URBAN RENEWAL OF PUBLIC REALM OF A HISTORIC CITY CORE: A CASE OF THANJAVUR

Abstract

Historic communities across world are searching for ways to improve their local economies, enhance their quality of life and revitalize their neighborhoods while preserving their cultural and natural heritage. In today's world the problem of revitalization of historic towns and monuments is of great importance. We live in a period of rapid technological development, but this destroys the cultural identity of many nations. The seriousness of the problem is underlined by the fact that the majority of governments throughout the world are trying to save the historical heritage of their countries and to preserve and revitalize architectural treasures such as historical districts, towns and monuments. Urban renewal plays an important role in providing, prominent economic and community development strategies to accomplish these objectives. The focus of this thesis is on urban renewal of Public Realm within a larger framework of Indian historic city core. It confines itself to the enhancing the image and identity of the historical city core of Thanjavur as a cultural resource to promote historic preservation and heritage tourism. Heritage tourism as an outcome of urban renewal in historic areas is an economic development tool designed to attract visitors to an area based on the unique aspects of the locality's history, landscape and culture. This not only enhances regional and local pride but is also a good source of revenue for a community and creates jobs. Urban renewal is a tool for preserving a historic place, incubating small businesses, revitalizing city centers, generating local jobs, and creating improvements in a community. This thesis is aimed at revitalizing the important public realm of the historic city core of Thanjavur by evolving a urban renewal strategy for the city core of Thanjavur; Identifying areas of distinctive character across the city and Analysing the character and improvement potential of areas and movement corridors. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, conserving the heritage value of the city for promoting tourism, strengthening community's self-image and to re-create viable, attractive places which encourage sustained inward investment,