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The Significance of Historic Urban Squares in Generating Contemporary City

Identity: Case Study of Patan Durbar Square

Chapter · November 2020

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Chapter 2

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORIC URBAN

SQUARES IN GENERATING CONTEMPORARY
CITY IDENTITY: CASE STUDY OF PATAN
DURBAR SQUARE

Brinda Shrestha1,* and Rajjan Chitrakar2

1
Department of Urban Development and Building Construction,
Kathmandu, Nepal
2
School of Engineering, Design and Construction,
Melbourne Polytechnic, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

ABSTRACT

Traditional urban spaces contribute to delivering city’s unique ethos

that helps to build urban identity and gives character to a place. However,
these historic hubs are constantly being challenged by the growing
conflict between the modern needs and the traditional values. This
chapter presents a case study of Patan Durbar Square, one of the historic
palace squares in the Kathmandu Valley built during the Malla period.

*
Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected].

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30 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

The chapter examines how the palace square strives to exhibit a collective
identity and what symbolic messages it conveys against the backdrop of
the currently changing urban setting. This research is based on
observations of the study area followed by interviews with the key
informants and interactions with the general public. The study employs
qualitative evaluation of the urban space in question and offers a detailed
description of the phenomenon of spatial transformation. Through the
discussion of the issues and challenges faced by the current
transformation of the Durbar Square area, this research highlights that in
developing and managing historic urban squares in old and cultural cities
like Kathmandu, undermining its ancient forms to participate in
modernization will question its legitimacy, especially when contemporary
changes are set within the already existing built environment.

Keywords: public space, historic urban squares, city identity, Patan

Durbar Square

INTRODUCTION

In the era of modernization, cities around the world have witnessed the
effects of the global way of life. In modern cities, we find a trend of
homogenization where we can also note the gesture of competition
between the cities to stand out by delivering a sense of uniqueness by
means of their history, culture and lifestyle (Daniel & Avner, 2011).
However, cities often struggle to make a balance between the modern way
of life and the historical values. For a historical place like Kathmandu
Valley, the challenge lies in finding a similar coordination between
modernization and the very essence of the city as an urban setting with a
rich history and tradition (Tiwari, 1999).
According to urbanist Bernado Secchi, an Italian urban planner, the
contemporary city can be understood in terms of a developing trend in the
city building process that suggests a continuity with the past. Lynch (2009)
suggests that the ambiguity, continuity and the readiness for the change
better inform the urban condition of the contemporary city. Correa (1983)
refers to the cities as being a product of time, suggesting the existence of
dynamism and complexity within the city. The research presented in this

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chapter, therefore, acknowledges the complexity of urban dynamics arising

out of adopting to the changes due to the modern needs as the main
rationale of the study. While recent urbanization has triggered the change
dimension in the urban systems of the traditional towns of the Kathmandu
Valley, the shifting impact on historical values and identity of an urban
place is not so clear. Against the backdrop of urban change and a growing
tension between the past and the present urban conditions, this study
examines the current transformation of Patan Durbar Square, one of the
historic urban squares of the valley in order to reflect on how urban
transformation has contributed to redefining city identity.
The study method for this research includes a literature review
followed by a case study of the Durbar Square area. The case study
approach has focused on the evaluation of the urban square, in which a
series of observations, followed by the interviews and discussions with the
key informants and the public were employed to gather the data.
Philosophically, the research is guided by the paradigm of constructivism,
as it deals with descriptive methods and involves qualitative evaluations of
the phenomenon of transformation of urban spaces.

PUBLIC SPACE, URBAN SQUARES AND CITY IDENTITY

Public Space

Since the history of city building, public spaces have always been an
integral part of the human settlements. Scholars advocate for a need to
have public spaces for human interaction, which is the major backbone for
the continuity of the cities (Mumford, 1938; Carmona, 2010; Abbasian,
2016; Gehl, 1987). In towns and cities, public spaces have always been the
stage of interaction, socialization and representation of a society as well as
of a culture (Bravo & Guaralda, 2016). Public space are regarded as a
democratic construct because everybody can have access to it for several
reasons. Carr et al. (1992, p. xi) define public space as the “common

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32 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

ground where people carry out the functional and ritual activities that bind
a community, whether in the normal routines of daily life or in periodic
festivals”.
Lewis Mumford, in his book “The culture of Cities” (1938) inscribes a
strong statement that “nothing is permanent, nothing endures, except life”,
emphasizing the changing nature of the cities over time. As the cities
change, public space does change too. In fact, the role of public spaces has
changed throughout the history. Traditionally public spaces used to be the
domain of pedestrians, but this traditional domain was later challenged by
the mass motorized and industrial city forms, along with the current
technological revolutions (Gehl, 2010). In this present era of modern city
development, scholars believe that the role of public spaces may be
compromised or challenged by the changing notion of public realm. But
Foth et al. (2011) point out the new instilling values of public space for
which he coined the term “renaissance of social public space”, where
public space is still the centre of the contemporary social life. The
significance of public realm can be reassured with the fact that the New
Urban Agenda and Sustainable development Goals adopted by the United
Nations recognize public spaces as an important city element for
sustainable urban development.

Urban Squares

Urban squares are a type of public space that focus on public system,
providing a forum for performance of activities that takes place in the open
air of towns and cities (Krier, 1979). Referring to the history of city
development, we can understand that urban squares are probably the initial
form of the urban public space that human civilization discovered as being
one of the key components of the city fabric. According to Lynch (1981),
urban squares are a focus of human activity in the centre of a densely urban
area. A quick look into the history of urbanism suggests that urban squares
are the centre of the traditional cities and have been functioning as a public
space for people to gather and participate in civic activities. For example,

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the Greeks built the agoras for people to gather and interact, whereas the
Romans had Forums provided for various social, political and religious
activities. As an important entity of the cities, historic urban squares serve
as an urban heritage and an integral social space, where public events and
socializing activities would take place. Different than parks or recreational
open spaces or malls, urban squares contribute to the quality of civic life
by integrating its multiple dimensions with the urban systems of the city.
Zakariya et al. (2014) believe that good urban squares are a sociable place,
which can enhance urban social life.
According to Abbasian (2016), urban squares have different uses based
on time and place. In the past, urban squares were mostly used for
economical, religious, social and governmental activities. But with the
passage of time, their functions have changed. In contemporary cities, we
observe urban squares being mostly used for various day to day activities
like walking, eating, gossiping, watching, seating. Moreover, Mehan
(2016) highlights that urban squares are the scenes of urban
transformation, suggesting the dynamism of city spaces.
From the above discussion, we can conclude that urban squares are a
dynamic physical feature mostly located in the centre of the historic towns.
As they are activity focused, they are people centric and the relationship of
people with the space gives meaning to the squares. Their importance
transforms with time, people’s aspirations and the need of an urban place.

City Identity

Research suggests that city identity is prerequisite to building a sense

of belonging - it is the means by which people relate themselves as
members of urban communities or groups and define their place in the
society. The shared collective values associated with culture affects the
characters the buildings and places have in common, which distinguish one
urban form from the other. City identity includes a physiological
construction of distinctiveness driven by common grounds of community
in shaping the city form. Lynch (1960) defines identity as “the extent to

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34 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

which a person can recognize or recall a place as being distinct from other
places”. The statement thus highlights the unique features of a city that
cannot be replicated or reproduced in other cities. Mumford (1938) voices
his opinion on city as being the product of time with its tangible and
intangible forms layering in the past with cultural and social activities -
humans play the role of actors in setting cities as the stage to showcase
dramas related to human life. Correa (1983) defines identity as a process
and not as a fixed object.
Larice and Macdonald (2013) argue that the social structure of a place
changes every twenty years. But since the physical manifestation is
tangible and static, it does not change as the intangible moments of cultural
change in accordance with time. Hays (2016) believes that an act of
creating architecture is an imaginative process, which produces memories
as well as a possible future and suggests the dynamism of cities. This raises
complexity in terms of how city identity may be understood and becomes
relevant to time dimensions.
Daniel and Avner (2011) describe the term “civism” as the feeling of
pride in relation to the city, where human belongs to. They explain that city
identity is more about the abstract and imagined entities. It reflects the
abstract imagination of a city that correlates with the dynamics of a place,
its physical infrastructures, buildings and the way people live. For instance,
design and architecture of the buildings reflect different social and cultural
values, whereas historical monuments echo significant periods in time.
Moreover, new civic venues such as the cafes, restaurants, malls, etc.
reflect the consumerism culture of globalization. Also, the way ordinary
people live, interact and travel adds to the wholistic dimension of the city
identity.
While people can easily correlate the association between city image
and city identity, scholars believe that the identity is the wholistic
framework within which city image constitutes a part of the parcel.
According to a study by Riza et al. (2012), city branding and city identity
are mostly linked to an approach of promoting tools for cities (Figure 1).
However, city branding concepts are mostly delivered and backed by the
marketing strategies to promote and market cities as a product, whereas

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city identity composes of the wholistic spectrum of various attributes such

as urban image, social and culture contexts, economy, people’s memories
and aspirations. The identity of a city is embedded in the layers of
sentiments, memories and meanings derived from various symbolic
sources, such as built form, culture and history and a meaningful
association of all these elements.

CASE STUDY OF PATAN DURBAR SQUARE

Commonly known as Patan, Lalitpur is one of the ancient towns of the

Kathmandu Valley, with a history of some 2300 years. The city is marked
by its four stupas placed in the four cardinal directions that are believed to
have been built by Emperor Ashoka (Figure 2). The urban form of the city
is defined by two major axes running east-west and north-south, with the
intersection being the city centre locating the old palace complex. The city
thus follows a palace centric urban form. The palace complex or Durbar
Square is a heritage site and a major location of the compact urban
settlement connected by a network of streets and laneways and various
urban squares (Tiwari, 1989).

Source: Author.

Figure 1. Author’s interpretation for the relation between city identity and city image
as based on Riza et al. (2012).

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36 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

Source: Author.

Figure 2. Authors interpretation for the location of Patan Durbar square and four
Ashokan stupas on a Google map.

Patan Durbar Square is one of the three major palace squares in the
Kathmandu Valley. The Durbar Square is believed to have been in
existence since the Lichchhavi period (Korn, 1977), having expanded and
developed substantially to the present form during the Malla period. The
square complex is composed of a defined axis aligned in the form of a
main street stretched along the north-south direction. The richly carved and
decorated residential palaces are arranged in a series of courtyards on the
eastern side, whereas loosely placed temples and other structures are
located on the opposite side (Figure 3). The temples are built in both the
multi-tiered and Shikara styles, offering a visual appeal to the entire palace
complex (Chitrakar, 2006). As many as five entry points (compounded
with primary and secondary routes) to the Durbar Square area can be
noticed in its spatial arrangements. Unlike the palaces in the West, the built
form of the Durbar Square area executes the humanizing scale that
synchronizes well with residential built forms and does not exhibits
oversized robustic forms.

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Source: Patan Museum Report.

Figure 3. Site plan of Patan Durbar Square.

Traditional Urbanism in the Study Area

Historic urban fabric belonging to the Malla period is what is still seen
in the city of Lalitpur. The urban form of Patan is characterized by
compact and dense built form, courtyard planning and a network of streets
and narrow alleys. The design of the buildings and temples follow
symmetry and uniformity in the design concept, along with the ornamental
approach in the use of brick and wood as both structural and aesthetic
elements. The traditional urban form embodies the original spirit of a city
that echoes the century old traditions, culture and social coherence.

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38 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

Existing Urban Condition and the Current Transformation

As previusly mentioned, interviews and observations were used to

gather information on the exisitng urban condition and the current
transformation of Patan Durbar Square. The following sections will first
present findings of the interviews. This includes opinions of both the
experts and the general public on the current development trends in the
Durbar Square area. This will be followed by findings of the observations
to discuss the urban form and physical features of the area and its
surroundings as well as the activities taking place in them.

Findings from the Interviews

In order to understand how citizens perceive the Durbar Square area
and the current development trends around it, interviews were conducted in
the form of the questionnaire surveys with a total of 25 members of the
public. The survey questions focused on their perception of the public
realm in Durbar Square and what it means to them as users. Most
respondents (40%) told that they would like to associate the place with the
heritage value and it is the environment or an open space and the
traditional ambience that attract them. However, findings also indicate that
the psychological feeling of being unsafe in the space still persists among
the users (mostly in women during the night time) as a sense of safety is an
important determinant of the use of urban space. Moreover, the majority of
the respondents called for a provision of basic public facilities such as a
public toilet, drinking water resources and a community library. Citizens
were also concerned about the cleanliness of the environment around the
complex. While citizens complained about and feared for unmanaged
traffic in the Durbar Square area, they also identified vehicular parking,
negative social issues such as public nuisance, environmental degradation
and an increasing trend of ad-hoc commercial activities as some adverse
effects of the lack of proper urban management around the premises. The
public believed that increasing tourist facilities and various socially driven
urban activities would have a positive impact on the overall place quality.

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On the other hand, the views of the experts on the current

transformation of the Durbar Square area are highly informative and also
complement public opinions. According to an expert in urban
conservation, changes in building skyline and functional use of the
buildings for economic gains, increasing public activities other than
religious and cultural functions and the lack of management to meet the
modern infrastructural demands are seen as major concerns of the current
transformation around the Durbar Square area. One of the interviewees, an
architect and urban planner, highlights that the Durbar Square area
resonates history, living heritage and a sense of place and ownership and
stands out as the landmark and provide breathing open space in otherwise
crowded and congested city. The experts, however, believe modern
interventions could be a threating factor if unregulated changes in the use
of the buildings continue to happen. They fear this may result in the loss of
heritage value of the place. They also point out at institutional drawbacks
in regulating current development citing issues such as the lack of
awareness on importance of the heritage value, weak enforcement of
policies, conflicting land use patterns, inefficient coordination practice and
untimely implementation of urban regeneration practice and policies as the
main concerns.
The experts argued that for developing countries like Nepal, timely and
periodic update/inventory of a historic place is necessary to understand the
ground realities. There is a need for a wholistic planning document to
encourage (or discourage) development activities in such areas and the
practice of consensus building through involvement of all stakeholders in
the planning process should be adopted so that the policies and guidelines
get implemented and do not remain merely as printed documents. While
the changes are inevitable, these should take place for collective benefit
and betterment of the Durbar Square area and not for individual gains.

Findings from Observations

Observations of the study area at different times of the day were made
to examine and evaluate various dimensions of public domain and
momentum of urban change. Parameters such as user activities, patterns of

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40 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

contemporary domain of change, articulation and characteristics of urban

form and streetscape and ground floor use of the buildings surrounding the
Durbar Square area were considered during the observation. The first part
of this section will discuss different types of activities observed in the area
followed by an account of the changing nature of the urban form and
streetscape.

Activities in the Durbar Square Area

This discussion of the activities observed in the Durbar Square area
will start with an account of the social activities performed by the users on
a daily basis. As discussed earlier in the literature review, human
interactions and socialization enabled by means of different forms of
activities are a predominant feature of any public space. Observations were
made to record user activities during different times of the day on both
weekdays and weekends. Gehl’s (1987) categorization of necessary,
optional and social activities were used as a guideline to record the
activities (Figure 4).

Source: Modified from Korn, 1977.

Figure 4. Map showing activity zones in the study area.

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 The Significance of Historic Urban Squares in Generating … 41

Source: Author.

Figure 5. Different activities observed in Zone 1 and 3.

Source: Author.

Figure 6. Different activities observed in Zone 2 and 4.

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42 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

For the purpose of convenience of the study, the Durbar Square area is
divided into four zones as indicated in Figure 4. Zone 1, 3 and 4 include
the urban space that comprises the major axial path running in the north-
south direction and the spaces between the temple and the palace buildings.
Zone 2 includes the space in the western part of the Durbar Square area.
A range of activities taking place in the Durbar Square area are shown
in Figures 5 and 6. The common activity types are identified and presented
in a tabulated format with a count of the users performing each activity at
three diffrent times of the day i.e., morning (7:45 am), noon (12 pm) and
afternoon (5 pm) for both the weekdays and weekends for all activity
zones. The number of people in the count is a result of an observation
made for 5 minutes at each occasion (see Tables 1 and 2).
A mix of necessary (irrespective of the condition of the exterior
environment), social and religious activities has been observed in the open
spaces in Zone 1. This zone being the main street area, is highly active as
compared to other zones in terms of the number of people using the space.
The zone consists of dedicated morning activities and is highly active
during the evening hours on a weekend.

Table 1. Number of people engaging in different activities

in Zones 1 and 3

Weekday (Wednesday) Weekend (Saturday)

Time of observation Time of observation
Activity
7:45 7:45
12 pm 5 pm 12 pm 5 pm
am am
Walking 32 45 11 26 75 150
Children Playing 0 5 5 3 9 4
Old aged people chatting 6 19 4 9 19 8
Religious activities 20 18 0 17 16 20
Different performance 0 0 2 concerts 0 3 0
(concert, stage programs, etc.)
people relaxing 25 84 56 23 102 147
Young people chatting 6 62 62 9 62 122
Street hawkers 3 2 3 4 2 4
Others 4 0 0 0 14 23
Total 96 235 141 91 302 478

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Table 2. Number of people engaging in different activities

in Zones 2 and 4

Weekday (Wednesday) Weekend (Saturday)

Activity Time of observation Time of observation
7:45 am 12 pm 5 pm 7:45 am 12 pm 5 pm
Walking 4 11 6 5 13 40
Children Playing 0 0 0 0 2 8
Old aged people chatting 0 12 0 0 9 5
Religious activities 0 0 0 0 0 0
Different performance 0 0 0 0 0 74
(concert, stage programs, etc.)
people relaxing 10 54 15 15 65 0
Young people chatting 6 10 3 0 12 11
Street hawkers 0 47 15 8 46 63
Others 0 0 0 4 1 8
Total 20 134 39 32 148 209

Zone 2 is very active during the noon and the evening time, with a
significantly high volume of activities observed in the evening time on a
weekend.
In addition to the daily activities, Patan Durbar Square is a venue to
perform a host of cultural and religious events too. Till today, many
historical festivals and rituals that are associated with mythological and
religious beliefs have been an integral part of the activities occurring in the
Durbar Square area. Such events draw a huge crowd of the local people
participating with full enthusiasm. During these festivals, the urban
elements in the area begin to highlight the authenticity of the place and the
culture associated with time when it has initiated, which otherwise would
have been unnoticed. The integration of the intangible notion of culture
and socio-religious beliefs (which are continuously being practiced by the
local people) with the physical settings through various communal festivals
and rituals of life are still being rejoiced by the local inhabitants. One of
the many reasons that the traditional urban form has sustained over time is
the application of the socio-cultural practices in the development and
continuity of a society (Figure 7).

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44 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

Source: Author, www.alamy.com and www.welcomenepal.com

Figure 7. Patan Durbar Squares being used for different religious

and cultural activities.

Source: Author.

Figure 8. Adaptive contemporary use of the historic urban space in Patan

Durbar Square.

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It was also observed that an increasing trend of adaptive contemporary

uses of the historic urban space is emerging. For example, various new
activities (such as social and political awareness campaigns,
photoshooting, concerts, informal market activities, etc.) were found to be
taking place during the site visit. The self-directed revival of the traditional
urban space to support the contemporary need of the people can be noticed
in the Durbar Square area (Figure 8).

Characteristic of Urban Form and Streetscape

While strolling around the Durbar Square area, one can easily sense
local traditional ethos of the city in the built form and streetscape. The 4-5
storey residential buildings that are arranged as row houses and
symmetrical in design concept with brick exposed façades and brick and
wooden ornamental design features can be well observed. However, the
impact of modernization is also evident as many historic buildings seem to
have been affected by modern societal needs and the ungoing urban
transformation trend. Some such observations to reflect on the currently
emerging urban condition are discussed below in the following points.

(a) Conversion of Heritage Buildings into Tourist Accommodations

In Patan, the traditional buildings that have survived for centuries have
been impacted by the modern needs. Triggered by the division of parental
properties, the original outlook of many of these buildings are subject to
modification through vertical division. In other cases, the owners prefer to
move out of the core leaving the homes vacant and deteriorated. With an
aim to integrate an intrinsic linkage between the traditional lifestyle and
the modern amenities, some home owners with technical support from
organizations such as UNESCO, Patan Tourism Development
Organization and Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust have initiated the
innovative act of converting the traditional heritage buildings into tourist
accommodations. For instance, Mr. Jiten Shrestha, a co-founder of Cozy
Nepal, in 2000 initiated the visionary concept of converting the old family
home into tourist accommodations through a homestay concept. Till date,
he and his team have transformed around fifteen homes into such

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46 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

accommodations. However, there is also a trend of developing touristic

accommodations in an ad-hoc basis through owner’s own initiatives and
interests. In either case, these initiatives have been triggered by the idea of
economic gains through tourism. Tourism is, therefore, seen as a tool to
foster urban renewal of Patan Durbar Square and the surrounding areas.

(b) Increasing Trend of Café/Restaurant Culture

The opening up of the cafes and restaurants and the increasing trend of
the “cafe culture” endorsing opportunity for socialization mostly among
the youths as a social lubricant are seen in and around the Durbar Square
area. There are more than thirty numbers of cafes/restaurants observed
within the immediate vicinity of the Durbar Square area. The significant
increase in the number of these venues are observed in the streets located
to the west and north of Durbar Square. Most of the ground floors of the
residential buildings in the Mamaru Galli street, the narrow western entry
lane to the Durbar Square area, have been converted into the cafes and
restaurants as an outcome of the modern needs and the changing lifestyle.
These venues also attract international tourists. The growing trend of
socializing through having tea and coffee appears to have promoted night-
time urban life in the Durbar Square area (Figure 9).

(c) Increasing Trend of Market Activities

Since the Malla period, there is a continuing trend of performing
economic exchanges through buying and selling of the goods in and
around the Durbar Square area for being the centre of the city. Even today,
around 56 shops (owned by the Guthi Sansthan) are found in the area that
have been rented to private parties for commercial uses. The shops selling
cosmetics, tea, homeopathic items, bangle, etc. are in existence for many
years in the surroundings of Durbar Square. Likewise, the major east and
west access routes to Durbar Square show a significant mix of commercial
development mostly governed by the consumer-based commodity market.
It was found that in these areas, the old shops selling medicine, food and
grocery items have been operating since many generations. Some of the

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retail outlets such as money exchanges and ATM counters have been
opened targeting at the tourists.

(d) Changing Urban Form and Streetscape

The overall urban form and streetscape of the Durbar Square area and
its surroundings still retain the original traditional characteristics with a
dominance of the architectural style belonging to the Malla, Shah and Rana
periods. However, the influence of modernization and contemporary
lifestyles has impacted the physical form, building façade and the use of
many buildings (Figure 10). Modern interventions can be well observed in
terms of the height of buildings and the use of new construction materials.
Although the ground floor of most of the buildings around the area have a
commercial use, the street-level interaction between humans and the built
structure seems to be hindered by the intervening effects of motorized
traffic.

Source: Author.

Figure 9. Restaurants and Cafes in the western area of Patan Durbar Square.

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48 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

Source: Author.

Figure 10. Changing urban form and streetscape around Patan Durbar Square.

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Findings from the case study of Patan Durbar Square indicate that at
the present time, the urban condition of the area resonates conflicting yet
synchronizing lifestyle of the citizens. Urban change has been a big
catalyst to this emerging phenomenon. The final section of this chpater will
discuss the research findings to outline the advantages, disadvantages and
the challenges of the current transformation of the Durbar Square area as
they relate to city identity.
As evident from the findings, the important benefit of contemporizing
of the urban environment around the Durbar Square area is that this has
played a key role in converging the traditional urban form and space with
the modern way of life. The autonomous revival of the traditional urban
form to support contemporary uses has shown that social dimensions have
always been the key aspects of human civilization that contribute to the
success or failure of the built space. The use of the historic urban space by
a diverse group of people at different times of the day for other than
religious and cultural activities have further rejuvenated the Durbar Square
area as an active public space. The diverse use of the urban space has
further synchronized the global commitment for inclusive and sustainable
development principles. Moreover, the active involvement of economically
active age group in the urban space has also helped transform the
dynamism of a place by being associated with the concept of a knowledge
and innovation hub.

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On the other hand, the conversion of the heritage buildings into tourist
accommodations has helped conserve our traditional houses from being
dilapidated or replaced by new constructions. Economic gain through
increasing trend of commodity and tourism-based market activities is also
a positive sign brought about by the current change.
However, the changes have also been detrimental to the place idenity
of Patan Durbar Square in many ways. There is a fear of gentrification,
with a negative impact on both the tangible and intangible urban heritage.
In the process of transforming private residential buildings for commercial
or touristic purposes, in most cases, the owners or native dwellers are
displaced or have to leave the place by choice. During this process, the
urban heritage of our local community coupled with intangible cultures,
costumes and regulations largely get affected.
It should also be noted that the urban space around the Durbar Square
area is already pressurized by external influences and the modern lifestyle
of the people. Urban activities around the area may be deduced as society’s
readiness to accept the capitalist dimension of urban space usage. But if
this trend of commodification is continued without regulations, the urban
identity of Patan Durbar Square may be exploited by individuals for
personal benefit. Similarly, there may be impacts of negative tourism if
urban spaces are promoted as a product for economic gains without
adequate guidelines and control mechanism. This may eventually be a
huge threat to the spirit of the place.
There is, thus, a challenge to upkeep the balanced continuum between
the historic urban ambience and the demands of the modern time and yet
not compromising with the city’s identity. The fact that these urban spaces
still are an integral part of the contemporary society has raised a serious
concern over endorsement of traditional heritage in regenerating the city
cores. The challenge also lies in managing the flow of the tourists and
regulating the impacts of negative tourism that may weaken the identity of
the heritage area. For developing countries like Nepal, there lies a huge
challenge for timely and periodic update of the condition of the place to
understand the ground realities.

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50 Brinda Shrestha and Rajjan Chitrakar

CONCLUSION

Sweeping modernization as seen in Patan Durbar Square has brought

about transitional changes to its physical and social aspects, where the
domain of change lies between two imaginations - one that is linked to the
traditional ways of public life and the other that is the modern way of life
that conceptualizes urbanization with the time dimension, representing
heterogeneous, ambiguous and transitional identity of urban change. Patan
Durbar Square represents an emblem of a conjecture between
contemporary transformation and the traditional living values, thus
creating urban spaces for multidimensional and inclusive public domain in
otherwise autonomously developing built environment of the Kathmandu
Valley. Despite being the physical manifestation of the continuity of a
historical period in time, the traces of public amenities still survive in the
physical realm of the Durbar Square area.
Although the domain of public activities has already been changed and
is not only limited to the religious or cultural functions, citizens still desire
to be associated with the Durbar Square area as a heritage site due to its
authenticity and unique identity, and not merely as a public open space or a
destination for the tourists to roam around. But we should not consider this
historic urban square as a city branding tool for economic gains through
tourism. Very different than the concept of a downtown, even today,
through its traditional urban form and space, Patan Durbar Square serves as
a reference point in shaping the unique image of the city and reflects the
historical context of time, people, their relationships with urban space and
the way of urban living that has evolved continuously over time to generate
city’s meaning through “story telling”. It is the duty of all stakeholders to
safeguard the Durbar Square and preserve the identity of the city.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are very grateful to Dr Rohit Ranjitkar (Director,

Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust) for sharing his valuable knowledge

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 The Significance of Historic Urban Squares in Generating … 51

and experience during the preparation of this chapter. Our sincere gratitude
goes to the experts, colleagues and the general public who participated in
the interviews and the questionnaire survey. We are also thankful to Ms
Melina Maharjan for assisting with the survey during the field study.

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