HERITAGE CONSERVATION & TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE I N
T H E
H I S T O R I C
C I T Y
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A H M E D A B A D
Anushka Patodi | Harshitha Pemmasani | Moksh Jain | Ipsita Subudhi SEMESTER 02 | CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN STUDIO | MASTERS OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Under the guidance of: Prof. Neeru Bansal | Prof. Saswat Bandyopadhyay | Teaching Associate - Mr. Smeet Maniar CEPT University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Bright and dark colors, beyond the title of India’s first UNESCO regnized world heritage city (since July,2017). It is here that the heritage conservation discourse has been extended to an entire city rather than monuments.
1. Studio Journey
4
2. Understanding Infrastructure
6
3. Identyfying the Study area and Sector
8
4. Tourism and Heritage Infrastructure - An overview
10
5. Key Issues identified
12
6. Evolution of City Infrastructure Plan
16
7. CIP Vision 2030
18
8. CIP Phasing
20
9. Pilot Projects
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Source: Photograph by the Author, Primary survey 2
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STUDIO JOURNEY
Like the new normal for us, the batch of 2020-22, all great things began on zoom boxes. Despite the limitations of COVID - 19 outbreak, all thanks to prof. Saswat, prof. Neeru & TA. Smeet, who innovatively directed our studio without any learning compromises. As a result our several exercises, discussions and debates aimed at providing us with a complete packaged understanding infrasrtucture systems and processes. 4
The studio encompasses three phases: Phase I: Developing a basic understanding Urban Infrastructure and its various components Phase II: Preparation of City Infrastructure Plan (CIP) for selected study area Phase III: Identifying pilot projects after analysing CIP, that address pressing challenges in the study area 5
UNDERSTANDING INFRASTRUCTURE
The phase focusing understanding infrastructure enabled us to look at services in a city, acting as a driver for the city’s growth, economic trends and quality of life. On this note, we looked at our respective cities to understand our engagement with infrastructure services on a daily basis, national missions, TP Schemes, reviewed development plans, did reconnaissance study on the western peripheries of Ahmedabad.
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IDENTIFYING STUDY AREA & SECTOR
01
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Easy data availability and one of the most documented precinct in Ahmedabad owing to the world heritage city status recognized by UNESCO. Due to the challenges faced because of ongoing pandemic Ahmedabad city was chosen to be the study area.
02
An opportunity to explore brown – field area. We as planners are not always presented with opportunities to work on greenfield development. Additional to the spatial growth, increasing economic growth and employment in core areas of cities, several challenges like inequality, deprivation and environmental degradation unfold.
03
Outstanding universal values recognized by UNESCO are being challenged in the Historic city of Ahmedabad. The pols which are a unique settlement pattern were recognized for the sense of community bonding that it offers. However, currently those settlement patterns and practices have been replaced over the years, with the native population moving out of the walled city.
Thus, we focused on infrastructure for heritage conservation and tourism in the historic city of Ahmedabad. Specifically evaluated the heritage buildings and their conditions, the prominent tourism activity - “heritage walk”, unexplored tourism potential, risk of disasters caused by fire and green infrastructure.
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The map is before 2016, and was prepared to be a part of Dossier submission The map is before 2016, and was prepared to be a part of Dossier submission
OVERVIEW OF HERITAGE & TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE Criteria ii:Unique architectural expression seen from sultanate period, patterns and detailing adapted from local arts and crafts.
5.5 sqkm, total area 87% Built 28 Monuments 2696
Heritage Buildings
Criteria v: Self sufficient settlement patterns - “pols”, community spaces to promote bonding, this is adapted from Sultanate monuments
12 Gates 600+ Pols 4 Regimes of Power:
Sultanate Mughals Marathas Britishers
Graded Heritage properties : I>IIA>IIB>III Financial Incentives for heritage properties: Highest value (IIA) 50% FSI (tradeable) Moderate & low (IIB & III) 30% FSI(tradeable)
Heritage walk: prominent tourist activity to spread awareness about heritage values
UNESCO title was awarded because of Outstanding Universal Values recognized under criteria (ii) & (v)
600 YEARS OLD LIVING HERITAGE CITY Fire fighting
In July 2017, the Historic City of Ahmedabad was inscribed to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Fire fighting bikes for narrow pol streets, partnerships with HUDCO , Auto rickshaw tours are some initiaitves towards heritage conservation and promoting tourism in the walled city.
Source: Primary survey & UNESCO Dossier 10
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KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED Development Pressure: new construction on top of old buildings.
The prime material for construction used is timber, and the building are closely positionsed
No fire safety measures have been installed. Crumbling heritage buildings Inadequate information and poor visibility of signages.
More vehicles are seen than native people, on the outdoors.
What are your observations on this heritage walk route?
Street management and experiential learning is missing on heritage walk route. - Director - Center For Heritage Manage ment
More than half of the buildings are made of timber 12
The latest data available is from 2016. Inadequate monitoring of heritage properties. Data available online is in the form of lists.
Heritage walk doesn’t provide adequate information about the heritage values, lacks infrastructure like signages, on the whole needs to be improvised.Fire safety measures donnot exist. Inadequate data base, Lack of recurring documentation of heritage properties in the historic city. The data is not accessible to all. 13
July 17, 2019
EXPENDITURE
KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED
INCOME Households spend the least on other expenditure (which on the site was recorded specifically for property tax and maintenance). Due to a comparatively higher household size, expenditure on food, electricity, and other things take a priority on their earnings.
Data from 2016 listing by ULB HHH (Heritage Household)
Expenditure on Food Expenditure on Communication Expenditure on Education Expenditure on Electricity Expenditure on house maintenance Expenditure on health and medicine
Studio survey data from CEPT students
HHHs in poor condition
HHHs in poor condition
HHHs in good condition
HHHs in poor condition
47%
21%
13%
37%
Lack of awareness and skillset for traditional construction techniques and maintenance of heritage.- Director - Center For Heritage Management Lack of awareness about H-TDR policy - Expert from Mahila Housing Trust
Maximum concentration of heritage buildings and tourist activity is around the heritage walk route. 14
Unoccupied HHHs
Inherited HHHs
Maximum HHHs
60%
Less than
range
50%
fall in income
25K - 50K
Heritage walk route is the focus area due to high footfall and concentration of heritage households. Heritage properties are in poor condition, due to unoccupancy, Lack of financial resources to maintain their properties, and are prone to disaster caused by fire. Data not updated frequently results in loss of heritage properties. 15
EVOLUTION OF CIP
To retain the tag of World Heritage city - there needs to be many interventions and a plan needs to be prepared. So that it contributes to universal values and heritage is preserved.
Priority
? Well Organized
Tourist Attention
Infrastructures
Priority
Well Organized
Fire hydrant system installed as a pilot in Dhal ni pol
Thinking through these challenges We began to reimagine walled city as a preferred and safe place to live and a great place to tour. We focused on the heritage properties and tourism related activities, to retain the existing tourists and attract many more. 16
Tourist Attention
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CIP VISION Built heritage conservation coupled with heritage based tourism as approaches to protect and enhance site’s outstanding universal values, preservation of its authenticity and integrity, improving quality of life and uplifting the tourism economy.
GOAL 01
1. Mapping & Documentation of Heritage properties 2. An information system - Providing access to collaborations and opportunities 3. Spread awareness about Heritage Conservation - tools & financial incentives 18
GOAL 02
1. Increasing green spaces to reduce land heat 2. Spotting Disaster prone areas 3. Evacuation Signages and alarms 4. Community Training
GOAL 03
1. Improving Physical Infrastructure 2. Including more experiences along heritage walk 3. Heritage Information Kiosks 4. Promoting Adaptive reuse
GOAL 04
1. New Tourism Interventions - Digital Placemaking 2. Establishing Tourism Help Desk 3. Tourism Monitoring Cell
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CIP PHASING
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IDENTIFYING PILOT PROJECTS
01 PROJECT ARTHA
Ahmedabad Resource on Tangible Heritage Assets The project revolves around a one stop destination for information related to heritage properties, which will be accessible to all. The backened data collection will be done by hosting mobile exhibitions across the walled city engaging in person with the residents.
PEMMASANI HARSHITHA
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RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR WALLED CITY
REVIVAL OF HERITAGE WALK OF AHMEDABAD
DIGITAL PLACEMAKING ALONG THE NIGHT HERITAGE WALK
Location: Shantinath Ni Pol
Location: Swaminarayan Temple to Jami Masjid
Location: Siddi Syed Mosque to Manek Chowk
Project focusses on uplifting the heritage walk to benefit the local residents, by providing infrastructure as well as enhancing the overall tourist experience and providing self navigating experience.
Project aims at improving the heritage-based tourism along the night heritage walk route,giving it a new dimension by introducing digital placemaking and innovative interventions along the street
ANUSHKA PATODI
IPSITA SUBUDHI
Amidst the high density of built up in the walled city, exists possibilities of disasters caused by fire & heat. The pilot addresses the need for infrastructure to curtail the effects of those disasters.
MOKSH JAIN
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Anushka Patodi | Harshitha Pemmasani | Moksh Jain | Ipsita Subudhi SEMESTER 02 | CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN STUDIO | MASTERS OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE CEPT University, Ahmedabad 24