Strengthening the interface between river and the city : case of Brahmaputra, Guwahati

Abstract

Cities have had a very strong relationship with bodies of water. Many were built on the banks of rivers, some were at the seaside, and others were adjacent to lakes and of course in many cases cities created their own lakes and reservoirs. No city could afford to disregard the collection, storage, use-pattern and disposal of water. Water-bodies served as modes of transportation or defense; they supported livelihoods and crafts; they created open spaces that served as a release from the confines of urban congestion. Though cities were manmade artifacts, humans felt a sense of being grateful beneficiaries, and sometimes unwitting victims, of this capricious natural element. Water, in its presence as well as absence, was both a blessing and a threat. Thus water was not just a physical fact, it was a deep psychological presence. Water can serve as a kind of infrastructure to guide the planning of urban space. The best way to organise cities is through the design of the city’s waterways. With the huge and rapidgrowth of population, as well as with increased and more dense urbanisation, the traditional modes of dealing with water are seriously challenged. Thinking of the edge means of course reimagining the relationship of humans and water, reimagining the mechanisms of participation and control, reimagining the environmental and technological issues and suggesting new arrangements. In short thinking about the edge of the water means no less than reimagining city and community.Riverfronts are not merely unique spaces in a city, but also the most representative region which reflect the local character. Urban riverfronts have become an important resource for development, and have for many cities have because the dynamic of districts. The study area is located at the core of the city of Guwahati along the Brahmaputra river south edge. It has the oldest and the dense fabric in the city. The area has a variety and complexity of functions and has been subjected, through the city’s growth, to a succession of external influences. Presently the river is in neglected state resulting in unrecognized physical boundary. Brahmaputra river provides an opportunity to reinvent the urban interfaces in four zones – Recreational, Commercial, transportation, Religious and ecological To strengthen existing interfaces between the river edge and the adjoining areas. To include everyday urbanism that is generated by river based activities. To protect historical sites, a design must maintain the city’s cultural heritage, create a spirit of identity and a sense of belonging, and improve the city’s aesthetics. To extend public recreation spaces, a design must create diversified and recognized spaces, generate and improve functions, develop more places near the water, for human use, promote more people-friendly spaces and promote harmonious and healthy developments for both society and the environment .