Why George Town stands out among UNESCO cities: It still belongs to Penangites, not tourists

It has been 18 years since the historic towns of George Town and Melaka were inscribed as UNESCO heritage sites, driving a boom in their cultural economies. But while both Penang and Melaka states have benefited from tourism dollars, George Town’s careful management of its heritage has helped it retain its sense of place. “A space has layers of history, stories. It’s about people. It’s about what creates that identity. It’s the spirit of the place,” said Hamdan Majeed, managing director of urban impact organisation Think City. “This is quite a unique case of conservation started by the impulse of the citizens themselves that felt that this historic urban site was an asset – first as an anchor for certain identities but also a potential economic asset for the future,” said Luis Monreal, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, a key technical partner in the revitalisation of George Town’s heritage core.