Events

CHAIRPERSON

Prof Mike Douglass, Asia Research Institute, and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the conflicting sentiments generated by Penang’s recent urban development projects, particularly with regards to the proposed Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP). This project involves a considerable amount of land reclamation, which has posed a threat to Penang’s rich natural heritage. The paper considers the role of civil society governance in mediating between two incongruent landscapes: Penang as a World Heritage City; and a modern cityscape of luxury condominiums propelled by property speculation and a development-friendly government. I argue that Penang’s UNESCO World Heritage Listing has prioritised its tangible cultural heritage attributes, which has led to the continued destruction of its rich natural heritage outside of the UNESCO zone. The paper builds on recent work in urban political ecology which critically analyses how nature is metabolised in processes of urban development, and the socio-ecological injustices that often result. The analysis is based on interviews with local government officials, planners, and civil society activists, which reveals contrasting visions of Penang’s heritage value, and how to realise the city’s mantra of a ‘cleaner, greener Penang’.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Creighton Connolly received his PhD in Geography from the University of Manchester in 2016, where he was a member of the European Network of Political Ecology (ENTITLE). He also holds an MA from the Memorial University of Newfoundland (2012), and a BA from the University of British Columbia (2010), also in Geography. His PhD analyzed the contested emergence of urban swiftlet (bird nest) farms in Malaysian cities and the socio-ecological transformations involved. His current research focuses on cultural politics, urban political ecology, and contestations over urban development in Penang, Malaysia. He has published in various journals, including Cultural Geographies, Geoforum, Journal of Political Ecology, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography and Landscape Research.

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