My presentation for the 3rd International Conference on livable cities ICLC2015.

1. Livable heritage street and
visual pollution in
Georgetown/ Penang
Omar Adil Sabah
ICLC-2015
3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LIVEABLE CITIES
Assoc.Prof. Muna Hanim Binti Abdul Samad

2. Introduction
One of the most important issues of the architectural and urban design
studies, is the analysis and evaluation of the visual and aesthetic
aspects in the heritage streets. Every heritage street has its own visual
identity, which appears clearly on its facades, street furniture and
ground details. A planned treatment of the visual and aesthetic
characteristics of the design elements of the street leads to achieve
multiple kinds of benefits; such as clean and pollution-free
environment, psychological comfort, tourism attraction, economical
income, in additional to preserve the heritage features of the street
itself.

3. Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural
environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form
of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light.
Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign
substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants.

5. Visual pollution
An aesthetic issue and refers to the impacts of pollution that impair
one's ability to enjoy a vista or view.
Visual pollution disturbs the visual areas of people by creating negative
changes in the natural environment. Billboards, open storage of trash, space
debris, telephone towers, electric wires, buildings and automobiles are forms
of visual pollution. An overcrowding of an area causes visual pollution. Visual
pollution is defined as the whole of irregular formations, which are mostly
found in natural and built environments.

6. Area of study
Georgetown/ Penang

7. Area of study
Georgetown WHS

8. Problem
Georgetown heritage streets have witnessed a massive urban change
in its visual structure, which lead to visual pollution affected its livability
features. The danger of visual pollution lies basically in its connections
with losing aesthetic sense, and proliferation of ugliness and thus
making it an acceptable state of the community (Mohamed & Abdel-
Gawad, 2011). Moreover, This area, due to its heritage value, has a
special importance, and if its heritage character faded because visual
pollution, it would lose its vitality, and eventually, livability. That will
lead the area to be useless as it is, and will be changed necessarily.

9. Visual pollution aspects
1. Bad architectural planning for some buildings, in the aspect of their
building spaces or architectural properties, as different proportions,
heights, colors, building materials, rhythms,... Etc.

10. Visual pollution aspects
2. Street furniture like street lights and their cables and other related
installations, which unlikely to integrate visually with the street's
architectural styles of the surrounding buildings.

11. Visual pollution aspects
3. Trash bins and other related objects that related to waste materials.

12. Visual pollution aspects
4. Bizarre pigments and colors used in painting existing buildings.

13. Visual pollution aspects
5. Building services installations on the building's facade, which
include: mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations.

14. Visual pollution aspects
6. Neglected old buildings and ruins in between other well maintained
buildings.

15. Visual pollution aspects
7. Commercial advertisement panels in their various shapes, colors,
sizes, and positions on the building facade.

16. Example

17. Visual Pollution Aspects

18. Cleaning

19. Let’s check the difference!

20. Case study
Chulia street, It is one of the major streets in the
area, established in the first stages of the city, in
the time of Captain Francis Light. Due to the
Chulia street length, it contains many sections
with a lot of buildings, and thus; a lot of visual
problems. In additional to what mentioned, it has
a multiple attraction; shops, restaurants, coffee
shops, hotels,... Etc. , which made the street a
vital place and the perfect destination for
tourists.
To make it easy for
accumulation, drawing and
analyzing process, one side
of the street has been
divided into 8 sections
(parts) separated by empty
spaces of sub-streets along
it

21. Chulia street’s facade
1
2
3 4

22. Chulia street’s facade
5
7
8
6

23. Analysis principles
Example: Part -1-
1
2
3

24. Analysis principles
Example: Part -1-
All together

25. Visual Problems
Example: Part -1-
1. Advertisings
Panels
2. Building
Services
3. Arch. Style,
Color and Material
4. Street Furniture

26. Visual Problems
Example: Part -1-
All together

27. Visual Analysis along with Visual
Problems for Part -1-

28. Analysis and Results
Visual Aspect Advertisement Panels
Building Service
Installments
General Change in
Style, Color and
Materials
Street Furniture
Skyline
Vertical Rhythms
Horizontal Rhythms

29. Analysis and Results
graphs show the percentage of the impact value for each variable on
each aspect as an average for all street parts (Whereas 1 stands for
Street Furniture, 2 General Change in Style, Color and Materials, 3
Building Service Installments, and 4 for Advertisement Panels):

30. Conclusion
Accelerating developments in modern technology have a negative
impact on heritage values, not because the technology itself, but the
misuse of it. Although human needs are pivotal, but the issues
resulted from their influence, can be treated in a smart approaches to
avoid destroying history. Wise choices in the consideration of the new
additions, with well planned placing and arrangements for new pieces
can provide the optimum solution for the visual problems. Laws must
be more strict when it matters in dealing with the old building,
regardless whether the building is belong to public or private
individuals.

31. Thank you
ICLC-2015
3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LIVEABLE CITIES