Assessment of Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach in Urban Heritage

Management for Varanasi city.

An urban area that goes beyond the idea of "historic center" or "ensemble" to include the larger urban context and its
geographical setting is referred to as a "historic urban landscape." This is an urban area that is understood as the result of
historic layering of cultural and natural values and attributes.

Rapid urbanization has made it common practice for cities to overlook their cultural legacy and historical significance, which has
resulted in substandard and even unhealthy living conditions in the historic centers. In reaction to this, several groups have
emerged to proactively preserve urban cultural assets in the context of development. A comprehensive strategy is needed to
tackle this difficulty since it involves several factors, including social, cultural, economic, typographic, and others like constructed
form and built typology. After much thought, UNESCO approved the Historic Urban Landscape method in 2011. This
progressively led to its growth.

The HUL strategy is a flexible strategy that looks beyond the preservation of the natural environment and concentrates on the
complete human environment with all its observable and invisible aspects. It aims to improve the sustainability of planning
interventions by considering the already-existing built environment, intangible heritage, cultural variety, socio-economic and
environmental issues, as well as the values of the local community.

As part of the IHCDP (Inclusive Heritage-based City Development) Program, Varanasi served as one of the UNESCO HUL Program
pilot cities and received technical and financial support from the World Bank and Cities Alliance.

Varanasi city is said to be the religious capital of India and known as Kashi which falls under Uttar Pradesh state of India in
Varanasi District, which is said as it is an ancient city which is still alive since thousands of years and that’s why people from
different states of India i.e., Domestic tourists and people from other countries i.e., foreign tourists come to Varanasi to
experience its liveliness. People come here with different purposes like religious, leisure, educational purpose etc.

So, this research will assess that how did HUL approach impacted the city. And what were the shortcomings of the approach.

Research question:

 How HUL approach works in the urban landscape.

 How effective HUL approach is on of Urban Heritage Management, and where does it lack and what are the cause for
the same?
 At what extent it suits on Indian Landscape?
 How does this approach relate with the master plan?

Aim:

 To understand the issues in Heritage Urban Landscape approach of urban heritage management and suggest the
further solution for the same in case of Varanasi.

Objective:

 To study and understand the Heritage urban landscape approach.

 To assess the Heritage Urban Landscape approach in case of Varanasi.
 To suggest the possible solution of the shortcomings which came under HUL.
 To understand the relation between the approach and the masterplan.

Research proposal:

 Suggestion proposal in the approach of urban heritage management (HUL) to build the urban landscape which is
connected to heritage of the city.

Ankit Kumar
2021MURP034
Pre thesis research design