MAKING A CITY: URBANITY, VITALITY, AND URBAN DESIGN

STRENGTHENING THE ASSOCIATIONAL VALUES WITHIN THE HISTORICAL

CORE OF THE CITY
A city can be defined as a centre of population, commerce and culture, a region of significant size and
importance. Every city has its own identity; identity defines what the entity is: its character, its
customs and individuality. This identity of the cities refers to the human perception of physical city.
The question may occur that: what factors are responsible for shaping the city's identity?
Identity of the city is an outcome of historicity of the place; history, which plays a vital role in
imparting city its uniqueness, is also shaped by commerce and trade which transpires in the city
through ages. Usually these commerce and trades develops in the vicinity areas of buildings or
monuments which are associated with some political power and security right from the initial stages
of its occurrence and thus developing the area as the historic core of the city.
The historic core is the essence of a city, centre of its civic, social and commercial life. The factors;
which further adds to the vibrancy and vitality of historic core and also helps city to build its identity;
are the culture, traditions and festivals it celebrates, the methods of celebration and the scale on which
it is celebrated. A historic core thus is a unique combination of varied characteristics like socioeconomic life, cultural and traditional aspects with living communities, and their traditional
livelihoods.
The core mostly represents a precinct within the city having more than one monument of historical
importance representing a way of life, which acts as the symbol of city's image and where the city's
culture has its greatest expression.
Identity of cities are also product of the events taking place within the city either planned or unplanned. These identities are formed over the years due to inputs of people and the sense of
belongingness they have with their city.
The large part of this paper contains an exposition of the principles of good city form, activity, street
life and urban culture. That is to say, urbanity itself. By reference to a number of cities, the intention is
to show that it is perfectly possible to plan for and design the active city.

Submitted by :Siddharth Soni

PA104914