Repurposing Unbuilt Heritage for the Community: Guidelines for Creating Equitable Public Spaces to Engage Diverse Populations in India

Madan, Nidhi (2018) Repurposing Unbuilt Heritage for the Community: Guidelines for Creating Equitable Public Spaces to Engage Diverse Populations in India. In: ICOMOS 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium "Heritage and Democracy", 13-14th December 2017, New Delhi, India. [Conference or Workshop Item]

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Abstract (in English)

With growth of Indian towns and cities set to escalate through economic stimulus, educational and employment opportunities and aspirations, migration and development are rapidly changing small towns. As a result, historic precincts, fortified cities and pilgrimage towns are rapidly losing their historic character and sense of place. Particularly in cultural centres of historic towns, such as Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal or Lucknow, conservation for authenticity is a much lower priority than critical socio-economic development pressures. However, in this day and age, creating safe, accessible, approachable and equitable precincts can build on existing cultural precincts, create engagement with the local community and find new stakeholders and modern relevance. In repurposing these living city-cores, this paper examines strategies to create vibrant, equitable and relevant public spaces for the city. Culturally significant urban centres, with their dynamism and multifaceted evolution must cater to contemporary uses and also create improved understanding of its peopleparticularly in Indian culture, wherein diverse populations of gender groups, religious and caste distinctions, persons with disabilities, and differing economic classes have not traditionally mixed. The opportunity to craft shared public spaces as community spaces in urbanized and ghettoised cities using historic precincts as city centres will be investigated, to provide places for non-religious congregation, for engagement between citizens, for commerce and transit, for collective celebration and grief and for staging of disaster relief, if required. This paper investigates a divergent approach wherein the needs of diverse user groups are the primary concern, yet the heritage value defines the framework within which this approach can succeed. It addresses heritage precincts as places for its people and their contextual needs, within a set of guidelines that preserve tangible and intangible spatial, architectural and cultural values. To succeed it must not impinge on the economic, social and modern aspirations of burgeoning populations.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Authors:	Authors Email Madan, Nidhi UNSPECIFIED
Languages:	English
Keywords:	urban developement; public spaces; historic towns; threats; sutainable development; urbanism; community participation; values; cultural significance; urban growth; India
Subjects:	D.URBANISM > 03. Town and country planning E.CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION > 09. Social and economic aspects of conservation G.DETERIORATION > 05. Prevention of deterioration L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 04. Public awareness
National Committee:	ICOMOS International
ICOMOS Special Collection:	Scientific Symposium (ICOMOS General Assemblies)
ICOMOS Special Collection Volume:	19th General Assembly, New Delhi, 2017
Depositing User:	intern icomos
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2018 08:52
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2019 11:11
References:	Deffner, Alex. Psatha,Eva. (2015) “Accessibility to Culture and Heritage: Designing for All”. Accessed October 20, 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280312809_ACCESSIBILITY_TO_CULTURE_AND_HERIT AGE_DESIGNING_FOR_ALL Martin Eric. (1999) Improving Access to Heritage Buildings, a Practical Guide to Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities. Australian Council of National Trusts. Accessed October 20, 2017. http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/improving-access-heritage-buildings Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (2012). Census of India, 2011. Accessed September 1, 2017. www.censusindia.gov.in. Thakur, Nalini (2010).“The Indian Cultural Landscape and its Protection & Management through Cultural & Historic Urban Landscape Concepts”. Journal of Landscape Architecture, Vol 7 (5): 25-32. UNESCO. (2017). Intangible Heritage. [online] [Accessed October 20, 2017] http://www.unesco.org/new/en/cairo/culture/tangible-cultural-heritage/. People Building Better Cities. (2017). [online] [Accessed October 20, 2017]. http://peoplebuildingbettercities.org/.
URI:	https://openarchive.icomos.org/id/eprint/1929

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