Reimagining the Old Port Town of Nagapattinam

Abstract

The social and cultural qualities of the surrounding community combine to create a place’s identity, which is expressed in the physical shapes and forms of the urban area. The commodification of places and homogeneous planning and development principles in today’s cities, which have resulted in the loss of sense of place, all contribute to the weakening of identity. (Montgomery, 1998). Place identity is linked to meanings and perception held by the people in relation to their environment. The loss of identity weakens the depth of meaning, attachment and diversity of place experience and creates a notion of non-place. It denotes the lack of connectivity of the physical landscapes with place meanings held within broader physical, cultural and emotional context. Nagapattinam, a colonial port marvel with many dramas to its glory, is losing its identity. This describes the diminishing of place significance or placelessness (Relph, 1976). It is evident that new developments within the traditional settings in the city centre transform constructed places and place meanings and attachment embedded in the existing social and cultural setting. This thesis investigates the spatial organisation of such historic public places and the interaction between the neighbourhoods and the colonial heritage is examined along with the cultural value of these unique forms, in an attempt to revive the identity by restoring the public realm for more inclusive and sustainable future. Sustaining the meanings and identity of the urban elements is important because they contribute to self-identity, sense of community and sense of place. Additionally, it might help a city deal with future social sustainability issues, economic development, and social coherence.