Identification and conservation of heritage sites from land use planning perspective

Abstract

Every community has its unique history of culture and inheritance. City, town or country has its structures and places which bears distinctive identity and stages of revolution. This study presents a contextual analysis of criteria for heritage identification and land use planning provisions in the vicinity of heritage site in Chittagong, the second largest and port city in Bangladesh with rich cultural, social, religious, natural and other heritages. UNESCO in its Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage acknowledges heritage to be identified, documented and properly conserved. The provision of heritage conservation is considered as national sense of duty evoked by the Constitution of Bangladesh. Structure Plan, Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and Chattagram Mohanagar Imarat Nirman Bidhimala, 2008 of Chittagong recommend heritage buildings and monuments to be properly identified and listed. Moreover, the Bidhimala, 2008 states that within 250 meter buffer area of heritage sites will be specially considered and controlled by “Special Project Permit for Large and Specialized Projects”. But there is no research to develop the methodology for identification of heritage sites and finding out the compatible and incompatible land uses in the vicinity of heritage sites. The study has analyzed the criteria for identification of heritage sites and land use provisions in the vicinity of heritage sites through literature review for theoretical and empirical evidences; statistical data analysis; experts’ questionnaire interviews; focus group discussion and local people’s questionnaire interview. Four study areas were selected from the heritage list of DAP based on period of construction. Total 24 experts were interviewed who have been working with this aspect for long time. Total 60 local dwellers were interviewed randomly from the study areas who are residing these areas more than 10 years. This study concludes that heritage identification process and land use plans in the vicinity of heritage sites is not standard enough to protect the heritage sites in Bangladesh. Finally, recommendations following experts’ opinion and initiatives from different countries are provided.