Madhavan S, Hina Pande and Poonam Seth Tiwari

Historic cities stand as symbols of the past, mirroring the lifestyle and culture of their inhabitants and forming the core of local identities. These cities are critical markers of urban change, illustrating continuous progress and evolution across various civilizations. For a historical city, study of its background and evolution of urban settlements is important in order to deduce the state of their present development and analyse the forces that have been dominant in shaping their growth. Monitoring growth of cities is essential for effective governance, particularly in historic cities, where understanding growth and change is crucial for preserving cultural heritage and managing expansion. A significant challenge in long-term growth analysis is the lack of remote sensing data prior to 1975, which complicates predictions of future development.

Varanasi over two centuries

An attempt has been made to addresses this gap by integrating historical maps with remote sensing data to analyze long-term built-up growth. Using georeferenced maps of the 19th and 20th-century alongside modern satellite imagery enables a long term change analysis. The study focuses on Varanasi, India which is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Historical maps and satellite data has been used to quantifying changes specifically urban expansion from 1822 till 2023. The results indicate a northwestward shift in the city’s centroid, influenced by factors such as population growth and infrastructure development. Significant changes are observed within a 5 Km buffer zone around key heritage sites, such as Kashi Vishwanath Temple. These findings suggest the need for targeted infrastructure investments in expanding areas to support sustainable growth while preserving cultural heritage. The study highlights the value of combining old maps with modern data to improve urban planning in historic cities.

Long term Change over Varanasi