Abstract:
Since the beginning of civilizations, we have been sharing our human experiences,
goals, ideas and sentiments with our next generations through the legacies of art and
practices. In its simplest sense, it is the fundamental thread that binds cities and
societies together by providing members with a sense of common identity and legacy.
However, in these times of digging modernization, the role of art and culture in India's
complex cities is dwindling as part of the modern development ideologies. Due to such
discourteous evolution, the communities concerned with the creative sectors are
experiencing social and economic downfall. Creative Industries tend to get located in
urban areas, in small quarters of the cities, forming isolated neighborhoods.
Varanasi sees a large influx of tourists, both national and international, who come for
religious reasons but also to buy handicrafts, particularly sarees, made in the city.
They frequently visit these clusters to observe the saree-making process. However,
the trader and the craftsman are the ones who profit the most from all of this. Weavers
are unable to invest in their businesses since they do not make enough money. Areas
for living and working They don't even have free spots in their clusters, which were
previously available. Used for a variety of outdoor activities such as fishing and reeling.
Their residences and workspaces are divided into several sections, resulting in a
claustrophobic environment. Discussing the case example of the silk weavers, creative
community of Varanasi, the paper unfolds the spatial and hierarchal network of their
neighborhood with the rest of the city through the lens of urban design principles. The
key findings have an important role in promoting the creative economy of this
community through experiential exploration, spatially establishing the link between the
community and its consumers by bringing out the activities of these communities as
an integral part of the urban form (public realm).
enhance neighbourhood vitality by creating a third space network. This would not only
bring about a character change in the local neighbourhood but also act as a template
for other neighbourhoods in the vicinity, thereby we can comfortably assume that this
could act as a worthy contribution to the future of urbanism in Indian cities.
