Rebuilding multicultural Indian historic cities : the case of Bijapur

• Main Author: Punekar, Anwar Imaduddin Naseemi
• Published: Oxford Brookes University 2010
• Subjects: 307.416095487
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.579503

The quality of built environment in Indian historic cities has been deteriorating both as a result of modernist planning processes focussing on areas outside the historic cores and the practice of building conservation devoid of physical and social context of cultural heritage sites. Six decades of Indian Independence has neither questioned the relevance of globalised ideologies nor has equipped Local Governments with adequate powers and expertise to plan, conserve and manage historic cities locally within the wider context of regional, national and global objectives. The aim of this research therefore is to develop a methodology for rebuilding multicultural Indian historic cities, which have a component of contestation while retaining their identity for the consumption of both contemporary as well as future community groups. The research develops interdisciplinary methodology primarily using urban design and value-led conservation approaches as the analytical tools across different morphological levels. A mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods is employed to assess the physical as well as social context using a case-study approach of Bijapur. Additional research methods involving the assessment of the impact of rebuilding strategies are employed to examine three study areas representing different levels of contestation at various morphological levels to uncover convergences and divergences among diverse community groups and the stakeholders whilst retaining the principle aim of cultural heritage sites embedded in the study areas. The outcome of the empirical investigation is used to develop urban design and conservation strategies for rebuilding Bijapur's central historic core as a representative of a number of multi-cultural Indian historic cities which exist in inter- communal conflict and stagnation whilst the recent economic growth and political emphasis in India is focussing development on the colonial and post-colonial cities outside the historic cities.