Our city, our heritage

Brinda Somaya architect and urban conservationistWISH Effective recycling of built resourcesMumbai gives me my lsquoSense of Placersquo There are some buildings that connect us to the past and to one another which tell us who we areMany cities of India with their relatively long history have abundant and rich inbuilt heritage with several noteworthy heritage structures These include vernacular and colonial architecture individual buildings as well as buildings with a group value Our heritage constitutes everything that we have inherited so the focus must now shift to finding new uses and upgrading the bulk of our heritage buildingsToday the preservation of landmark buildings and monuments is an accepted norm Effective recycling of our built resources the vast stock of underutilised buildings at the local city level distinguished or plain with tremendous potential and living heritage is criticalDr Stone said ldquoUrban quality depends more on the standard of maintenance and improvement of existing buildings than on the standards to which new buildings are builtrdquo Nothing could be truer in our Indian cities Today conversions are competitive in cost apart from the unquantifiable value of age character and architectural quality Waste must disappear as an idea Hence materials buildings and infrastructure of our built environment must be used reused and recycled for the same or different usesAtul Kumar foundertrustee Art Deco Trust MumbaiWISH Uniform mapping and holistic dialogueA dream when it comes to heritage conservation in Mumbai would be a wellthought vibrant heritage plan for the whole city that does not take an ad hoc approach We require a greater sense of ownership for each ward in the city so documentation and mapping can happen more uniformly based on which one can plan aheadAd hocism or temporary solutions is what ails not only conservation but also urban planning in the city For example Mumbai has no visible street signage plan that reflects a comprehensive identity for the city reflected in a design language We have no uniformity of font or colour or size mdash itrsquos almost entirely a creative project Similarly I think a comprehensive holistic deliberation of the cityrsquos heritage conservation needs as a whole not just individual neighbourhoods would be a nice ideal to hope forVikas Dilawari conservation architectWISH Retain green cover and original identityThere is a need to acknowledge the preservation of trees and vegetation that are integral to every space It must be retained as much and as long as one can As change is inevitable slower the change the better it is for the environment The fast pace of redevelopment has been transforming the city and this burdens the fragile infrastructure and also disrupts the social cohesiveness and sense of belonging It also affects the quality of lifeAnother wish is to retain the overall character and scale of heritage spaces This is important while making changes to interiors of heritage spaces it should be done as required and by retaining the same usage as far as possible so as to ensure the integration of presentday needs and infrastructureWith no acknowledgement or governmental support to conservation of built livedin heritage it continues to get stepmotherly treatment whereas in reality redevelopment is flourishing I wish that this scale was balanced by giving incentives to repairs which can also help in arresting climate change as the larger picture is the need of the hour This can emerge as an effective incomegenerating venture and will help in boosting local tourism too