Abstract The monograph summarizes the result of a site workshop in Varanasi (Jan 3-10, 2014) by faculty and students from the Departments of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), USA, and Bhanubhen Nanavati College of Architecture for Women (BNCA), Pune, India. The landscape planning and design proposals outlined in the workshop were further developed in a semester long studio (January-May 2014) at the UIUC campus. The goals of the project are to assess the cultural heritage of the Varanasi ghats and to develop a socially and environmentally sustainable vision for their landscape conservation. Grounded speculation from site studies on ways in which heritage appreciation can be made part of the visitor’s experience in a healthy and resilient landscape guided the process of planning and design of the ghats. The entire stretch of land-water interface was considered for developing prototypical design solutions that are then adapted to the site specific constraints at a particular ghat. Imageable, legible, and performative dimensions of landscape experience were identified as significant for heritage conservation. The ghat landscape is made legible to the visitors by organizing their movement to facilitate interpretion of myths and history. The iconic charater of the ghats is enhanced by regulating the historic and traditional vernacular character of the built environment. Performative landscapes are designed for enactment of rituals, festivals, and performing arts. The health of the ghat landscape is improved by reducing point source pollution in the Ganga and creating a clean land-water interface through public sanitation programs. The landscape is made more resilient by planning for recovery from increasing frequency of flood events. Individual site designs and prototypes were further integrated into comprehensive site plans. Site Plan I is a blueprint for an imageable, legible and performative landscape with heritage trails, visitor facilities, and spaces for festivals and performances. Site Plan II is a blueprint for a healthy and resilient landscape in which point source pollution in the Ganga is reduced producing a clean land-water interface that can recover from frequent flooding.
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