Reinstating the open spaces along Gomti to enhance the cultural essence of the city

Abstract

Open Spaces/open public spaces-built fabric and built Heritage has a link with cultural behaviour and it is responsible for being a stage of cultural exchange and is recognized by great writers such as Jehn Ghel and Sheron zukin. That is why my study area is how to retain the cultural values of an area by doing certain interventions in urban Open Spaces. Talking about my precinct, the river Gomti was a part of the cultural values and practices of City Lucknow. However, in the current Situation, the Gomti is neglected, and the ecological balance is disturbed. Mass gathering in the form of fairs acted as a stage for the teaching of cultural values to the further generation, there is a certain cultural association of Gomti with citizens hence river was taken care of, but after embankment, it becomes the backyard of the city. Places like Ghanta Ghar, Bada Imam Bara, Chhota Imam Bara, Chattar Manzil shows that the city was earlier oriented towards the river and the river represented the face of the city. Previously the build spaces were oriented towards the river and acted as the central part of the city. Open Spaces acted as the connecting element between this built Heritage and acted as the places to share different cultural activities and was a stage for the cultural escalation. The built Heritages and Open Spaces all together provides opportunities to showcase citizens the art and skills like classical dance, Gazal, Chikan work etc. which resulted in the adoption of these skills in widespread form and created the image of the city and hence Lucknow was one of the cultural capital of undivided India. In the current scenario, the width of the river is reduced drastically due to the embankment and it became a stream flowing sewage thus killing the ecological balance of the river and due to this, the river lost its Cultural Relation with the city. New development In Open Spaces around built heritage converted into small chunks of spaces some of which are ticketed parks and other small parts which do not have any activity magnets. Ghantaghar complex open space is the only open space that was not divided into small chunks of the land but there also nothing of any sort happens which can be called as an activity magnet and can attract people around the space. Hence my thesis is focused on restating the Reinstating the open spaces along Gomti to enhance the cultural essence of the city. Open Spaces which will help enhance the cultural values of the city through providing elements of attraction and creating a loop between Open Spaces Heritage and built fabric which may also enhance the tourism and economy of the city and to step up towards making Lucknow the cultural capital of India