Strengthening of socio economic networks in the old areas of Indore under transformation

Abstract

Indian cities are rich in culture, architecture and have strong historical background. In the development process of a city the inner city areas (old areas) plays an important role, as they have become the power full magnet around which the city has grown during the past years. The old areas have a complex inter-related socio -economic network. Indore, has its roots deep inside the history of the central India, it is one of the most important city of Madhya Pradesh described as commercial capital of state, with a population of 19, 60, 631. City was developed as a commercial center around the Rajwada palace and the river bank (Khan River), at present it became the inner city core area and act as the CBD of the city. With the time and the growth of the city the commercial activities has flourished and multiplied, which has caused the requirement of more infrastructure and space, but due to lack of available space the economic activities has overcome the residential spaces and overloaded the supporting infrastructure, which in turn degraded the living conditions and environment of the core area. The thesis addresses the various issues of social changes, transformation and modernization of built forms and spaces causing its effects over the identity and imageability of the Rajwada area of Indore city. These transformations are given direction with the proposed policies and design strategies which will guide the new development and help the core to retain its identity. Living conditions of the communities and the essence of public spaces in the Rajwada area are retained and upgraded with new infrastructure. Measures will be devised to manage the congestion problems in the old area and a pedestrian friendly public realm is developed. The thrust of the thesis is to have a flexible and adaptive system which helps the old area to retain its identity and imageability in future with the fast pace of development of the city.