Cover Story
Jan 29 - Feb 04, 2018 walks and gardens to give the banks an artistic effect along the riverfront. When the project for all the flood protection works was ready, meetings were held for considering the proposals. In March 1913, the Government of the State took steps to construct the Musi Reservoir. On the occasion on which H.E.H. the Nizam performed the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone for the reservoir dam on the Musi River. Musi Heritage Revitalisation Project There is an urgent need to make the Musi river a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Framework of both the central and state governments, and set up a dedicated Musi River Basin Authority to ensure integrated governance. The Musi Heritage Precinct Revitalisation Project, shortlisted under the Inclusive HeritageBased City Development Programme, plans to address issues along the entire 21.5-km stretch of the Musi river, with special focus on the heritage precinct within, spread over 4.29 km. As many as 35 structures of heritage relevance have been identified near the river for restoration The much abused Musi river and its surroundings are in for better days. Not just its ecological state but the squatter and slum settlements along the river can hope for improvement. The Musi Heritage Precinct Revitalisation Project promises to breathe new life into the river, which has been reduced to an open sewer. The project, shortlisted under the Inclusive HeritageBased City Development Programme (IHCDP), plans to address issues along the entire 21.5-km stretch of the Musi river, with special focus on the heritage precinct within, spread over 4.29 km. World Bank official Stefania Abakerli and representatives of Cities Alliance and Centre for Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, Ahmedabad, are arriving here on Friday to discuss the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by CEPT for the revitalisation of the Musi river. Hyderabad is among the four cities chosen by the Ministry of Urban Development for piloting the project. The three others are Ajmer, Pushkar and Varanasi. The IHCDP plans to bring traditional neighbourhoods, streetscapes, cultural expressions, handicrafts and traditional socio-economic practices under the inclusive heritage development. The heritage cell of the GHMC, which is
executing the project, has identified Monda Market and Old Jail, Pan Bazaar and Jagganath Swamy temple, Karwan Road and Musi revitalisation for development. However, the Government of India has selected the last one for improvement. Heritage upgrade of the area is also on the cards. As many as 35 structures of heritage relevance have been identified near the Musi river. Apart from their restoration, a heritage route, with access to the Charminar Pedestrian Project (CPP) precincts, is also proposed. The most important aspect - rather the defining element - of the project is facilitating better engagement of communities within the Musi Heritage Precinct.
Case Study #2 – Cheonggyecheon, Seoul, South Korea
ambitious stream recovery project and to flip through our gallery for pictures of the inspiring urban park. The Cheonggyecheon is embedded in Korean history. For centuries, the stream that flows from the west to the eastern part of South Korea through the presentday downtown Seoul has been a part of the everyday life of the people. The first refurbishment project of the stream to build a drainage system took place during the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea for five centuries (from 1392 to 1897), at a time when it was called Gaecheon or open stream. Cheonggyecheon was so named by Japanese colonisers who tried very hard to suffocate it by covering it up, but could not gather enough funds to do so. The Cheonggyecheon project is remarkable for its dramatic transformation from a seedy industrial eyesore to a nature-filled public space. In the 1940s,
Cheonggyecheon ‘cover-up’ succeeded as an example of post-war rapid industrialisation At the heart of Seoul, South Korea lies one of the world’s greatest urban design successes -- the Cheonggyecheon River linear park. A green oasis in a concrete jungle, this inspiring urban renewal success underwent a dramatic transformation from a traffic-choked elevated freeway and concrete paved waterway into a lush, 3.6-mile-long “day-lit” stream corridor that attracts over 60,000 visitors daily. The restoration process has also provided huge boosts to local biodiversity and catalyzed economic development. Keep reading to learn the story behind Seoul’s
the Cheonggyecheon had deteriorated into an open sewer and was thus paved over with concrete for sanitation reasons. After the Korean War, more people, including those who migrated from North Korea, began to settle alongside the stream by setting up shabby makeshift sheds on stilts. Over the next few years, the weight of a large population living by it made the stream an eyesore. What the brutal Japanese colonial power could not do was achieved by the Korean government in 1968 when it constructed a 5.6 km long elevated highway over
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the Cheonggyecheon. The ‘cover-up’ succeeded in making the area an example of post-war rapid industrialisation and the modernisation of Seoul city. However, in mid-2003, the then Seoul mayor, Lee Myeong-Bak, initiated a project to remove the highway and restore the stream. The $281 million project became a humongous urban renewal act, attracting massive public criticism, and protests by residents and traders from the area. However, a proper rehabilitation project for those displaced was undertaken. At the turn of the millennium, however, then mayor and future president of Korea Lee Myung-Bak successfully campaigned on a promise to remove the freeway and restore the Cheonggyecheon. From 2002 to 2005, the government ripped out the road and replaced it with a 3.6-mile restored and planted stream with parallel roadways. The mayor also won support for the project by framing the project as a major flood relief channel and marketing the restoration as a highly visible, sustainable development that would boost Korea’s image around the world. To alleviate fears of traffic congestion, the government also invested heavily in public transportation, such as a dedicated bus lane. When Cheonggyecheon opened in 2005, locals and tourists were left in awe. The manager of the museum that exhibits the restoration project of the stream tells this correspondent that tourists from at least 30 countries visit it every year. Thanks to the project, the average temperature of the area has dropped by 3.6 degrees in comparison to other parts of Seoul. It also helped revive the traditional pedestrian route of the city by connecting the stream with the old resource areas like Bukchon, Namchon and Daehangro. The demolition of the highway also led to a 2.3-degree decrease in the number of vehicles entering downtown Seoul, and an increase in the number of bus and subway users. Flaunting artworks and graffiti on the walls that line the stream, open-air gyms and walkways, separate areas for picnics, fishes swimming in the stream, birds and insects in the air, the Cheonggyecheon area has become the prime recreational hub for the residents today. Every year, the city hosts its lantern festival alongside the stream. The revival project in Seoul has successfully enhanced the opportunity for people to experience living ecosystems in the city. It was not just a restoration, but also the construction of a large piece of green urban infrastructure that was successful in providing people with benefits and inspiring others to think about green infrastructure and people, rather than car focused urban development.