LAHORE: The government, in a bid to enhance urban aesthetics and preserve the city’s architectural identity, has tasked the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to formulate Facade, Signage, and Setback Regulations 2025.

The decision to formulate such regulations was taken in a high-level meeting held recently wherein LDA Director General Tahir Farooq briefed Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department Secretary Noor ul Amin Mengal on the existing legal framework governing building facades, signage, and setbacks.

During the meeting, it was decided to constitute a specialised committee to draft the Facade, Signage, and Setback Regulations 2025. These regulations will be formally incorporated into the LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019.

The participants were informed that the chief minister was eager to enhance the visual appeal and urban aesthetics of the metropolitan city of Lahore, and the proposed facade regulations were a direct reflection of her interest in restoring the city’s beauty and heritage.

Regulation aims to reduce visual pollution, preserve Lahore’s heritage

The participants termed the decision a need of the hour to adopt a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure effective implementation of the upcoming regulations.

Under this model, building owners who comply with the regulations will be actively facilitated by the authorities in finalising their facades. To further support this initiative, an E-Facade Bank will also be established, offering a range of pre-approved design templates and AR visualisation of corridors free of cost. This digital repository will enable the general public to select aesthetic and regulation-compliant designs with ease.

“A phased enforcement plan has been finalised under the Facade Regulations 2025. In the first phase, property owners will receive official notices specifying the timeframe to implement approved designs. Failure to comply will result in area based fines; continued violations may lead to the premises being sealed, and any unauthorised de-sealing will prompt FIR registration,” explained Housing Secretary Mengal while speaking on the occasion.

He said that by ensuring uniformity in commercial building facades and signage, the initiative aimed to restore the city’s aesthetic harmony and protect its traditional urban fabric from further visual disruption.

He was of the view that irregular and unplanned facades contribute heavily to visual pollution, distorting the city’s skyline and overwhelming the aesthetic charm of historic areas.

Though such regulations already exist in some form; the upcoming regulations would focus on refinement and strict applicability mechanism to help ensure uniformity, enhance urban aesthetics, and effectively preserve the city’s cultural heritage, he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the LDA, on July 11, constituted a building facade standardisation committee to develop and recommend standardised solutions for building under the jurisdiction of the LDA or Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL).

The committee members included two chief town planners, directors town planning (all zones), director of architecture, municipal officer (planning), representatives of association of builders and developers and Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2025