ABSTRACT
If looking back is an integral part of looking forward, then it is imperative to examine the nature of this retrospective glance. Who are the agents and agencies controlling this process? What is chosen as representative and seminal? Which ends are serviced and achieved thereby? Taking Delhi as its case and Shahjahanabad as its site, this chapter examines the affective linkages girding literary and planning imaginaries of this area. Closely reading a cross-section of novels, memoirs, and tour guides and juxtaposing these against key policy documents and project reports on the redevelopment of Shahjahanabad, this chapter argues that nostalgia is a significant qualitative component of planning visions for the future of this precinct.
