Adaptive reuse and revitalization of water heritage in Nicosia, Cyprus
Name
828677334-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
17.58 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
57835b553d2b04b520b0cb82494249cf
Author(s)
Lau, Marisa (Marisa May-Lan)
Advisor(s)
James L. Wescoat, Jr.
Date Issued
2012
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The bi-communal sewerage system developed for the divided capital of Nicosia, Cyprus has been lauded as a rare example of cooperation between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities. The story of how the project was implemented, and the partnership to operate the system maintained, has been examined many times over in relation to conflict resolution and peace-building in Cyprus. The symbolism attached to the sewerage system as a unifying factor in the divided city contrasts sharply with the way in which the historical water system of the city has been remembered. In this thesis, conservation of Nicosia's water heritage is examined first from a historical standpoint; then as part of the capital's modernization project; and lastly from a planning perspective for the divided city. This research shows that water and waste systems served as one of the few consistent aspects of urban life, as the island changed hands and subsequent rulers of Cyprus imposed their own political, economic and cultural agendas on the capital. Based on this analysis of the historical water system, a conceptual framework that integrates conservation with a broader urban agenda for Nicosia is proposed. Conserved as a socio-technological network, remnants of the water system can be adaptively reused to increase water security at the municipal level. This conservation approach would revitalize the historical water system by leveraging its socio-cultural significance in order to address contemporary planning challenges.
Description
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-97).
Subjects
Urban Studies and Planning.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
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