George Town World Heritage Site Research Articles

Urban Language Practices in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Case Study of George Town, Penang

The case of multilingual and multicultural George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) illustrates that language practices among its urban community are varied across different settings and interlocutors. The study aims to identify current language practices in GTWHS, particularly those influenced by urban space and repertoires. Using a mixed-method research design, the study included a sample size of 156 respondents and covered areas in both the Core and Buffer Zones of George Town, Penang. Data analysis then comprises discussions on language repertoires of the interlocutors within the domains of the respective social interactions. Findings of the study show that the use of English, Malay, Mandarin and code-switching are several of the patterns of language use that can be observed in the city. The ability to style shift among the respondents is also indicative of language patterns that interact with both the physical and social settings that they belong to. As a result, these language practices can be fluid in order to facilitate the needs of the communicative activities as the interlocutors relocate themselves in different spaces or domains within the George Town city. More importantly, the study highlights heterogenous populace, linguistic repertoire and cultural practices as determinants that further characterise the overall cityscape of urban social environment and its speech community.

The Perception of Local Community towards Cultural and Historical Value of Urban Heritage Tree in Georgetown World Heritage Site (GWHS)

The Perception of Local Community towards Cultural and Historical Value of Urban Heritage Tree in Georgetown World Heritage Site (GWHS)

Housing Affairs and Urban Heritage Conservation in George Town World Heritage Site, Penang Island

ABSTRACT In recent decades, issues relating to affordable and inclusive housing have become pressing in the light of globalization and urban neo-liberalism. The predicament is not only common in modern cities but also unfolding in historic cities, especially after receiving the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site inscription. While there are upsides and downsides to the debate on how urban heritage conservation intersects with housing affairs, arguably, the situation and outcomes differ across temporal and geographical contexts. This study aims to examine the relationship between urban heritage conservation and its implications on affordable and inclusive housing in the George Town World Heritage Site. Based on mixed research methods, the findings gathered indicated that following two defining moments namely, (i) the repeal of the Control of Rent Act; and (ii) the UNESCO inscription, socio-economic transformations have altered the demographics, socio-economic base and housing demands/needs of the heritage site. Undoubtedly, gentrification has set in and housing is deemed unaffordable, especially to low-income citizenry. The study recommends that conceptual notions, policy affairs and action plans in GTWHS should integrate the aspect of inclusive housing to ensure that no one in the heritage site is deprived of a roof above their heads.

Framing of space and place: an insight into George Town World Heritage Site, Penang, Malaysia

In architecture and urban design, the meaning, interpretations, identities, and uses of space and place are contentious topics. By framing space, which becomes a mechanism for the authorised group to manage power, it is possible to programme users’ activities regarding how to occupy space and location. This paper examines the construction of space and place in an urban, multicultural, and postcolonial World Heritage City. The qualitative research takes place at the George Town World Heritage Site (WHS) in Malaysia, specifically the ‘Street of Harmony’. The study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between the World Heritage city and its local communities through field observations and semi-structured interviews with the communities. Policy (heritage and conservation and education), community-based, tourism, heritage, and politics are the identified frames. The street is portrayed in a number of ways, including the way in which a person’s daily activities are framed by the confines of their home. Understanding this contributes to the future practicable and nondisruptive practice of urban regeneration, resulting in a resilient and sustainable community.

Capacity Building Strategies for Built Heritage Conservation of George Town World Heritage Site, Penang

ABSTRACT George Town’s inscription as a world heritage site on July 7 2008 has profound ramifications for the city’s subsequent functionalities, image, and identity. Since the UNESCO inscription, heritage shophouses in George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) were purchased en-bloc by investors and massive conservation of shop houses took off. Among the key issues faced by GTWHS is a shortage of the right quantity and quality of human capital in building conservation which, in turn, will threaten the authenticity and integrity of the city’s built heritage, if conservation is done without applying conservation principles and proper skills. While there are strategies in George Town’s Special Area Plan to manage the heritage site, there is a dearth of strategies related to capacity building in the city’s heritage sector. Against this backdrop, the paper aims to propound the relevant strategies to enhance George Town’s capacity building for building conservation works. Based on qualitative techniques, this study interviewed heritage experts to identify suitable strategies in capacity building for GTWHS. This paper recommends that existing strategies should garner collective participation from all stakeholders. The strategies proposed should be implemented as soon as possible to ensure quality and continuous generation of the right skills and knowledge toward sustainable capacity building for George Town’s built heritage.

Affordable housing and public administration of a historic city: the perspective of a local community in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, George Town, Penang State of Malaysia

ABSTRACT Urbanization process accelerates the economic growth of cities through offering economies of scale in productivity and public investment. It is a monumental responsibility for an urban government to ensure socially inclusive public administration to warrant the city’s sustainability, historic cities notwithstanding. George Town together with Melaka, has been inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) in 2008. As a joint UNESCO inscription, George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) which has a high proportion of formerly controlled rental housing, and is noteworthy for its multicultural community has witnessed significant gentrification. Gentrification, the repeal of Control of Rent Act, and the inscription of GTWHS have led to house price and rental hike. Generally, this study aims to investigate if there is a research gap pertaining affordable housing in WHS via literature search. Specifically, it seeks to examine housing affordability issues of GTWHS from the perspective of local communities. The findings demonstrate that affordable housing issues and its public administration are very much understudied in GTWHS. The majority of the study’s respondents perceived rentals in GTWHS as “Unaffordable,” and none of the 318-surveyed respondents has been engaged by the government on affordable housing issues. The article ends with a discussion of implications of the study’s findings.

Affordable housing alternatives in George Town World Heritage Site: what we have and what is possible

ABSTRACT Affordable housing is vital in ensuring the inclusiveness of a city. However, urbanization and gentrification have exacerbated the gap between housing availability and housing affordability. Many factors have contributed to the displacement of local communities in George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS), with rental spike and the repeal of the Control of Rent Act, among others. Through a survey with 318 samples, this study investigates affordable housing alternatives and its administration in GTWHS of Penang state, Malaysia. Policy recommendations are suggested to improve the diversity of affordable housing options and to conserve the historic city’s intangible living heritage.

Politicization and Commodification of Tourism: Implications for George Town World Heritage Site

The inscription of World Heritage Status to both George Town and Melaka in 2008 had given tremendous impacts in terms of tourist arrivals and the growth of economy. While the inscription has pinned Malaysia on the global tourism map, the rapid pace of tourism development has resulted in a series of problems brought by tourism commodification. Tourism gentrification, outmigration and change of building uses are among the common symptoms of commodification. Taking George Town as a case study, this paper aims to explore the implications of tourism commodification, particularly on the physical impacts and local residents. This study is essential to identify the stage of commodification of the study area, whose development are based on the heritage commodification. Based on the site observations and semi-structured interviews with the residents, administrative staffs and business owners in the study area, several arguments are put forward in this paper. First, a phased process of tourism commodification has taken place in George Town, and triggered significant changes in lifestyle, community development, property market values and land use development. Second, George Town has shifted from a free trading port to a productivist heritage-scape, with local government being the principal influencing factor. Findings of the study reveal that commodification does not necessarily destroy the meaning of heritage in urban heritage destination, but also helps to improve economic status and quality of life of the local residents. Future research on commodification should be conducted in other World Heritage Sites and compare with the commodification stage in George Town World Heritage Site.

Understanding local community and the cultural heritage values at a World Heritage City: a grounded theory approach

The nomination of a World Heritage site generally focuses on the tangible heritage assets, and intangible heritage is given less attention in the site management. There is also a lack of awareness of the complicated relationship between tangible and intangible heritage assets, the meanings and values of the site to its local community, and the complexity of space in the World Heritage Site in the management of cultural heritage sites. This paper discusses grounded theory to investigate the relationship between local communities and their cultural heritage in George Town World Heritage Site, Malaysia. The methodology employed an ethnographic approach for the observational work and semi-structured interviews. The findings demonstrate a deep and rich knowledge of the links between the World Heritage designation and its local communities, including how local people interact and contribute meaning to the site. This study may encourage other researchers to apply grounded theory to understand social phenomena on other World Heritage Sites of similar context for heritage management purposes.

The Role of ‘Sense of Place’ in the Revitalisation of Heritage Street: George Town, Penang, Malaysia

In revitalising heritage sites, understanding ‘sense of place’ is important as it represents a layering of histories, tangible heritage, and intangible heritage. This study examines the relationship between local communities and the cultural heritage in George Town World Heritage Site, Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews with local communities, observations and digital photo analysis were conducted. It is in the intricacies of intangible heritage practices and their authentic expression, the local communities feel attached to and claim ownership of the place. Understanding this and how it translates into the site's stewardship is critical in protecting its value, management, and ongoing revitalisation. Keywords: Sense of Place; Urban Revitalisation; Heritage Street; World Heritage Site eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3080

Malacca's “Straits Chinese traditional courtyard eclectic style shophouses”: facades' architectural design elements through place identity

PurposeThe traditional courtyard shophouses modifications, alterations and deterioration over the years have become a source of concern to major stakeholders. In George Town World Heritage Site Malaysia, studies have shown that the worst hit among its various shophouses are the Straits Chinese traditional courtyard eclectic style shophouses. This paper investigates the traditional courtyard shophouses concerning the role of architectural formation design components, and how this can sustain the place identity of the Straits Chinese typology.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological approach regards the collection of data and analysis of 30 face-to-face interviews and the observation of Lots number 3, 5 and 7, located along Lorong Ikan, George Town World Heritage Site.FindingsIt was found that these Lots express the place identity of the Straits Chinese, and its major exterior architecture components to be observed are the column head (Chi Tou) capital, parapet wall, bressummer beam and ionic column, and gable and gable ends.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to the role of architectural formation design components. Future research is needed to expand the scope of participant elements via a quantitative approach. This will enhance the validation of findings from this paper.Practical implicationsIt is recommended the use of the proposed checklist to enhance the sustainability of the architectural components regarding the place identity of these styles of shophouses, which provides salutary lessons on how to preserve the heritage buildings. Also, major stakeholders with leading evidence from relevant government agencies should ensure the preservation of these cultural and heritage buildings for the next generation.Social implicationsThis paper found that the family beliefs and social impact were the components that express the place identity of the Straits Chinese.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that the role of architectural formation design components regarding place identity of Straits Chinese traditional courtyard eclectic style shophouses cannot be over-emphasised.

Local community support, attitude and perceived benefits in the UNESCO World Heritage Site

PurposeThis study aims to explore the support and attitudes of the local community together with the benefits of living in the vicinity of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. George Town is one of the popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA total of 319 respondents residing in the gazetted area of George Town World Heritage Sites were interviewed. The covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis was conducted to test the study’s hypotheses.FindingsThe community's attitudes and personal benefits were identified to strongly influence community’s support towards the conservation and development of the World Heritage Sites in George Town. While a small number of community members acknowledged the significant opportunities through tourism, majority of them expected economic and non-economic benefits from the development of World Heritage Sites.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study are expected to contribute to the ongoing debate on the perceived effects, benefits and future support of the World Heritage Sites from the local community's perspectives.Social implicationsUnderstanding the behaviour of the local community to create successful tourism planning, especially in delicate heritage destinations.Originality/valueThis study enriches the scarce empirical research study on community’s behaviour living in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) region.

Entrepreneurial orientation of traditional and modern cultural organisations: Cases in George town UNESCO world heritage site

George Town World Heritage Site in Penang, Malaysia is well-endowed with creative and cultural resources. This study examines how “innovation culture” is inculcated and embedded within two local or...

Food authenticity as one of the stimuli to world heritage sites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover authenticity dimensions that draw tourists to Melaka and George Town World Heritage Site. It also examined the mediating effect of attachment and the moderating effect of cultural motivation.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method design was used. Qualitative approach was conducted to discover authenticity dimensions followed by a quantitative approach to explore the dimensions’ ability in predicting attachment and intention to recommend.FindingsFindings revealed that objective, existential and food authenticity were significant stimuli of recommend intention. The mediating effect of attachment on constructive authenticity-intention and existential authenticity-intention were also supported. Cultural motivation indeed moderated the relationship between objective authenticity-attachment, constructive authenticity-attachment and existential authenticity-attachment.Originality/valueKnowing that authenticity can be perceived differently, therefore, a mixed-method study design offers more insight on discovering authenticity elements. Using a qualitative approach, the study began by exploring important authenticity dimensions from both supply and demand groups, and subsequently, these dimensions were verified using quantitative approach. As expected, food authenticity was found as a standalone dimension.

Revitalisation Strategies of Urban Public Space in George Town World Heritage Site

Revitalisation of urban public space in Core Zone, George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) is a mechanism to redevelop the public space area in accordance with the development growth and population. This paper has discussed the revitalisation factors in creating a great urban public space. The main objectives of this study are: 1) to identify urban public space characteristics which are significant for revitalisation purposes, and 2) to derive a more functionally public space that fits modern urban life. A combination of methods was applied, including quantitative and qualitative methods. It has been concluded that it is important to revitalise urban public space through planning and urban management.

Preserving the intangible living heritage in the George Town World Heritage Site, Malaysia

ABSTRACTCommunity groups in historic cities and their generational socio-cultural practices are important living heritage that carries educational value. Hence, historic cities, particularly those which are inscribed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, are usually famous tourist destinations. Nevertheless, the potential of heritage tourism tends to attract capital (re)investments that would trigger evictions, displacements and gentrification. A case in point is the George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) in Malaysia, in which a case study was conducted to assess the impacts of inscription on its intangible living heritage. The findings unfold that the listing has generated unprecedented capital appreciation, rent spike, and an increase in the transactions of pre-war shop houses. Inevitably, they have triggered gentrification in the GTWHS, in that the original inhabitants and their traditional trades have been replaced with new residents and tourism-related businesses. Furthermore, the street art, instead of the heritage, has boosted its tourism industry, enabled some locals to make tourism money, and revived the historic core. This paper examines how gentrification has undermined the intangible living heritage that partly projects the Outstanding Universal Values for the GTWHS, and why it should be safeguarded for the knowledge of the future generations and heritage tourists.

Muslims in Georgetown World Heritage Site: Cultural and socio-economic sustainability

Georgetown World Heritage Site (GWHS) is known as a potpourri of various ethnic groups who have settled in the area during various periods of the past 300 years. Chinese are the majority although Muslims (Malays) were the earliest settlers and once the majority. This paper analyzes the socio-economic and cultural sustainability of the Muslim community within the GWHS relying on historical records and the current situation. Areas around masjid kapitan Kling and masjid Melayu are considered as Muslim enclave. While the Indian Muslims are doing rather well socio-economically, the same cannot be said of the Malays. The number of Malays is very low and Malay business owners in the area tend to live outside the GWHS. The decline of the Muslim population has grave implications for the socio-economic and cultural sustainability of Muslims, especially the Malays.

Historic Urban Landscape and the Character of George Town, Penang UNESCO World Heritage Site

The increasing intervention from high rise construction and new developments within the historic urban fabric are threatening the existing character and the Outstanding Universal Value of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site List. This paper propagates that through the identification of historic urban landscapes that influence the character of the George Town world heritage sites, we are able to understand the relationships between the landscape components and the importance of historic characters of the sites. The methodology of this paper is based on written descriptions and site visual observations. The outcome of this paper reveals the significance of tangible and intangible factors that influence the urban landscape character of the case study area.

Tourists' intention to visit heritage hotels at George Town World Heritage Site

ABSTRACTGeorge Town, Penang, has always been one of the most popular destinations among Malaysian and international tourists. In 2008, George Town was accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). With the listing, increasing tourist arrivals and intentions to visit heritage hotels have been very promising in recent years, prompting the emergence of the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings into heritage hotels. In line with this development, this study examines the effects of perceived price, experience quality, prior knowledge, perceived authenticity, and social influence on tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels at the George Town WHS, Penang, with perceived value as a mediator. The findings indicate that perceived price, experience quality, prior knowledge, perceived authenticity, social influence and perceived value exert positive and significant effects on tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels. The study also determines the mediating effect of perceived value on the relationships between independent variables and the intention to visit heritage hotels. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the attributes that affect tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels at the George Town WHS and helps the owners and operators of heritage hotels to formulate future strategies in designing and promoting their services.

Urban Public Space Revitalisation Strategies for George Town World Heritage Site

Revitalization of urban public space is a mechanism to redevelop the public space area in Core Zone, George Town World Heritage Site (GTWHS) in accordance with the development growth and population. This paper discussed the factors of revitalization which are related to urban public space. The objectives of this paper are to analyze the characteristics of urban public space which could effectively be adopted for revitalisation purposes; and how to generate the public space more functional with positive influence on modern urban life. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research method was applied. The recommendations can contribute to improve the planning and management of urban public space in GTWHS, Pulau Pinang.