Weaving Kreta Ayer
Urban Conservation and Regeneration Strategy
Group 3 - AC5003 AY 2022/2023
What to Mitigate?
The diminishing cultural heritage and identity in the process of developing the place into a tourist destination needs to be addressed in order to reinstate Chinatown as Kreta Ayer. A multilayered district that accommodated various traditions and religion has now shrunk into a commerce district that is overrated for trading and celebrating stereotypical Chinese culture.
General Issues
Departure from Initial Residential Function (Segregation)
-
The competitive real estate market drove away the community and its trade and the place gradually lost its character.
-
The community spirit and the authenticity of Kreta Ayer has been sacrificed for monetary gains.
Withering of Defining Community (Gentrification)
-
The priority change from being a community town to becoming a tourist destination resulted in the locals relocating to public housing and near by districts.
-
The change in real estate values changed the nature of commerce in the area.
-
The combination of government policies, along with demography change and the aspirations of developers triggered gentrification.
Constructed Narrative of the Historical Precinct (Gentrification)
-
Is the place home to the locals ? is it home to the Chinese immigrants? the answer is no.
-
It is a place that is trying to keep up with the transition from being a home to a tourist place that connects investors and developers better than it connects the locals.
What and how do we want to address the issues?
Macro
-
Need to address and emphasize the intangible heritage that belongs to the national monuments located in Chinatown rather than viewing it as a place of interest to improve tourism.
.jpg)
Micro
Back Lanes
-
Sparsely found community spaces and public places need attention for improvement, redevelopment and connection to the wider region of the town.
-
It is crucial to improve and make space for capacity buildings in historic districts.
-
The unsanitary service spaces and underutilized parking spaces can be turned into functional green routes that connect the inner core to the surrounding movement network.