Heritage versus Development

Downtowns in any metropolis have a nostalgia value for a city, akin to childhood memories. Chandni Chowk in Delhi or Coloba or for that matter Girgaum in Mumbai are the best examples, I feel. And I recently discovered, this is not restricted to just Indian cities but a global phenomenon I guess.

During my trip to Singapore, I visited the Chinatown area, the city’s favourite shopping area for budget tourists. The small area on the Pagoda street lie ensconced between high rises with modern designs, mostly glass façade.      

The development versus heritage debate has plagued nearly every metropolitan city and for that matter, all upwardly mobile urbane centres.

 

Instantly I recalled Colaba and Girgaum … and yes, Delhi’s own ethnic heart, the Chandni Chowk. Slowly but steadily, the old charm goes missing as one by one, the dilapidated old designed buildings give way to high rises, almost all looking the same. The similarity was so striking; I couldn’t resist taking a picture showcasing the contrast.

And the worst part was the huge iron beams jutting out of the ground bang in the middle of the Pagoda street (right) ... right next to a heritage structure.

The colourful old buildings using mostly local resources and more important showcasing traditional architecture offered a contrast to the all-look-the-same buildings that are so-to-say ultramodern but not at all visually appealing. I always wonder, why can’t the architects stick to traditional methods that have a sensible use of local weather friendly designs? These rely on locally available materials that reduce carbon footprint.

Governments world over first encourage the builder lobbies to go for power-guzzling modern designs and the then go on to make efforts to save the built heritage. Delhi is no exception. While we have solid examples by way of, to name just one, Humayun’s Tomb – made famous by US president Barack Obama’s visit in November – and the grand havelis of the walled city, there are these ugly looking buildings in jutting out on the edge of the colonial era Connaught Place.  

Singapore, on its part has tried to conserve its past with a ‘Chinatown Heritage Centre’ housed within three beautifully restored shops on the Pagoda Street. I am not aware how popular it is amongst Singaporeans, but the government has at least made an effort.

Back home at Delhi, there is this ‘Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) which has been trying to “restore” the lost glory of the walled city that the Mughal king Shahjahanabad built on the Yamuna bank. But even when old havelis of Chandni Chowk are giving way to newer construction, the government response is as slow as it can be.  

 What is the solution to the development versus the heritage debate? I think the answer lies in an adage one of my friends put for environment. Replacing the ‘environment’ with ‘heritage’, I can say: Put heritage first and development will LAST; put development first, heritage would be LOST.