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Project Details

Title of Project
Heritage & Ecology - Led Public Realm and Urban Attractiveness Towards Local Area Planning in Visakhapatnam
Starting Date
20 July.2026
Ending Date
19.Jan.2027
Principal Investigator
Mr. Madhava Rao Talabathula (PI)
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TUR Project 26 02

Project Description

Heritage & Ecology - Led Public Realm and Urban Attractiveness Towards Local Area Planning in Visakhapatnam

(TUR_26_02)

TOD District Rendering
Metro Station Influence Zone Map
Heritage-Led Urban Regeneration
Public Realm Enhancement
Pedestrian-Oriented Planning
Adaptive Reuse
The Old Town precinct of Visakhapatnam is widely recognized for its rich heritage value, characterized by a diverse mix of historic institutional buildings, traditional markets, evolving cultural practices, and active urban functions. Despite recent initiatives aimed at individual heritage assets, the complexity and density of the area present a critical need for a more integrated, precinct-level approach to manage high pedestrian activity, dynamic informal economies, and intense spatial usage. This Targeted Urban Research project seeks to address these challenges by developing a comprehensive planning framework that synergizes mobility, public realm improvements, the cultural economy, and heritage-led strategies.
The methodology integrates spatial planning with behavioral insights and tourism analytics, moving through sequential stages of base mapping, primary movement and perception surveys, and robust spatial analysis. By focusing on pedestrian-oriented planning, spatial structuring, and identity enhancement, the study aims to transform distinct yet interconnected heritage assets into a cohesive, functionally coherent urban environment. Ultimately, the research will deliver replicable strategies for phased development, adaptive reuse of underutilized assets, and policy integration to support Urban Local Bodies in revitalizing culturally dense precincts.
A-CUPCB-SPAV

Project
Benefits

Evolving a heritage-led public realm and urban attractiveness plan for Old Town Visakhapatnam shall accomplish the following:

  • Precinct-Level Planning Framework: Providing a structured, replicable framework that can be directly adopted by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) for area-based improvement projects.
  • Public Realm & Mobility Enhancement: Supporting implementable, low-cost, and high-impact strategies—such as pedestrian prioritization, time-based access control, wayfinding systems, and micro-plazas—without requiring large-scale land acquisition.
  • Heritage & Tourism Integration: Structuring existing cultural and built assets into a coherent tourism circuit to improve the visitor experience, strengthen place identity, and stimulate local economic activity.
  • Informal Economy Management: Delivering actionable guidelines for organizing the informal economy, such as street vending zones, allowing for structured commercial activity without disrupting local livelihoods.
  • Regulatory Policy Inputs: Recommending building interface, adaptive reuse, and signage guidelines that can be incorporated directly into local development control regulations for enhanced visual and spatial coherence.
  • Phased Implementation Strategy: Developing a clear execution roadmap with indicative costing, pilot area identification, and stakeholder coordination strategies, enabling the ULB to execute projects systematically within municipal budgets.
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