Assessing Historical Structures Along Mass Rapid Transport Corridors

Historical Urban precincts and structures in fast growing cities in the global south are often stressed by Urban Development and Infrastructure projects. The urban pressures, especially of the lifestyle changes, lead the Governments, City Administrators as well as the populace of these cities towards sometimes overenthusiastic urban renewal and redevelopment projects, leading to an added distress on the historic structures. Given the circumstances, what is the role of documentation and assessment of the historical structures and how does it contribute to an informed decision making in the design and execution of the urban project? This paper outlines the background of Mumbai Metro Rail, appeals for a need for sound investigation, highlights salient aspects of heritage structures, presents the processes followed for carrying out the Condition Mapping and Vulnerability Assessment, and finally lists some of the issues encountered in the implementation of the task objective.