The Historic City of Ajmer-Pushkar: mapping layers of history, use and meaning for sustainable planning and conservation

该项目将创建一个网络，致力于为印度历史城市的公共空间制定更具包容性、知情性和可持续性的规划决策，通过在拉贾斯坦邦的城墙城市Ajmer和附近的Pushkar进行试点研究。这些都是不同信仰的朝圣中心，在节日期间吸引了成千上万的信徒。游客数量的快速增长加剧了对基础设施的压力。研究将集中在信仰和协会的作用，仪式过程，以及奉献者和朝圣者的行为模式，以便将这些作为具有宗教意义的公共空间设计和保护的关键因素。主要目标是创建数字工具的原型，以包含有关城市，其历史和遗产的图像和信息，最重要的是，允许不同群体之间的反思，交流和对话。开发的工具将基于整个历史区域的交互式地图，以及关键公共空间的三维交互式扫描。一旦完成了这些基本工作，将在阿杰梅尔举行一个由印度和英国参与者参加的跨学科讲习班。本次研讨会将是后续网络的起点。有关的公共机构和社区代表将会参与。不同的专业知识和观点将有助于完善工具和方法，以收集对城市及其空间内活动的不同看法的进一步数据。互动模式将被放到网上进行补充和评论。研究结果将提交给有关当局，预计这些工具和方法将适用于印度乃至全世界的历史名城。

The project will create a network devoted to developing more inclusive, informed and sustainable planning decisions for public spaces in historic Indian cities, by carrying out a pilot study in the walled city of Ajmer and nearby Pushkar in Rajasthan. These are thriving centres of pilgrimage for different faiths, attracting thousands of devotees at festival times. A rapid growth in tourist numbers has exacerbated the stress on infrastructure. The research will focus on the role of the beliefs and associations, ritual processes, and behavioural patterns of devotees and visiting pilgrims, in order to establish these as crucial factors in the design and conservation of public spaces with religious significance. The primary objective is to create prototypes of digital tools to contain images and information about the city, its history and heritage and, most importantly, to allow reflection, exchange and dialogue among different groups. The tools to be developed will be based on an interactive map of the historic areas as whole, and 3-d interactive scans of key public spaces. Once the basic work on these has been done, an interdisciplinary workshop with participants from India and the UK will be held in Ajmer. This workshop will be the starting point for the continuing network. Relevant public bodies and community representatives will take part. Varied expertise and perspectives will help to refine the tools, and the methods for gathering further data on differing perceptions of the city and on the activities within its spaces. The interactive models will be put online to be supplemented and critiqued. Findings from the study will be fed to the relevant authorities, and it is expected that the tools and approach will be applicable in historic cities throughout India, and worldwide.