New | The value of keeping Asia's cultural heritage alive
A Hong Kong-based urban planner is working to show communities that preserving authentic culture is about more than just economic viability
Asian cities may flaunt the bright lights and bling of vertical urban development, but Ester van Steekelenburg, a Dutch urban planner living in Hong Kong, is less than impressed.
In her view, based on 20 years of professional experience in the region, the race to build "the tallest and the grandest" has resulted in homogeneous-looking cities, bereft of the character that once made them wonderful.
"Many Asians travel thousands of miles to experience Europe's cobbled streets and historic town centres, while seeming to place little value on their own cultural heritage," she laments.
Van Steekelenburg started wondering: what makes a city feel good? "For me, it has a lot to do with human scale - a healthy mix of culture and commerce, a sense of community and common identity," she decided. Historical neighbourhoods "often contain all these elements": street pavements made for walking, and communal spaces "used to perfection", where residents, businesses and shops co-exist. Within them, she says, "there's a vibrancy difficult to replicate and so often lost in skyscraper cities".
This led van Steekelenburg to establish Urban Discovery, a social enterprise set up in 2010 with the aim of keeping heritage alive in Asian cities for a vibrant and viable urban future.
"We provide advisory services, train people and design creative and enjoyable learning tools to increase awareness of the economic value of heritage," she explains.