Introduction: Governing Urban Transformations In Penang

This chapter introduces the main themes covered in the book, including the landscape political ecology (LPE) framework, and how it helps to make sense of the type of controversies taking place in Penang. It also provides important scholarly context for the Penang case study, situating the book within earlier research on Penang and Malaysia in the urban studies literature. In particular, the chapter discusses the challenges that Penang's urban centre of George Town has faced in balancing its considerable built heritage with its urban redevelopment aspirations over the past three decades. This tension is linked to broader aspirations at the national level with regards to modernisation and urban development. Finally, the chapter introduces the significant civil society sector in Penang, and how they have shaped urban governance in the city-region.