George Town's restored waterfront wins UNESCO heritage award

The rehabilitation of George Town’s historic waterfront is changing how people use and experience the city’s civic centre.

Since 2013, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has collaborated with Think City to support the conservation and regeneration of George Town, a living World Heritage City in Penang, Malaysia.

In 2025, George Town’s rehabilitated esplanade seawall and promenade received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award. The recognition marks the highlight of a decade of collaboration between government, heritage bodies and civil society – proving that conservation can drive city-wide renewal.

The seawall is part of a wider regeneration of the town’s civic centre. The transformation of Fort Cornwallis marks a defining milestone in this wider regeneration of the town's civic centre, which includes the reinstatement of its south and west moats, the Armenian Park, the Linear Garden, and the Kota Selera food courts.

The changes are felt by the people who use this space every day.

Traders who have run their stalls here for over 40 years – now into their second and third generation – welcome more customers than ever before. Families come to eat, watch the sea and let their children play. Street performers make their living entertaining visitors along the esplanade. Residents come for the sea breeze, the shade of the trees and a moment of calm. Tourists discover a waterfront rich in culture, open space and sweeping views of the skyline.

For many, this place has become part of their story.

"It means a lot because since my childhood we have been here. It's everything for us. It's our life, it’s our livelihood."

Watch the video to hear from the people of George Town’s renewed waterfront.