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Municipal Commissioner, national policy experts and conservation scholars come together to discuss how ecology can shape the future of Vadodara’s heritage and urban planning
Vadodara, October 3, 2026: The Centre for Heritage Research, Navrachana University, in collaboration with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), organised a one-day seminar on “Ecology-Based Heritage Conservation” at the Navrachana University campus. The seminar brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and students to examine how ecological approaches can guide heritage conservation, restoration, rehabilitation and urban planning.
The seminar was held as part of the Historic Cities Series, a joint initiative of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and the DRONAH Foundation, in collaboration with ICOMOS India, Heritopolis and Altrim Publishers. The Centre for Heritage Research, Navrachana University, has been selected as the Nodal Organisation for Vadodara City under the series. The event also builds on the ongoing partnership between Navrachana University and VMC in heritage conservation, urban planning and capacity building.
The seminar was inaugurated by Chief Guest Shri Arun Mahesh Babu M. S., IAS, Municipal Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, and Prof. Pratyush Shankar, Provost, Navrachana University.
Sharing his vision for the city, the Municipal Commissioner highlighted the growing importance of ecology and heritage in Vadodara’s development and called for closer coordination between academic institutions, the local authority and professionals. “Vadodara’s growth must respect both its ecology and its heritage. To improve the quality of the city’s built environment, we need to bridge the gap between institutions, the local authority and the professionals working on the ground,” said Shri Arun Mahesh Babu M. S., IAS.
Opening the seminar, Prof. Pratyush Shankar emphasised the interdisciplinary nature of the theme and the need for a holistic perspective on cities. He explained that heritage resources have historically been understood in relation to their siting, setting and connection with the surrounding landscape. “Ecology, heritage and cities cannot be understood in isolation. Temple complexes grew around rivers and lakes, stepwells were located in relation to what are today our urban lakes, and sacred groves and banyan trees remain an integral part of our urban landscape. Planning our cities well requires us to read heritage together with its natural setting,” said Prof. Pratyush Shankar.
Keynote Addresses and Speakers
- Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA (Keynote): Offered a strategic perspective on cities as “living systems” and on planning peri-urban areas more sensitively through urban design and planning mechanisms.
- Dr Sonal Mithal, Director, People for Heritage Concern (Keynote): Spoke on conceptual discourses around accepting ecological presence within historical landscapes.
- Dr Shikha Jain, Chairperson, DRONAH Foundation: Presented the Historic Cities Series and the role of civic engagement toolkits and manuals in guiding and advocating for historic cities.
- Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Khare, Head, Conservation Department, SPA Bhopal (Plenary): Explored how socio-cultural, intangible and ecological aspects are intertwined in the ceremonial processions of historic temple towns in southern India.
- Dr Varad Sabnis, Proprietor, Samvardhan Heritage Solutions (Plenary): Shared insights on decoding archaeological sites and the continuity of their historic background within contemporary settlements.
Exhibition and Poster Presentations
An exhibition at the venue showcased projects undertaken by the Centre for Heritage Research, along with research on Vadodara produced through the KHOJ Winter School and student theses. The seminar also received about ten posters on its theme and sub-themes, presented by research scholars, young practitioners and students of architecture, design and conservation architecture.
For more details : https://nuv.ac.in/