Heritage And Urban DESIGN (The Future of The Past) Page 7

By -

The economic objectives of urban conservation, as of any other human activity, have been impacting heavily on urban conservation projects during the last 20 years or so. Cultural tourism has become the major Source of finance for costly urban conservation projects and a major determinant of their form and methodologies. This economic impact of cultural tourism directed the methodologies of urban designers to create place to attract tourists. Both urban designers and city administrators became interested in the concept of genus loci, the power of place. The spin-off was the other urban phenomena that reflected a 'personality and identity of the place. Having a historical identity in urban conservation became desirable and capable of attracting tourists to the place through honesty and authenticity. The physical and historic identity of an urban area may stem from its Streets, its urban mass and its overall urban character.

The concepts are simple. The urban conservators/ designers need to develop the meaning and function of the place so that it becomes comprehensible to the public. This meaning might be economic, cultural, social or political, with a definite heritage bias. If such meaning coincides with the choice of an authentic place to start with, a successful urban conservation intervention may result.

Successful urban intervention depends upon achieving a constructive relationship between regulatory policy, financial feasibility, the design approach and relevant context Regulatory policy cannot be ignored, for legal reasons. Financial feasibility shall ensure the commercial Success of a project and thus it's potential to form a sustainable and sustained economic contribution. If the design approach is wrong, duite simply, the project objectives will not be met and the Quality of the delivered project shall be poor. Not responding to the local context shall render the project generic.

This implies that While the project may be easily replicable, it offers nothing to the local and thus is in no way unidue. Such projects, in turn, do not often succeed financially or gather community support.
 (Continues...)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Transient Communities: A Search for Identity through Ethnicity (Page 1)

By -
Image
From evidences of migrant communities, presence or absences of the ethnic traces help to identify their continuity or break in tradition and culture from their place of origin through time and space. The search for ethnicity in this article is discussed with the case of the Chettiar Community in transit' in erstwhile Madras in the process of migration and establishing trade links overseas. This transient community through the establishment of 'Viduthis' on Coral Merchant Street creates social institutions in the new place of residence while preserving the ideology of the traditional 'Viduthi’ attached to temples in their hometowns. RB Mandal, in defining migration, states that "migration is known as the movement of people from one permanent residence to another permanent or temporary residence for a substantial period of time by breaking social and cultural ties''. Contrary to Mandal, in the analysis of Indonesian settlements, Waterson discusses that mi
Read more

Transient Communities: A Search for Identity through Ethnicity (page 5)

By -
Image
When disputes between Nakarattars arose due to private misunderstanding, Nakaravitutis along with temples and Saivite monastries (matams), provided venues for extraordinary meetings of the Community to resolve disputes. These meetings Were held under the jurisdiction of a respected elder or elders in the Concerned Community and were called Panchayats - on the pan (Indian model) - although disputes were typically mediated or arbitrated by a single person. Besides Nagarathars from different places get together attemple festivities making their affiliation to the temples and the bonding to their Pangalis stronger. These Nagarathar pilgrims stay in the Viduthis by paying any minimal amount feasible to them, as Mahamai. The Viduthis hold an Undiyal (Hundi- money Collection box), in which the pilgrims deposit their Mahamais which is used for the running of the Viduthi. Spatial vocabulary of Nagaraviduthis in Chettinad: In the traditional context of Chettinadu, the edifice of Vidut
Read more

Transient Communities: A Search for Identity through Ethnicity (Page 2)

By -
Image
Thus, in analysing the impact and consequence of migration on the tradition and culture of the migrant community, a contradiction prevails between the two notions: One states that there is a break in Cultural and traditional ties from that of the homeland, and the other, states the existence of continuity of tradition and Culture of migrant community. Historical Background: The British founded Madras in the 17th century as a trading Centre. By 1674, three distinct areas of the town of Madras was recognisable: the Inner Fort, containing the factory house; the outer Fort or white Town, the European quarter with 118 houses; and the Black Town to the north of the Fort, an Indian residential area of 750 houses already dotted with bazaars and markets. In the Course of 17th century, the East India company encouraged the Armenians and Jews, who were experienced merchants to move to Black Town from other parts of the country to assist the British in establishing trade networks." One suc
Read more