Sowing seeds of change

Greening the inner city: An illustration of Armenian Park and the shrubs that will be planted there.

THE George Town heritage enclave in Penang is poised to become a greenery hub soon, as the coming months will see some 1,000 trees and shrubs being planted along Lebuh Acheh and Lebuh Armenian.

The project which includes a people’s park, is estimated to cost RM500,000 and will take three months to complete.

George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) acting general manager Lim Chooi Ping (pic) said public feedback was still being collected on the proposed plan.

“The Armenian Park will have a local identity. It will be a place where you can rest and take in the unique surroundings.

“The streets bordering it were chosen for the greening project as this is the focal point of the heritage core zone,” she said.

The existing ground posed a challenge for the project as it is fragmented, barren and unpleasant.

Under the greening project, seating areas and public art will be installed.

Issues to be addressed in Lebuh Acheh and Lebuh Armenian are narrow streets and pavements, damaged outdoor seats and open spaces being used as car parks.

Lim said once the streets were well shaded by trees, more people will be inclined to explore the area on foot.

She said the greening of Lebuh Acheh and Lebuh Armenian was a continuation of the Lebuh Carnarvon pilot project.

“Next up will be Beach Street, Light Street and Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling,” she said.

In July 2010, the greening of the city’s heritage enclave kicked off with Carnarvon Street.

The project to plant trees along the road dividers was launched during the state’s second anniversary celebration of George Town’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The greening project is part of the ‘Cleaner Greener Penang’ initiative by the Penang Government and is administered by GTWHI in partnership with Penang Municipal Council, Think City Sdn Bhd (TCSB) and Penang Institute.

Among the objectives of the project are to encourage and strengthen community participation in the management of public gardens and to create awareness about shared public areas.

“A more connected city and improved streetscapes (which are) sensitive towards the entry points to the heritage zone will improve commercial activities and enhance the George Town experience,” Lim said.

An exhibition of the proposed plan is being held now on the ground floor of the GTWHI office at 116 - 118 Lebuh Acheh.

The public can view the plan and provide their feedback until March 23 from 8am to 5pm.