Necessity of Heritage Regulations and Awareness in Historic Urban Areas

Abstract

India has a long history of human habitation and it has inherited enormous wealth of Built heritage. Both built and natural heritage have crucial links between the past and the present and they play a crucial role in shaping the urban structure and built form. Aim of the paper is to suggest some effective measures to protect historical urban areas Historical urban areas are the memory of a city, and the overall landscape they constitute displays the typical scene of a city in a certain historical period. Thus, they are of value for protection. The current study gives an overview on the origin and protection of historical urban areas. Moreover, the study also focuses on the principles, methods, and current problems in the protection of historical urban areas under the guidance of related laws and regulations. In India there are more than thousand cities which are historically important. Most of the heritage sites in India tangible and intangible are not maintained or conserved. In India very few metro cities has been established heritage cell which take care of heritage in the historic core area of the town. In most of the town and cities historic structures are pulled down to construct new high rises to solve the problems of poor houses and inadequate infrastructure. Historical urban areas are key elements in the protection of the history and culture of a city. Their protection does not only involve planning, but also a comprehensive endeavor. The methods and policies for the protection of historical urban areas should be given special attention. Aside from the physical structures, the culture and cultural diversity in historical urban areas should be protected as well. In other words, their functions should not be undermined, and the living environment should be improved, which are essential for the protection of historical urban areas. The protection of historical urban areas includes protecting the exterior appearance, transforming the interior to meet the needs of the modern people, and improving local infrastructure and environment by taking gradual steps. In this process, the local government should play a leading role and involve the participation of local residents. This regulation shall apply to heritage sites which shall include those buildings, structures, streets, areas and precincts of historic, architectural, aesthetic, cultural or environmental value. (Mentioned here case study of historical town Balapur identified heritage and proposed and designed policies for the protection of built heritage.