Our Areas of Work

Where PURC works and what it contributes, with water, climate and food as current priorities and pro-poor proposals for local and provincial government.

Seven Areas of Work

Where PURC Works

In each area PURC combines research and documentation with public dialogue and policy proposals for local and provincial government.

Water & Sanitation

Area 01

Safe Water and Sanitation for Every Neighbourhood

Fair access to safe drinking water and working sanitation, especially for informal settlements.

Water is PURC’s longest-running area of work. Its studies have examined the proposed privatisation of Lahore’s WASA (2008), the state of water and sanitation across Punjab (2011) and the Punjab Drinking Water Policy (2012), and have argued for public-sector reform that serves low-income communities.

How PURC Contributes

Research into water policy and utility finances, open forums on water supply, and policy proposals to government.

Climate & Heat

Area 02

Climate Adaptation for the Urban Poor

Helping Punjab’s cities prepare for rising heat and flooding, with low-income residents at the centre.

Families in dense, low-income neighbourhoods are the most exposed to heat and flooding and the least able to adapt. Satellite studies show Lahore’s vegetation cover falling from 60.5% in 1990 to 47.7% in 2020 as its surface heat island intensified. PURC is extending its work to the challenges climate change creates for the urban poor.

How PURC Contributes

Documenting climate risks in the city, raising them in public forums, and proposing pro-poor adaptation measures to local and provincial government.

Food & Farmland

Area 03

Food Security and Farmland Protection

Protecting the farmland around Punjab’s cities that feeds their residents.

As cities spread, agricultural land on their edges is converted to housing; Lahore’s urban area grew by about 26.4 km² a year between 2010 and 2020. PURC is focusing on food alongside water and climate, asking how urban growth affects food supplies and prices for low-income households.

How PURC Contributes

Research on land use and urban growth, public dialogue, and planning proposals that protect productive land.

Housing & Katchi Abadis

Area 04

Housing Rights and Katchi Abadi Regularisation

Secure tenure and civic services for the residents of informal settlements.

PURC’s 2013 study traced katchi abadi regularisation policy in Punjab from the 1985 cut-off date to the 2011 amendment. It found that by June 2007 only 89,188 of the 209,863 dwelling units in listed pre-1985 settlements had received proprietary rights. PURC advocates for faster regularisation and for housing policy that includes the urban poor.

How PURC Contributes

Policy research, documentation of settlements and regularisation schemes, and advocacy with government.

Mobility

Area 05

Affordable Transport and Safe Streets

Affordable, safe transport for the people who depend on it most.

Transport investments often miss the daily journeys of factory workers, domestic workers and students. PURC’s forums have debated Lahore’s transport choices, from the Lahore Ring Road to two-stroke rickshaws, and it advocates for planning built around walking, cycling and affordable public transport.

How PURC Contributes

Open forums, documentation of transport projects, and policy proposals.

AI & the Urban Poor

Area 06

Technology That Works for the Urban Poor

Making sure new technology serves low-income residents rather than excluding them.

As city services and work move onto digital platforms, informal workers and low-income residents risk being left out or treated unfairly. PURC is extending its work to the challenges and opportunities that AI creates for the urban poor.

How PURC Contributes

Research, public dialogue, and proposals for fair and transparent use of technology in city services.

Ecology

Area 07

Cities Shared with the Living World

Cities are shared with trees, birds, animals and rivers.

PURC voices the rights of more-than-human communities — animals, birds, insects and all forms of life — and argues that Punjab’s canals, rivers and trees are part of the city’s commons, to be protected in planning decisions.

How PURC Contributes

Documentation, public forums and advocacy for the protection of urban green and blue spaces.

Join Our Urban Forums

PURC’s forums are open to all citizens, local government representatives and planning institutions.