Revitalization of historic urban landscapes: a case of Amaravathi

Abstract

Towns have always been ever evolving entities; growing beyond their very origin or historic core, becoming an amalgamation of all those small settlements surrounding them and the town itself resulting the bigger urban areas such as cities, mega cities etc. While the cities and towns grow horizontally and vertically, they also embellish as “layering and interconnection of values” (UNESCO, Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, Paris: UNESCO, 2011). Amravathi has been one such renowned ancient town, one with roots carried since centuries with layers of cultural and built heritage. Situated in Andhra Pradesh, this town has witnessed the rise of various religions and their settlements. From Buddhism to Hinduism, the town has expanded tremendously due to the religious beliefs becoming one of major tourist spots nationally as well as internationally. One of the major factors contributing to its economy and urban expansion. Slowly over the years, this town has become the prime center for heritage and religious tourist hotspot, but due to inadequate consideration for preservation of structures and increasing footfall, the conditions seem to deteriorate. The upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh has been proposed 30kms away from the town and with this upcoming settlement; it has now the possibility to be a part of this capital in the coming years, causing threat to its authenticity and identity. This thesis tries to understand the various aspects that can retain the cultural and religious identity based on the HUL’s (Historic Urban Landscapes) approach by UNESCO for heritage conservation approach which includes amalgamation of different factors like retaining the ecological conditions, conserving heritage and cultural identity along with tourism services and safeguarding the identity of ancient temple town from the rapid urbanization. The final output envisages integration of preserving the historical identity of the historic town with interventions to regulate sustainable religious tourism along with future planning for urban transformation, which leads us to protect the town from future circumstances.