City of Light Development
Encyclopedia
The Kabul - City of Light Development is an urban reconstruction plan, first proposed by urban planner and architect Hisham N. Ashkouri
to revitalize the capital city of Afghanistan
. The plan targets an area just south of the Kabul River
for redevelopment. This area, approximately 3.5km long and 1.75 km wide, still hosts residences, commercial and retail activity, despite the fact that it has been largely reduced to rubble after years of occupation and civil war, and many of the collapsed structures have become temporary shelters constructed of whatever is available, without building codes or standards. The plan will revitalize Meywand Avenue, one of the main avenues of commerce in the city and part of the historic Silk Route, between the Shah Do Shamshera Mosque and the Id Gah Mosque
. Retail, business, and residential areas are planned, alongside preserved and restored structures of historic value. Also incorporated into this project is the new Afghan National Museum.
The design of the City of Light is based on an "Arid Region Design Technique" that has proven itself over the past decades in cities such as Istanbul
, Baghdad
, Isfahan, and Kabul
. The project will rely on extensive use of concrete, in high-rise and national structures including all-exterior solar screen work.
10% of the development's profit will be set aside for seed money
to encourage refurbishment of nearby homes and businesses.
The bases of the aesthetic designs to be used are rooted in the rich history of Afghan jewelry and rug designs. The buildings assembled in this project are most adaptable to various design themes, especially with the exterior glass skin being set within an outside screen of colored concrete in the shape of women's jewelry and rug patterns, extrapolated from culturally significant Afghan images. Green space in the plan is also incorporated in the shape of Necklace Park, a greenway running through the development.
has been signed with Afghan Ambassador to the United States Said Tayeb Jawad
for greater development of this plan, and it was presented to President Hamid Karzai
in May 2005.
Hisham N. Ashkouri
Hisham N. Ashkouri is a Boston and New York-based architect.Dr. Ashkouri graduated first in class in 1970 with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Baghdad and continued for his Masters of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania under the late Louis I. Kahn in 1973...
to revitalize the capital city of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The plan targets an area just south of the Kabul River
Kabul River
Kabul River , the classical Cophes , is a 700 km long river that starts in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan and ends in the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass...
for redevelopment. This area, approximately 3.5km long and 1.75 km wide, still hosts residences, commercial and retail activity, despite the fact that it has been largely reduced to rubble after years of occupation and civil war, and many of the collapsed structures have become temporary shelters constructed of whatever is available, without building codes or standards. The plan will revitalize Meywand Avenue, one of the main avenues of commerce in the city and part of the historic Silk Route, between the Shah Do Shamshera Mosque and the Id Gah Mosque
Id Gah Mosque
Id Gah Mosque or Eid Gah Mosque is the second largest mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It is considered the cardinal religious mosque in the country, where a million people offer Eid prayers twice a year...
. Retail, business, and residential areas are planned, alongside preserved and restored structures of historic value. Also incorporated into this project is the new Afghan National Museum.
Design
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Isfahan, and Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. The project will rely on extensive use of concrete, in high-rise and national structures including all-exterior solar screen work.
10% of the development's profit will be set aside for seed money
Seed money
Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding, friends and family funding or angel funding , is a securities offering whereby one or more parties that have some connection to a new enterprise invest the funds necessary to start the business so that it has enough funds to sustain itself for a period...
to encourage refurbishment of nearby homes and businesses.
The bases of the aesthetic designs to be used are rooted in the rich history of Afghan jewelry and rug designs. The buildings assembled in this project are most adaptable to various design themes, especially with the exterior glass skin being set within an outside screen of colored concrete in the shape of women's jewelry and rug patterns, extrapolated from culturally significant Afghan images. Green space in the plan is also incorporated in the shape of Necklace Park, a greenway running through the development.
Progress
A Memorandum of UnderstandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
has been signed with Afghan Ambassador to the United States Said Tayeb Jawad
Said Tayeb Jawad
Said Tayeb Jawad was appointed Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. on December 4, 2003, by President Hamid Karzai and served as Ambassador until September 22, 2010. He also served as Afghanistan’s non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. He previously was Chief of Staff to the...
for greater development of this plan, and it was presented to President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
in May 2005.