Abstract:
Over the past decades, traditional cities and their historic districts have been deteriorating steadily. The combination of modernity, congestion, old infrastructure and financial pressures has led to migrations out of the old neighborhoods and their decline into decay. In Islamabad, the C.D.A. decided to renovate the historic village of Saidpur. The project undertook to restore historical architecture, encourage tourism and reverse the cycle of decay by economic and social revival of the area. Saidpur is a small historic village, possibly 500 years old located at the base of the Margalla Hills; the center of the village had old heritage buildings; including two mandirs and a dharamshala. These were neglected and undergoing rapid deterioration. The infrastructure of the area was underdeveloped; with open drains, unpaved pathways and no solid waste management. In the case of Saidpur Village, gentrification without community participation has threatened the social and historic cohesion of the area, leading to transformation and marginalization of local residents. This paper studies the process and results of the revitalization project analyzing the impact of the project on the cultural, social and economic conditions of the village. Conclusions drawn identify the need to engage local community for sustainable revitalization of this cultural heritage.
Page(s):
150-162
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Proceedings of the 6th Seminar on Urban and Regional Planning, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2011