperative Society
3. Model Town Google Map here.
4. Model Town Map at Estateman here.
SUB-PRIMING OF STUDENTS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ENROLLING this web site florida state college
US Fed News Service, Including US State News May 5, 2010 JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 4 — Florida Community College at Jacksonville issued the following news release:
There’s trouble at the intersection of Wall Street and College Avenue of Dreams. Two Florida State College at Jacksonville administrators want to help students any students steer clear of a serious financial crisis in education.
In a May 4 airing of Frontline, Public Broadcasting System affiliates, including WJCT in Jacksonville (Comcast ch. 8 and ch. 440 at 9 p.m.), will explore “College, Inc.,” a report on government funding of for-profit colleges and universities. From the PBS Frontline press release:
“Higher education is a $400 billion industry fueled by taxpayer money. One of the fastest-growing and most controversial sectors of the industry is the for-profit colleges and universities. Unlike traditional colleges that raise money from wealthy alumni and other donors, many for-profit schools sell shares to investors on Wall Street. But what are students getting out of the deal? Critics say a worthless degree and a mountain of debt” Data released by the Department of Education seems to support that stance. As reported in the May 3 Chronicle of Higher Education, the default rate was higher for borrowers who attended for-profit schools (at 11.9 percent) than for borrowers who attended public colleges (at 6.2 percent) or private colleges (at 4.1 percent).
The two Florida State College administrators, Vice President for Government Relations Susan Lehr and Associate Vice President for Workforce Development Jim Simpson, have followed the money rigorously and add their perspectives, with some startling facts about the path that money takes. Their interest stems from their College’s involvement as a state leader in workforce development. The reality is that many of the fantastic jobs and salaries promised by the for-profit schools never materialize, and as Lehr explains:
“The way it works is this: The student is recruited. The student comes, they sign them up for loans, the tuition is paid, the school gets its money, the student gets the debt, and when the student defaults, the taxpayer has to pay that.” In a comparison of the origins of Jacksonville student loan defaults, the facts are alarming. According to Simpson’s calculations, for-profit schools account for 8.7 percent of post-secondary enrollments in Jacksonville. Yet they account for 48.4 percent nearly half of student loan defaults. More than one in seven of their students, or 14.4 percent of their enrollment, end up in default on their loans. Compare that with 1.24 percent of the total enrollment of students in public institutions who default on their loans.
For Lehr and her College, it’s not about competition for students. Enrollment increased 35% over the past three years at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
There are other concerns tied in with this very complicated issue, but it’s primarily an issue of consumer awareness.
“The student needs to understand what it is they’re seeking,” said Lehr. “What kind of training, does that training have specified types of accreditation? The other thing they need to look at is cost is it an amount they can afford? If something isn’t affordable, it’s not very good access.” Lehr and her colleague Jim Simpson have spent weeks listening and talking to legislators in Tallahassee and on Capitol Hill. They have amassed facts and details about costs; accreditation issues that affect students’ ability to transfer credits to another school or degree program; job placement and employment opportunities; and defaults on student loans. What’s their purpose? this web site florida state college
“Our concern is that students are being inappropriately enticed into believing that they’re going to get something that they may or may not get, and it’s costing them a fortune,” Lehr explained. “When that happens, the students often end up on our doorstep, and a lot of times we can’t help them. They’ve maxed out on federal financial loans and they have no more capacity for loans. It happens quite often.” MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Susan Lehr and Jim Simpson are available for interviews. CGs are attached from DVD of interviews with Lehr and Simpson and copies of the DVD are available to media as well. A current student who discovered too late that credits from her former college would not transfer to a state school, is also willing to talk to media, upon request.
Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the baccalaureate degree and the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; or call 404-679-4501 for questions about the accreditation of Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Michael Corby, 904/632-3310, 904/608-0415.
The following information about Model Town History was provided to me by Sajeelah Khan, daughter of Colonel Jamaluddin. For additional details click:
http://reluctantexpatriate.blogspot.com/
In 1927 Col Jamaluddin had been posted as Civil Surgeon in Lahore. Mr Kirpalani was the Deputy Commissioner and Sardar Teja Singh was the Sessions Judge. All three Indians were posted together for the first time. With the help of a French architect who was their mutual friend, they planned the community of Model Town, as a retirement abode. Innitially, ModelTown was divided into three parts with a Mosque, a Temple and a Gurduwara as a center point to worship, surrounded by three blocks of housing each. Land at the center of the development was left vacant for recreation and community service centers.
Thanks Owais. I greatly enjoy your well researched articles on ATP and its great that you take such care to cite your sources. Nice images as well. Look forward to your next contribution.
Very nice.
@Owais Mughal,
Fantastic thread, unbelievable, beautifull, never knew
Lahore, is superb
@Abdulhai,
thanks for e-mail reluctantexpatriate, my goodness, found
many things common, namely
Amritsar, Brit-Indian Army, 1857, Amritsar Post office,
Kapurthala, Karachi-Ghausia Mosque , down wards
American School, Razi Roadand further down my house.
Certainly we know each other,( atleast our elders) I am,
Great-grand-son of Dr Nabi Buksh BABA
Amritsar 1857
Rafay Kashmiri
Amazing timing. Just yesterday, I dropped into Lahore and was wondering what that beautiful square on Google Maps was.
Nice post!
anyword about the usual encroachments or mismanagment?
Another Dimension:
Thanks to Owais Mughal for the excellent Post on Model Town and the valuable comments by others.
Long time ago I was told by someone I do not recall, that the inspiration for the lay-out Design of Model Town was provided by the
@Abdulhai, thankyou for the background information on Model Town hitory you’ve provided
@ Wasiq, Naseer, Rafay and Sajjad: shukria :)
@deeda-i-beena: Very informative comment. thankyou.
I spent my childhood in Model Town; I’m talking about 70s. Model Town is v different now. When you would enter right from Ferozpure road, you could feel cool air because of so many trees. The houses were old, with high roofs and with lots of area around it; with mango and jamin trees. There are only few houses like that now. There were less people, less trafic, few markets and MTBS. It used to be very foggy in winters. There used to be significant temprature difference between main city and MT. Its all changed now.
Great post, Mughal. Now am waiting for your post on Federal B Area as that is another excellently planned locality of Pakistan and of course being an islooite your post on Islamabad as well. Keep up the good work!
Excellent article. Very informative. I have spent so much time here but did not know most of this.
Saad, a post on Federal-b-Area will be coming soon. like you said it is also a very planned locality. I grew up in F.B. Area and North Nazimabad so they have a special place in my heart too.
What about Hayatabad Peshawar..
Zak sahab. Hayatabad Peshawar is certainly very well planned. My memories of it are however, from atleast 2o years ago and I am sure it is a totally different place by now. It is on our list to do an introductory write-up.
Thanks, Owais. I’ll wait for that.
Fantastic.
For most of my life I have lived in and around Model Town. I absolutely love the place… and would love to live there again in the future.
Also… Model Town is sacred soil for me… my father is buried there… in G block.
Everyone knows that Lahore
hi.i am anand from india.are there any discos in lahore?
Dil khush kar dia ha JINABB Mughal sahib. MAZA aa gia, seem we are really progressing, oh YES we are really progressing, we are the ONE on EARTH who reached,
kantay say KOHUTA tak.
In the beginning our officers don’t have stepllers and pins, so they pin the documents with KANTAY of bushes and then we reach to KOHUTA and become the First MUSLIM Nation holding ATOMIC POWER.
When you are focusing Abbottabad?
Asslam-o-Alaikum All Friends,
I am Ch. Muhammad Tariq Gujjar from J-Block, Model Town Lahore Pakistan, i appreciate this site because i have acheived a lot of knowledge from this site regarding model town history. Thanks
Allah Bless our country… Ameen….
Best Regards,
Ch. Muhammad Tariq Gujjar 786
Hello my Pakistan friends, this is Bill, sales of solar water heaters in your friendly neighbour, China. Model town fascinate me much with its special layout, I am dreaming that one day I could visit there in person, also I am hoping to make some dedication to the construction of the beautiful city by distributing some green energy devices such as solar water heaters and central soalr water heating system. Pakistani support Pakistani, Chinese friends also support Pakistani forever.
Fantastic.
For most of my life I have lived in and around Model Town. I absolutely love the place
Mughal Saheb. Thx for your comments here. Please share some more info. about your experience of living in model town. What did you like about it? Any comment on changes taking place in recent times? any thing that you didn’t like?
Salam to all
hy i’m Babar ali from Hyderabad, i actually study in City and regional Planning from Mehran university. i have studied so much about towns in Pakistan But i must say that this layout plan of model town have got uniqueness, thanx for giving us knowledge about model town.
Take care
I love this blog. Thanks for the great information. I have it bookmarked and will be back.
Top 10 in Pakistan—-> paktop10.com/