ABSTRACT
A conscious approach to urban conservation and heritage management in India is fairly recent, with sporadic efforts in the 1970s in Rajasthan, followed by more concrete legislative measures in Mumbai and Hyderabad in the 1990s. Preparation of city level heritage management plans and recognition of urban conservation planning by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, came later. This chapter traces the history of urban heritage planning in India since 2007 through the case studies of Jaipur and Ajmer in Rajasthan. It examines the city-level heritage management initiatives that simultaneously influenced policy interventions by the Government of India and impacted phased implementation of large-scale urban conservation projects in these cities. The chapter also discusses how sustainability of urban conservation projects reside in anchoring them fundamentally to a city’s vision plan along with an inclusive participatory approach.
