The methodology of initiatives taken by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation towards heritage conservation should be replicated in Chennai, said Debashish Nayak, Director, Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University.
Delivering a lecture on ‘Getting the city back to the people — the Ahmedabad experience,’ Dr. Nayak said old buildings and older areas of the city should be looked upon as assets rather than liabilities.
“Because they represent the history of communities, [we need to look at] embodying their tradition, heritage and culture through architecture and the urban form,” he said.
“People's participation is essential for the city's revitalisation process. A city heritage centre was formed in Ahmedabad. An MoU with the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad helped residents restore heritage houses. It triggered so many programmes on heritage conservation. Residents also received loans for restoration of heritage buildings in the city,” said Dr. Nayak.
Stressing the need for builders’ participation in preserving heritage, Dr. Nayak said they were learning modern technology to restore heritage houses in Ahmedabad.
Pointing to aspects such as heritage lab, heritage entrepreneurship, heritage courses and a heritage-based ecosystem in the city, Dr. Nayak said community spaces would improve.
Over several years, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has undertaken a number of interventions towards heritage conservation and the development of built heritage in the walled city. Ahmedabad is now in a position to articulate the methodology of these initiatives. The talk also explained the importance of an alternative way of connecting conservation and community participation for a sustainable process of revival of historic cities such as Chennai.
