Paper Title
Issues Identification for Revitalisation of Old Abadi Area of Manimajra, Chandigarh
Abstract
The identity of any town or a city is a reflection of its historic past, tradition, and culture. The growing need for
residential and commercial activities, due to population growth over the last few decades, has led to the unplanned expansion
of these cities. City planning considering economic growth, preservation of socio-cultural heritage, is very much important
to preserve the identity of these heritage cities today. Due to the unique identity that these heritages render to the cities,
preservation of these heritages can become an inclusive source of revenue for the local government bodies and local people.
This will help better preservation of the heritage of cities with participation from the grass-roots level of the local society and
act in the interest of similar situations across the country. However, a lack of awareness among the local people and the
absence of sincere monitoring from the government bodies have led to a severe loss of the original character of cities. The
unplanned growth of the cities and towns brings along a lot of socio-cultural and infrastructural problems which adversely
create issues in the functioning of any city or town. So the heritage value of such cities should be preserved and converted
into meaningful public realms that can not only augment the aesthetics of the city but also improves the quality of life for the
people living in that area. Based on the study conducted in the year 2015-16 of the Old Abadi area of Manimajra town,
Chandigarh, this paper tries to highlight the factors that have led to the deterioration of the built heritage of the town. The
study aims at identifying the issues that have arisen with unexpected growth and illegal encroachments within the core areas
of the town. This can highlight the grave condition of the heritage of the built forms of the Old Abadi area and bring it to the
notice of local authorities and people so that awareness among the population is generated and holistic actions can be taken
accordingly.
Keywords - Heritage Value, City Character, Public Realms, Streetscapes