Understanding, Analyzing and Appreciating Heritage in Making Urban Development Qualitative and Productive

Understanding, Analyzing and Appreciating  Heritage in Making Urban Development Qualitative and Productive

                                                                                             *Jit Kumar Gupta

                                                                                          ** jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

 Understanding Heritage

    Heritage has been described as ;

·       What one inherits from its ancestors at birth,

·       Anything that has been transmitted from the past or handed down by tradition.

·       Includes/involves, something much more than preserving, excavating, displaying, or restoring a collection of old things

·       Involves more than just tangible assets - physical buildings.

·       Includes  both tangible and intangible heritage resources

·       Includes  both historical, natural and cultural assets

·       Includes/involves natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty

·       Includes/involves, public assets, and private 'domestic' assets such as dance, music, art, festivals, dresses, food,  expressed through festivals, market fairs, exhibitions, competitions, and other aspects of the local culture and religion

·       Includes/involves, full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture.  it is the range of contemporary activities, meanings, and behaviors that we draw from them.

·       Includes/involves, both tangible and intangible, in the sense that ideas and memories--of songs, recipes, language, dances, and many other elements of who we are and how we identify ourselves--are as important as historical buildings and archaeological sites.

·       Includes/involves, cultural heritage: monuments; architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features, which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science

·        Includes/involves; groups of buildings: groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science;

·       Includes/involves, sites and  works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view .( Adopted by the General Conference, UNESCO at its 17TH session Paris, 16 November, 1972)

·       Includes/involves; natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view; geological and physiographical formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

·       includes and involves historical sites, buildings, and the un-spoilt natural environment, considered collectively as the inheritance of present-day society.

·        includes and involves  assets  created in the  past  which form intrinsic part of the current local cultural fabric.

2.Understanding  Heritage Context

Looking at the entire gamut, length, breadth, depth and canvas of the heritage and its numerous connotations for  humanity and community, heritage holds great relevance in terms of;

·       Heritage- -gives distinct identity, character, recognition, makes value addition, and provides  a sense of pride to community, area- city, state & nation.

·       Heritage-  provides valuable  information about  culture, way  of life, art & architecture.

·       Heritage- is an important component of the cultural identity of communities, groups, and individuals

·       Heritage -makes great learning about the art and science of planning and designing  buildings and cities

·       Heritage- provides  valuable reference point in local built landscape.

·       Heritage -displays  advance townscape qualities evolved over  a period of time.

·       Heritage- showcases methodologies and approach to promote sustainability and efficient use of resources.

·       Heritage- remains valuable possession of humanity/mankind crossing the boundaries of communities, cities, states and nations.

·       Heritage -though  belongs to the past, but also links past with present and   future.

·       Heritage -reflect personality of a community/area

·       Heritage - showcases past   skill in town planning; art,  architecture,  construction, way of living

·       Heritage- promotes   development, employment ,economy and eliminates poverty.

·       Heritage - creates ownership of assets for present generations  without having any and  role in its creation.

·       Heritage- displays/showcases best of the past/ancestors

·       Heritage -helps in building  critical urban identity

·       Heritage -helps  in  creating sense of  pride among its residents, embedding a sense of belonging. 

·       Heritage—includes and involves active public discussion about material and of individuals, groups, communities, and nations- which  remains  a valuable facet of public life in our multicultural world.

·       Heritage- is a contemporary activity with far-reaching effects.

·       Heritage - can be an element of far-sighted urban and regional planning.

·       Heritage- can be the platform for political recognition, a medium for intercultural dialogue, a means of ethical reflection, and the potential basis for local economic development. 

·        Heritage - invariably holds  local and  global context.

·       Heritage-   remains  an essential part of the present we live in and -of the future we propose to build.

·       Heritage- its loss, destruction and decay of  impoverishes communities, societies, nations and humanity.

·       Heritage- including its valuation, preservation , protection and conservation  remains the agenda for all human beings and nations.

·       Heritage - holds intrinsic value for the present and future generations.

·       Heritage-  helps revitalizing local economies,

·        Heritage- leads to well-being and security, through broad community participation and involvement.

·       Heritage -generates large opportunities for job creation and poverty alleviation

·       Heritage- goes beyond just resorting and preserving historical assets,

·        Heritage -. Considering  challenges posed by  rapid urbanization, disasters caused by natural/ manmade hazards / impacts of climate change; heritage helps  in achieving  sustainable Development Goals

·       Heritage-focus  remains  on  risk preparedness for protecting  our past for future-- building resilience  using   traditional knowledge gained.

·       Heritage- known to builders of nations and communities.

·       Heritage- is known for its capacity, potential and value to promote literacy, build institutions, skilling communities and bringing prosperity to communities and nations.

·       Heritage- permits intermixing of the culture and values, across communities and nations creating a plural  society ,which helps in promoting better understanding among nations across manmade borders.

·       Heritage- is known to be the best option for promoting better understanding among nations and ushering an era of global peace and prosperity.

3  Safeguarding  Heritage

Conservation of the historic urban environment  poses specific and urgent challenges that require a multidisciplinary approach. Accordingly, approach to safeguarding  heritage must include, involve and should revolve around an agenda defined below;

·       Heritage conservation  must be made integral part of human settlement planning and development including preparing , Regional Plans, Master/ Development Plans/Zonal Plans/Local Area Plans.

·       Heritage conservation  should invariable be made  integral part of legal framework governing urban and rural planning in the state /local level.

·       All local bye-laws, zoning  regulations must involve and include heritage conservation and preservation as an important element of such bye-laws.

·       Heritage conservation must be made public-led movement/mission in order to involve communities and their resources.

·       Dedicated resources in the budget of all institutions in the agencies involved in the  urban and rural planning,  governance, development and management must be made.

·       All local agencies must create dedicated centers for identifying, preserving, promoting and safeguarding the local heritage.

·       All states must be mandated to come out with a state policy dedicated to heritage management.

·       National policy of monument preservation and conservation must be reviewed, revised and redefined to include all typologies heritage existing in the country.

·       Dispensing with the existing policies and programs launched by  local and national governments for preserving 'heritage' dealing almost exclusively with physical assets, such as historical sites and buildings - Palaces, temples, churches, mosques, tombs, and similar sites, ignoring other categories – and making it broad based to include entire domain of heritage- natural and manmade.

·       All  professional institutions  involved in the higher learning must be mandated to start dedicated courses in heritage conservation, in order to create adequately trained manpower in the domain of heritage conservation and management.

·       Involving professional institutions including Institute of Architects; Institute of Engineers; Institute of Town Planners; Institute of Landscape Architects; Institute of Urban Designers etc. besides  institutions like INTACH etc.

·       All major cities and towns including development agencies should create a dedicated cadre of heritage conservation and preservation.

·       Heritage-  should be invariably made, the subject of active public reflection, debate, and discussion

·       Leveraging the process of globalization process across nations , effectively and efficiently, for giving boost to dissemination of knowledge, promoting understanding  about the need for preserving both tangible and intangible heritage assets.

·       Bringing  heritage and sustainability on the same platform and integrating them has  been known to be best option for promoting safety of heritage.

·       Heritage conservation  strategies  should  invariably include and involve issues and options related, not only to cultural and historical, but to ecological and natural assets of the locality.

·       Heritage requires/needs conservation & preservation - carefully and thoughtfully.

·        “Strengthen efforts to protect/ safeguard world’s cultural and natural heritage, is the agenda defined by the SDGs Target 11.4.

·       Heritage concept --  changed during  last few decades;   Protection  not restricted to preservation but  continuity of past into future.

·        Pitting heritage conservation  not against development, but making it integral part of sustainable development.

·       Evolving appropriate  strategies and options for making heritage safe against both natural and manmade disasters including problems of  landslide, flooding, earthquake, cyclone, conflicts, riots etc.

·       Involving  multiple actors from across the public, private, and non-governmental sectors,

·       Actively involving all stakeholders  not only in initiating and carrying out conservation but also to sustain the heritage place after the intervention is made and completed.

·       Heritage  Conservation  strategies/actions must be  embedded and made integral part of  economic, social, and environmental development strategies.

·       Promoting dedicated  public-private partnerships   for  achieving  sustainability in conservation.

·       Promoting research in the domain of heritage  conservation, preservation and management remains critical for promoting safety and security of valuable heritage.

4. Way Forward

Options and strategies  available for  preserving and conserving heritage, in a holistic manner, must involve and revolve around;

• Eliminating all silos created by vertical demarcation of natural, cultural and historical heritage assets between different  numerous departments and agencies, and promoting , coordination / integration, both horizontal and vertical, among all silos created at local/state /national levels.

·       Making optimum use of the process of globalization and liberalization of economies  for incentivizing  the preservation of both tangible and intangible heritage assets,  by  promoting 'global' culture, making value addition to  heritage assets, promoting increased access to relevant local information and  creating large opportunities for tourism, employment, trade and commerce and industry.

·       Linking and integrating heritage with sustainability by embedding sustainability as the  eventual goal in heritage conservation strategies;  and promoting cultural, historical, ecological and natural assets, both cumulatively and exclusively, are known to provide value addition to the process of   heritage conservation, taking into account, the long term sustainability goals of the region

·       Making heritage conservation involve, revolve around and focus on building/creating strong  urban identity and pride  for the  cities and towns housing heritage by involving communities and local institutions.

·       Making heritage conservation larger than  local  history by including, encompassing and incorporating all aspects of a region's heritage - historical,  natural and cultural.

·       Making heritage conservation community centric and participative by involving communities and making them  participate in all aspects of heritage identification, planning, development, preservation, conservation and implementation.

·       Good Heritage conservation strategies  must focus on promoting well-being of communities and  ensuring human security of all the people inhabiting the heritage areas.

·       Making entire process of heritage conservation  focus on and leverage job creation ;poverty  alleviation and linking to the local economy;    particularly in developing countries.