Re-Public Spaces in the City (Evolution of an urban waste-land into an environmentally healthy, mixed-use public space in Lahore)

Abstract

The concept of a 1“waste-land” has always intrigued me and became a major concern. While looking at the cities and urban areas, we often see some ambiguous spaces, or voids.Vacumes of spaces. Which, even though are parts of the cities but they somehow make their own identities. These lands might be residing within the busiest context of the city or at the margins. I tie this along with another concern that is about the existing public spaces in our cities. Since our cities have started moving towards this great urban jungle of concrete and sky high buildings, we are forgetting the importance of open public spaces. Which hold very basic and important values for the people of the cities. Public space give us a huge opportunity to bond with each other, to socialize, to get some time away from ones busiest routines. They can provide health benefits (physical and mental) to the users if designed with being sensitive to the city environment and its users.