Published Paper Details:

Rapid urban growth often manifests itself as overcrowded and chaotic growth in uncontrolled urban developments. This puts intense pressure on existing urban development compromising the aesthetics of urban environment. Urban spaces created in traditional Indian towns were clearly structured with their own intention or in many cases were created for certain specific purposes. The aesthetic qualities of these urban spaces were well maintained in these towns. In traditional towns of south India there is a change in aesthetics of urban space with incoherent urban entities resulting in fragmented and highly inappropriate urban structures. Unfinished edges in these towns are an area of concern from the perspective of urban aesthetics. Change in glory of Urban fabric in traditional settlements are a result of inappropriate safeguarding measures by authorities and poor awareness. As a city or town has certain distinctive elements, this paper takes these elements in to consideration for analysis and presents the changes in aesthetic quality of urban spaces in traditional towns of south India (Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli) due to changing culture and activities.