Sustainable Management of Historic Settlements in Asia: Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The book addresses the contribution of Intangible Cultural Heritage to the sustainable management of historic cities and towns. Through the unique, diverse, and dynamic illustrations from Asia, it provides insights into the interrelationships of intangible and tangible cultural attributes and their significance on the sustainability of these areas.  Historic cities and towns, large and small, along with their natural and man-made environments have a distinct identity and embody the values of traditional urban cultures.  Evolved by tangible built forms and intangible elements, as cultural practices and expressions- meanings and values attributed to them, they are in a state of continuous change. The built environment acts as a ‘place’ or a ‘site’ where most of these expressions are shaped. These areas are significant for their social cohesion and economic stronghold that dates back over generations and centuries. Over the years, there have been many theoretical discussions about the interrelationships of tangible and intangible but is challenging to manage in practice, especially in historic urban areas. There is a lack of understanding of the complexity and pervasiveness of intangible values and their direct relationship with the physical structure of the town/city. This book strives to address the various challenges, emphasising the intricate relationships between the tangible and intangible aspects of historic cities in the Asian context.

Niyati Jigyasu is a Professor at the University Institute of Architecture, Chandigarh University, India. She is an Architect and academic with more than two decades of experience at various institutions such as the Chandigarh College of Architecture, UNESCO Category 2 Centre, Dehradun, and INTACH Heritage Academy, New Delhi. She has also been a Visiting Scholar at the American University of Rome during 2021-2022. Her doctoral research examined the interlinkages and intersections between tangible and intangible attributes in historic areas. She has presented her work at various national and international conferences and authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and books. She has been a resource person and advisor for various research projects in India and abroad. She is an expert member of the ICOMOS International Committee on Historic Cities, Towns and Villages and the coordinator at the National Scientific Committee, ICOMOS India.  

Anjali Krishnan Sharma is a Professor of Architecture & Sustainable Urbanism and Director, with forty years of versatile experience in Academia, Practice, and the Real estate sector in India. She has graduated with a doctoral study from the School of Planning and Architecture; New Delhi.  She is a Member of RIBA and SFHEA; Senior Fellow with Advance-HE(UK); Founder Member of the multidisciplinary research group: Asian Universities Network Forum on Advances in Research; Japan; awarded an Indo-Dutch fellowship to research entitled Housing Typologies in Public Sector Housings; and won first prize in a National Housing Design idea competition (CIDCO, Mumbai) including the award of the project. She is a Keynote Speaker, Panelist, and Member of the advisory committee for the scientific committee for international conferences. She has a keen interest in built environs in alignment with contemporary issues, especially for Sustainable Urban Development and Climate change through an interdisciplinary approach.