Suburbs is the buzzword in the real estate sector today. Whether it is Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Navi Mumbai or Whitefield ? hectic development activity is taking place in these areas, with most residential options selling at a premium. But, what of the old city areas in most metropolitan cities in the country? Is the development of the suburbs sounding a death knell for the traditional central districts of cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad? If we look at the redevelopment plans that are being finalised for these areas, probably not!
Most old city areas also have special bodies set up to take care of the development there. For instance, the Walled City Development Board/Authority in Delhi undertakes various developmental activities besides preserving the heritage and historical character of the buildings, havelis and monuments in the Chandni Chowk. Some schemes of the authority include redevelopment and improvement of Begam Ka Bagh opposite Old Delhi Railway Station; redevelopment and improvement of Nigam Bodh Ghat/Qudesia Ghat and the entire area lying between the old city wall and the river; redevelopment and improvement of Kashmiri Gate complex and the green area along the wall up to Mori Gate. It also incorporates clearance/redevelopment of the entire green area lying between Jama Masjid and Red Fort.
In addition, apart from construction of designer flyovers, multi-level parking facilities at Shakti Nagar and Kamla Nagar, there is also a proposal to develop Roshanara Bagh into a heritage park on the lines of the Red Fort complex. The focus would not only be on restoring heritage buildings, but also making the area clean and green. Redevelopment work has already started in the area with cycle rickshaws having been taken off the roads in Chandni Chowk. Eco-friendly CNG buses have now been started along the main stretch and there are plans to spruce up the entire area by putting up street furniture, restoring the heritage of the havelis as well as starting a monorail there.
Similar is the case with Hyderabad, which has witnessed various phases of growth and change. It has become a traffic island, only visible from the thousand of vehicles plying around it. Adding to this clutter is the confusion of electrical lines, disarray of signs, and encroachment of virtually all kinds. To reinstate this historic core as a commercial hub and as a centre of activity, the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad is undertaking pedestrianisation of the immediate area around the Charminar in line with international best practices. The project involves restructuring the historic precincts with the provision of civic amenities, traffic infrastructure, storm water drainage, introduction of heritage walks, pedestrianisation and beautification of Lad Bazaar, widening of ring roads, restoration of Pathergatti facades and a comprehensive signage system for Charminar precincts and restoration of the Char Kamans.
The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) too has plans to restore the old areas of the city to a semblance of their past glory. The aim is that landmarks such as Sri Krishnarajendra Market, Russell Market, and Gandhi Bazar should not just fade away. The KR Market was rebuilt at a great cost some years ago and could be a major revenue earner but for the hawkers. Older markets that are set to go in for a change are Jayanagar Shopping Complex and Johnson Market, off Hosur Road. Clean toilets, drinking water fountains, paved pathways, cleaner walls that can be scrubbed down regularly and better lighting in the corridors are what the BMP plans to provide in the old markets.
Moving on to Mumbai, perhaps the first impression most visitors get of the financial capital is not of the Gateway of India or Bollywood, but the teeming millions swarming out of Victoria Terminus Station (renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus). With the vast majority of people entering this ?city of dreams? by train and over two million daily local commuters at this monumental Victorian neo-Gothic station alone, it is no wonder that Dadabhai Naoroji Road ? linking the famous Crawford Market to Victoria Terminus and moving onto Flora Fountain in the south ? forms the main commercial spine and image centre of the city. By its very existence as a dynamic commercial artery, as well as the fact that it is virtually the civic centre with the Municipal Corporation headquarters, the area plays a critical role in framing the public perception of Mumbai.
With the Heritage Regulations for Greater Bombay 1995, the entire stretch of Dadabhai Naoroji Road was declared a heritage streetscape, with each edifice along this spine assigned the prestigious Grade II-A classification, acknowledging the significance of this road as a monumental architectural ensemble. The regulation advised ?intelligent conservation? of the area, making all and any external changes to the buildings on the road ?subject to scrutiny? of the Heritage Committee instituted by the city authorities.
In a pioneering effort undertaken by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority in the years following the Heritage Regulation, a trust fund was set up to institute the MMR Heritage Conservation Society. This body was mandated to provide grants and funding for documentation and research studies that would facilitate the conservation of Mumbai?s heritage. The first project commissioned by this body was a grant for a thorough documentation of the Dadabhai Naoroji streetscape and the compilation of a design handbook aimed at suggesting directive guidelines and design options for heritage sensitive street furniture and signage.
This was followed by an exercise of preparing urban guidelines for signage and shopfronts through the street. In order to avoid a generalised approach, each building elevation was drawn up with the exact location and number of signs existing at the time. And then an alternative proposal was made, showing the same elevation with a revised signage scheme. Care was taken to ensure that each ground floor shop was given an opportunity to exhibit its shop sign in almost the same square footage of sign area as they had earlier, simultaneously ensuring that the signs were relocated and redesigned so as not to obstruct architectural details such as cornices, keystones and pilasters, and that the architectural quality of the building was not compromised. Detailed schemes were drawn up for the installation of heritage sensitive street furniture such as cast iron benches, litter bins, information signs, bus stops and railings that would enhance the quality of this Victorian streetscape.