FROM CANTONMENT NODE TO URBAN BOTTLENECK: COLONIAL PLANNING LEGACIES AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION AT GIRJA

Abstract

Girja Chowk, located within the historic Mian Mir Cantonment of Lahore, represents a critical urban intersection where colonial-era planning principles confront the realities of contemporary metropolitan expansion. Originally conceived as part of a rigorously ordered military grid designed for low-density movement and controlled circulation, the Chowk was structured around a circular geometry anchored by St. Mary Magdalene Church and wide axial roads intended to serve a self-contained cantonment community. In the decades following Pakistan’s independence, however, rapid urbanization and large-scale residential developments—most notably the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Askari housing schemes—have transformed Girja Chowk from a peripheral colonial junction into a high-intensity metropolitan arterial node. This study employs a qualitative, historical-analytical research design, supplemented by spatial and traffic flow analysis, to examine how inherited colonial infrastructure has become misaligned with present-day mobility demands. Drawing on archival maps, planning records, municipal and GIS data, field observations, and informal stakeholder interviews, the research situates Girja Chowk within intersecting narratives of colonial urbanism, post-independence metropolitan growth, and contemporary traffic congestion. The findings reveal that the original roundabout geometry and spatial hierarchy of the Chowk are structurally inadequate for managing modern, heterogeneous traffic flows characterized by high vehicle volumes, mixed transport modes, and informal roadside activities. These pressures have resulted in chronic congestion, spatial dysfunction, and a gradual erosion of the site’s heritage character. The study argues that Girja Chowk exemplifies a broader condition prevalent in South Asian cities, where colonial-era planning frameworks persist without adequate adaptation to contemporary urban realities. It concludes by emphasizing the need for integrated urban and transport planning approaches that reconcile mobility efficiency with heritage conservation, positioning Girja Chowk as both a cautionary case and a strategic opportunity for sustainable urban intervention in Lahore.