Rethinking Conservation of India's Unprotected Urban Heritage—Learnings from Practice

The diverse unprotected urban heritage in the historic cities and towns of India are decaying fast. Heritage buildings now stand abandoned, neglected and abused.

- Ar. Urvashi Srivastava

Innumerable risk factors, both at the macro level of the historic urban settlements as well as at the micro level, have been responsible for the deterioration of heritage buildings and posing a serious threat to the existence of these invaluable urban heritage. In the midst of these challenging circumstances, the big question that arises is what can be done to save the priceless unprotected urban heritage from being lost forever?

This article highlights the plethora of problems affecting urban heritage, with a detailed study of the built heritage of the Shekhawati region in Rajasthan, which draws attention towards the reasons why with each passing day it is becoming more and more difficult to conserve unprotected urban heritage and safeguard it from being lost. It discusses the role of local communities, especially owners and craftsmen, in conserving the heritage buildings and structures. It also explores the relevance of a preventive strategy in mitigating negative factors and minimising deterioration of the unprotected urban heritage, while sharing practical experiences and learnings from 21 years of practice in the field of built heritage conservation.

Urban Heritage: Unprotected and Vulnerable