Tutela e valorizzazione del patrimonio urbano: un progetto di mappatura GIS delle haveli di Old Delhi.

The debate on historic centres highlights the need for measures combining economic and social needs of contemporary lifestyles with the attention to preserve the historical memory of cities. The knowledge and awareness of cultural heritage are the first fundamental steps for defining and implementing effective projects, and the use of GIS and open access databases can support the documentation of historical centres, with the specific aim of keeping together the plurality of data about both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The case of study selected is the historic center of Shahjahanabad, in Delhi, India. Offering an opportunity for fruitful experimentation, it represents a highly stratified historical context in danger of being lost due to anthropogenic causes and governance issues. The research aims to create an open-source webbased platform which enables anyone to get a variety of spatial data and information about havelis - traditional courtyard mansions from the Mughal era, in order not only to raise awareness and consolidate knowledge among local communities, but also to investigate possibilities for conservation and reuse of these historic buildings.