George Town, Penang, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Showcase of Best Practises in Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Development

Abstract

George Town in Penang is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. This article explores the case study of George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Penang, Malaysia, focusing on its exemplary qualities. Including George Town in the UNESCO World Historical List 2008 was a notable achievement in historic preservation and urban growth. The primary aim of this essay is to analyse the effective strategies used in the preservation of George Town's cultural, architectural, and historical authenticity while concurrently fostering sustainable growth by two main primary entities: the City Council of Penang Island (MBPP) and George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI). Implementing these conservation programmes has not only resulted in preserving the city's physical and intangible history but has also revitalised its historic districts, thereby converting them into thriving centres for artistic expression, cultural activities, and tourist attractions. This article thoroughly examines relevant literature, policy papers, and on-site observations to elucidate the significant methods, problems, and results that have characterised George Town's progression as a World Heritage Site. The insights derived from the experience of George Town provide useful lessons for other cultural sites seeking to achieve a peaceful equilibrium between preservation, conservation, and future development.

Keywords: Heritage; conservation; preservation; sustainable development; best practices

References

Austin, J. (2000). The collaborative challenge. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Cheng, J. (2011). Exploring urban morphology using multi-temporal urban growth data: A case study of Wuhan, China. Asian Geographer, 28(2), 85–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/10225706.2011.623399

Gray, B. (1989.) Collaborating. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Ismail, S., & Mohd-Ali, N. (2011). The imaging of heritage conservation in historic City of George Town for city marketing. Procedia Engineering, 20, 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.175

Kjaer, A. M. (2004). Governance. Polity Press.

Mert, A. (2009). Partnerships for sustainable development as discursive practice: Shifts in discourses of environment and democracy. Forest Policy and Economics, 11(5–6), 326–339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2008.10.003

Omar, S. I., Muhibudin, M., Yussof, I., Sukiman, M. F., & Bahaj, M. (2013). George Town, Penang as a World Heritage Site: The stakeholders’ perceptions. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 91, 88–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.405

Pierre, J. (2005). Comparative urban governance. Urban Affairs Review, 40(4), 446–462. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1078087404273442

Rashed, T., Weeks, J. R., Stow, D. A., & Fugate, D. (2005). Measuring temporal compositions of urban morphology through spectral mixture analysis: Toward a soft approach to change analysis in crowded cities. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 26(4), 699–718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431160512331316874

Sadeghi, G., & Li, B. (2019). Urban morphology: Comparative study of different schools of thought. Current Urban Studies, 7, 562-572. https://doi.org/10.4236/cus.2019.74029

Whitehand, J., Gu, K., Whitehand, S. M., & Zhang, J. (2011). Urban morphology and conservation in China. Cities, 28(2), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2010.12.001