Changing perspectives from nalah to nadi: landscape development of kukrail nadi, lucknow, Uttar pradesh

Abstract

Urban streams, in today‟s world are one of natural resources that are threatened throughout the world. Despite carrying the most precious substance for life, they have been abused and ignored. This work traverses through the various aspects and layers of a stream to understand its structure and connections to understand the damage caused by insensitive urban developments. It also studies the associations and connections of urban streams with people to understand their behaviour towards the landscape resource. Cases of revival have been studied and the question is being put forward, “Can the perspective of the streams be restored to what once was considered sacred?” and “Can that perspective help preserve the sanctity of riverine landscapes?” This thesis looks towards one such neglected stream in Lucknow and traces its history through its degradation just to find out ways to revive its physical, ecological and cultural importance in the city. Applying fresher perspective in a holistic fashion, it is an effort to redefine the urban experience of the stream and help rebuild connections with people in a landscape development approach.