The Morphology of Urban Waterfront Tourism: The Local Identity Portray in Melaka and Makassar

Abstract

Waterfront has become vitally important to many historic cities in Southeast Asia since last two decades. The city of Melaka proved to be a successful city as a heritage one that has been well preserved and aesthetic feeling of the attractive old town waterfront in Malaysia. The city of Makassar as historic coastal city started considering waterfront as vital aspect by revitalizing its shores as a waterfront change the face of the city into attractive as a commercial and leisure city in the eastern parts of Indonesia. The authors discuss aspects of urban morphology and tourism to get the city identity by explaining the differences and the similarities of the changing urban waterfront and waterfront tourism between the two cities identity. This study uses a qualitative approach through observation and in-depth interviews with stakeholders in Makassar and Melaka. The analysis and findings revealed that waterfront development in both cities have focused on tourism as a catalyst which have resulted in conflicts between commercial viability and meeting the needs and aspirations of the local residents. As waterfront redevelopments are becoming a trend across the region, both cities are seen to be struggling in ensuring that their approach is able to create a waterfront that portrays the local identity in a contemporary manner.