Revitalization Of Historic Urban Center In The Indian Context: A Case Of Jaipur
Cities have been serving as centers of trade and commerce for centuries. As time passes, these city cores transform themselves into historic urban centers or into inner city region. The inner city is stained by several problems like inadequate and obsolete infrastructure facilities, inadequate use of buildings, lack of open spaces, traffic congestion, a mix of conflicting non-conforming land uses, poor dwellings and unhygienic conditions, environmental dispossession, social malice, unemployment and poverty are due to high density of population. While most of them still stand replete with buildings, artifacts, and other features of historical and cultural value in the city, these living tradition and culture fall into neglect, often as an unintended by-product of industrialization and rapid urbanization. These historic urban centers represent opportunity for growth and economic generation. Thus revitalization of the inner city is very important and makes sense from multiple perspectives.
Princely old city of Jaipur is in the phase of its transition. Considering the growing population and its relative demand, there is an urgent need to focus on conserving its overall character, protecting important monuments and providing basic facilities to its residents. These problems may affect the unique characteristics, architectural value and heritage of the old city. So there is a need to work for the restructure and revitalization of the old city. The intense use and the character of the old city, strengthens the necessity to prepare a Revitalization Plan. This plan shall concentrate on retaining the architectural characteristics within the old city and also try to resolve the existing problems in the area by implementing urban renewal schemes.