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Urban Design anD regional Planning, inner city revitalization anD conservation

Year 2013-14

urBan conSerVation & reVitalization of hazratGanj

precinct, lucKnow, by lucknow development authority

azratganj in Lucknow is one such places with a rich legacy and heritage (200 year market in view of present economic pressure and competition by newly developed markets.
Hold legacy) and ‘reinventing and updating itself’ in form of up market High Street of The area has become a tourist spot with every visitor coming to Lucknow visits this place
Lucknow. Not only was Hazratganj the center of the Lucknowites’ commercial life, it was at least once to experience the revived ‘Sham-e- Awadh’. The property owners on the street
also an important part of their social life. In the past 30 years, the rapid urbanization has themselves renovated their own premises on the basis of the standard code for buildings.
resulted in growth of suburban centers with shopping malls and multiplexes outside the A uniform code for the architectural façade stating the colour scheme of the buildings
traditional areas, which were more convenient and accessible. The business in Hazratganj and the purposeful strategy releasing the architectural features of the street façade was
went low, forcing traders to shift or extend their activity to malls. Neglected buildings, followed. A signage system was developed and was agreed upon by the stakeholders,
dangling hoardings, masked shop fronts hiding beautiful architectural facades, had and applied to the street. These measures helped a lot to achieve the uniform character
reinforced the public perception that Hazratganj was not a happening place, consequently on the street and a sense of an individual precinct within the surroundings. It is a unique
sinking the spirit of the street under its own apathy. The prime issues on Hazratganj Street example of synergy between the stakeholders and implementing authorities in the direction
before the intervention were: lack of pedestrian facility and public amenities and the of successful coordination of the work.
Domination of skyline by large scale hoardings, signages and banners. The building façades
and architectural details had been screened off with advertising boards, indiscriminate For instance, it was the first time that multinational companies, which have a standard
parking and traffic chaos, encroachment and lack of organized open public spaces collapse colour scheme for their logos and signage, respected the spirit of the project and followed
of infrastructure services. the colour scheme recommended for the street façade. Well-known brands, which often vie
for retail space in shopping malls, opened their exclusive stores in the revitalized premises,
The completion of 200 year of Hazratganj was the spark that initiated both citizens which explained the success of the project and stated a learning example. The success of
of Lucknow and Government to re-awaken the past and save it before it was lost. The the project clearly states the sensitivity people have towards their heritage and the potential
objective of the project was to revitalize not only the tangible aspect, such as street facade it can generate when developed with an organized strategy.
and street elements, but also conserve intangible aspect of Hazratganj.
Mall road, Mussoorie, Main Street of Amritsar, Streets leading to Taj in city of Agra are being
The objective was to restore the characteristic identity of the street by improving the revitalized based on the concept of Hazratganj. The project became inspiration in urban
overall character of the street, strengthening the street infrastructure, vehicular circulation, renewal and revitalization of heritage precincts of other cities of Uttar Pradesh and other
pedestrian activity and other public utilities. The aim was to make Hazratganj a sustainable states as well. The project attained mass public attention, locally and even nationally.

Restoration of street features and walkways Precinct after restoration

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