GEORGE TOWN (Oct 19): Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) signed a management collaboration agreement with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and Think City Sdn Bhd today in Chantilly, France.
The agreement is derived from the memorandum of understanding signed between AKTC and Think City in November 2013, under which AKTC provided technical assistance for the protection and development of George Town, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.
The signing of the new agreement, which was witnessed by the Aga Khan and Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, expands the scope of the existing partnership and extends the collaboration period for three more years.
The 2013 collaboration between AKTC and Think City saw the delivery of a strategic master plan and identification of significant conservation and development projects in the old city of George Town.
A public exhibition of the proposed projects took place early last year, and the projects are being incorporated into the George Town Special Area Plan.
The strategic master plan includes recommendations on land use, conservation and development, traffic, infrastructure, and institutional management.
CMI, AKTC and Think City are expected to contribute significantly to the regeneration of George Town through the establishment of a project implementation vehicle known as the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), and the training of young professionals in the conservation and sustainable development of city heritage.
CMI is the majority shareholder of GTCDC, which will have a board of directors elected from the three partners to oversee a dedicated management team that will implement projects recommended in the strategic master plan.
“Preparatory technical work has already started in two key areas – the Armenian Street Park and Fort Cornwallis on the North Seafront.
“These activities are aimed at providing state of the art solutions for the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces, promoting inward investment and spurring social, economic and cultural development for Penang,” Lim said in a statement.
He said AKTC’s Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme promotes planning conservation and urban revitalisation in historic cities, and the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces, in ways that spur social, economic and cultural development.
He said a city that attracted AKTC – known globally as one of the foremost organisations involved in matters of architecture, conservation and urban planning – would have made its mark on the global heritage and cultural map. -- The Malaysian Insider
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