Gali Surjan Singh and Koocha Charkh Garan is in the famous Walled City of Lahore, a historic core which dates back several centuries. The historic urban landscape also contains a high density of buildings that reflect the city’s architectural heritage from the Mughal, Sikh and British periods.
In 2007, a Public-Private Partnership framework agreement was signed between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Government of Punjab (GoPunjab) to jointly carry out planning and conservation projects in the Walled City. Over the past decade, the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan, has provided technical assistance to the GoPunjab on several fronts from neighbourhood rehabilitation to monument conservation. The Mohalla Demonstration Project in Gali Surjan Singh and Koocha Charkh Garan was one of the first pilot initiatives carried out over a period of two years (2009-2010). By integrating neighbourhood rehabilitation and historic home conservation, this undertaking laid the benchmark for the larger Pilot Urban Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Improvement (Shahi Guzargah/ Royal Trail) Project, which the Walled City of Lahore Authority undertook.
A key component of the pilot project was the conservation of the fine-grained residential urban fabric in the Walled City. This urban fabric comprised the individual parcels of land and the buildings that stood on them, the characteristic historic patterns of the streets and paths, and the various infrastructure elements, including street lighting, public facilities, etc. Through the demonstration project in Gali Surjan and its cul-de-sac off shoot Koocha Charkh Garan, AKCS-P was able to highlight the complex dimensions involved in improving the quality of life of residents through a delicate balance between conservation and infrastructure upgrading. The demonstration project essentially aimed to transform and enhance the historic environment in a socially dynamic context. Infrastructure development at this scale involved raising the overall quality of infrastructure to sustainable levels by adopting improved standards.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
