ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores a vast range of place-types, not simply as sites for intellectual intrigue but active canvases for intervention and enhancement – indigenous habitats, historic urban cores, agrarian landscapes, vernacular infrastructure, religious edifices, squatting sites, burial grounds, war zones, modern landmarks, ethnic enclaves, housing complexes, and industrial complexes. It offers insight into the social, political, and economic backdrops to the various case studies. The book explores an introductory dialogue on the pluralism of perceptions, attitudes, and approaches to conservation in different parts of the world. It examines approaches and attitudes toward the heritage of our distant past beyond solely historic and nostalgia-driven biases. The book focuses on subjects and aspects of heritage conservation that remain under the radar, marginalized as ambiguous, difficult to justify, or simply less appealing, even as places of franchised historic memory garner significant conservation attention.
