Book of Abstracts

Architecture and city planning in dry areas: A case study of the Pink city of India
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Shailendra Mandal and Kamini Sinha; Department of Architecture; National Institute of Technology, Patna, India;
vastumandala@yahoo.com
Jaipur which is also referred to as the Pink City of India is noted for its architectural wonder. The architecture of this
capital city of Rajasthan is a beautiful fusion of yesteryears and modern architecture. Jaipur is the first planned city
of India, located in the drylands of Rajasthan. Jaipur was planned as a grid system with wide straight avenues, roads,
streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of the main roads, all arranged in nine rectangular city
sectors (chokdis), representing the ancient Hindu map of the universe.
The renaissance approach of the 18 th century walled city of Jaipur is reflected not only in its exclusive and
innovative architecture and city planning but also in the conception of the city as a thriving trade and commerce hub
in the dry region of the country. These two significant factors guiding the planning of Jaipur has provided a unique
urban identity and continuity to the 21 st century capital. Historically, Jaipur became a commendable example of
architecture and city planning visited by many domestic and international travelers from the 18 th till the 20 th century.
The post independence Jaipur developed and extended as a modern city yet retained the living, historic core as the
image of the city. However, the recent trends in global architecture and economic pressures within the walled city
have lead to an increasing transformation of the urban fabric, observed in the construction of unauthorized, multistoried
commercial complexes that are fast replacing some of the beautiful havellies in the inner residential areas of
the region. There is an urgent need to arrest this process as well as to readdress the present situation in lieu of the
recent architecture and city planning reform initiatives and the new invasion of global tourism. It is equally crucial
to evaluate the traditional architecture and city planning principles of the city and the extent of their applicability in
the present context.
The proposed paper presents the similarities and contrasts between the 18 th century vision of the city, the perceptions
of historic visitors to the city, the urban form, streets, spaces and usage vis a vis the ‘21 st century Heritage Vision’ of
Jaipur, as it is a very apt example of the architecture and city planning in the dry region of the country. The
fundamental contention of this paper is that architecture and city planning play a key role in strengthening adaptive
capacities. It evaluates the present circumstances, the socio- economic situation, the residents’ aspirations, the
linkages to their pasts and their expression, and translation and interpretation in the global environment. It also
presents the conflicting approaches to heritage fabric and its usage by the residents, NGOs and the local government
departments. It concludes with the question - whether an integrated, holistic approach through the proposed Heritage
Plan can again showcase Jaipur as the 21 st century Renaissance city which stands as an appropriate example of great
architecture and city planning in dry areas.
The services of cultural heritage in drylands: An approach from water traditional technologies as a
territory heritage system of desert
Gabriela Pastor - gpastor@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar; Dra. Laura Torres - ltorres@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar;
Argentine Institute of Dryland Research – CONICET; Mendoza, Argentina
The concept of heritage no longer suffices to define and identify the hallmarks of identity upon which the territory is
built. The definitions and declarations expressed within the framework of international organizations can barely
point out the “photograph” of some elements in which the hallmarks of identity attested to by these testimonies are
overlooked or invisible. On the other hand, traditional technologies are a heritage system that exceeds the
testimonial object, while simultaneously containing it, to integrate not only people and environmental resources but
territory as well.
This communication aims at characterizing the social, economic, political, and landscape services that traditional
technologies, in their character as territory heritage systems, are capable of assuming, whilst allowing for a
discussion not only on the notions and concepts of heritage but also on its standing in the field of more sustainable
development. To this end, a case study linked to strategies for access to water in drylands of the Argentinean west is
undertaken. The starting point is assuming that these strategies articulate traditional knowledge and landscapes that
provide an account of processes, resources and positioning which transcend the material and immaterial facts of
heritage to synergize the same restrictions but in favour of the territory. Material testimony and associated
knowledge are analyzed, as well as their implications to the provision of services that aid in building the territory