Refashioning the City: History, Tradition, Community, and Culture

Abstract

At the heart of Sri Lanka's post-war discourse on urban development - with the city of Colombo as its centrepiece - is a dispute over the character of the good city, which has moral implications. With city beautification, the figure of the Developer in the tradition of Le Corbusier and Robert Moses, with the desire to refashion the narrative of the city to suit the Contemporary, took centre stage. The affective realm of the occupants was tapped into, treating them as consumers of space at best. Gentrification came into play in the design of spaces of recreation and leisure, and order was imposed on the urban scene with revanchist undertones betraying the Developer's lack of imagination which was highlighted in the forcible relocation of low-income households. The ensuing public critique based on freedom and social justice underscored a lack of due process, equity, and inclusivity.