Public Spaces in Melaka’s Historic City Centre: A Fight Against Privatisation

Student Report (2025)
Author(s)

M.P. Barth (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Contributor(s)

Yvonne van van Mil – Mentor (TU Delft - History, Form & Aesthetics)

Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Graduation Date
17-04-2025
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Project
['AR2A011', 'Architectural History Thesis']
Programme
['Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences']
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
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Abstract

This study examines the historical evolution and contemporary transformation of open public spaces in the historic city centre of Melaka, Malaysia. Tracing their development from the Melaka Sultanate through colonial and post-independence periods, it reveals how spaces like the Dutch Square, streetscapes, and green open areas have shifted from communal and civic use toward tourism, commercialisation, and privatisation. Through case studies of Padang Pahlawan, Bukit China, and Jonker Street, the thesis highlights how open public spaces in Melaka serve as contested terrains of memory, identity, and urban change.

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