The effectiveness of heritage policy and practice from the perspective of liveability : the case of Kuala Lumpur

As Kuala Lumpur continues to expand and grow into a major metropolitan hub, there is an increasing need for the city to preserve its heritage and at the same time remain liveable. However, despite having comprehensive federal, national and local planning frameworks to support liveability, the significance of heritage is often neglected in the development policy and initiatives, making the idea of heritage as part of liveability secondary to such interests. Thus, the effectiveness of the development policies related to heritage in Kuala Lumpur is examined in this thesis as well as how liveability as a concept may benefit or inform the heritage policies in the future. Analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing policy frameworks will provide a foundation for working to ensure that heritage sites remain relevant to contemporary urban life. Taking a qualitative approach, this research seeks to conceptualise the relationship between liveability and heritage, and deepen the understanding of how this relationship influences the urban policies. The effectiveness of the policies is further investigated through primary research in the form of a series of semi-structured interviews with selected stakeholders from government agencies and professionals, including NGO’s and heritage owners and tenants, who were invited to define and discuss their perspectives on the topic. The analysis is complemented using townscape appraisal to capture the experience of place through rigorous visual interpretation to support the initial claim and findings from the first and secondary data. The findings reveal several issues associated with the current policies, governance, procedures, professional practices, and the appearance of conflicting values among stakeholders, leading to unsuccessful policy implementation. These issues help explain why the fundamental meaning of the concepts of liveability and heritage in Kuala Lumpur are hard to grasp, compounded by the diverse layers of society and the country’s economic propositions, which in turn affect the overall interpretation and level of support for the implementation plan. One of the key contributions of the research is to point toward a broadened meaning and understanding of heritage in the context of a multicultural community and the dimensions that shape the everyday urban experience, aligning closely with the principle of liveability, where cultural diversity, identity and community belonging are central to the quality of life.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Author dc:creator

• Abu Hassan, Nur Rasyiqah

Contributors dc:contributor

• Reeve, Alan
• Kropf, Karl

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/eg8q-kz18

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:a47a9021-454e-4fff-a7c9-33fb5a7d1abc:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1