Framing a Conceptual Approach for Urban Conservation in Historic Cities- A Case of Kuttichira, Kerala

Urban heritage is a source of identity and pride and can drive sustainable and equitable economic and social development. It represents an opportunity to build upon local traditions, skills, crafts, and techniques, helping conserve our natural resources. It also holds the potential to connect people with their past and build understanding among communities through shared experience. India's conservation movement has evolved from emphasizing prominent buildings to focusing on area-specific conservation efforts. Urban heritage conservation in India is a significant subject that can seldom be ignored. Urban heritage includes physical, commemorative, social, and economic aspects of the heritage interwoven with each other. The conservation movement has also come a long way with its changing focus—from the conservation of tangible objects to the conservation of intangible cultural heritage, from protection to participation, from control to encouragement, and from a single-purpose preservation-driven approach to a multiple-use approach. The paper aims to investigate the importance and conduct of a community-oriented approach in urban heritage conservation in India through which we can understand its role in the urban development of historic precincts. The study proposes a community-oriented conceptual methodology that can further achieve sustainable goals within the community, strengthening community participation and involvement. The proposed framework recognizes and emphasizes the community as the key stakeholder in their locality. The paper attempts to comprehend the sensitivity achieved in urban development through a community-oriented approach. The study has future scope for the conceptual approach to be explored multi-dimensionally. The methodology can assist policymakers in developing case-sensitive policies for historic urban areas.