This study focused on the areas of Petaling Street and Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur, in a historical enclave that is well known locally for its cultural, architectural, and historical interest that is worth preserving and conserving. To fulfill the purpose of enhancing the areas, the local authority introduced a covered pedestrian street, which is said to be more convenient for shoppers, considering the tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur. This effort is believed to have been done without any consultation with heritage conservators and activists, thus invoking a debate regarding its many pros and cons. This study examined the arguments concerning the intervention in the heritage area from various groups of stakeholders that are directly involved. Furthermore, this paper presents the method of implementation used by the local authority when executing a conservation project. The collection of primary and secondary data in the form of surveys and interviews with the professionals, traders, and officials in the local area was carried out. The findings show that the majority of the respondents had no objection to the modern intervention in the Heritage Enclave, including the roofing structure, except for its design. This study also found that the intervention did not affect the heritage value of the place, but at the same time, brought concerns regarding the extemporaneous method taken by the local authority when implementing the project.

Buraydah, a small Saudi Arabian city, has transformed rapidly in the last few decades. This transformation has occurred due to economic growth, population growth, infrastructural development, and environmental factors. The urban identity is shaped by cultural patterns and the regional diversity within its fabric. Historical sites that retain architectural traits from their respective eras play a significant role in transmitting urban identity to future generations. However, when individuals disregard traditional identities in search of modernism and urbanization, dramatic changes occur in the physical structure, social-spatial pattern, socio-economic structure, and socio-cultural structure of the city. All of these have dramatically altered the city’s identity, which historically took a long time to develop. While the historic sites in the city that have been demolished for expansion and development, also cause the city to lose its identity. This study's objective is to investigate the cause of the changes in identity in Buraydah city. For this purpose, relevant literature was reviewed to identify and address the research objectives and examine the urban and architectural identity concepts, while the comparative study of archival materials with site investigation and survey was conducted in the practical aspect. The result of the study identifies certain factors that contributed to the loss of identity of the city.

Saudi Arabia has a wealth of heritage buildings that still exist today. Therefore, the need to preserve the architectural heritage of historical and cultural significance is becoming increasingly relevant. In line with the Saudi vision 2030, the study deals with evaluation methods implemented to preserve and restore historic buildings. Thus, efforts are continuing to implement conservation policies and evaluate them to arrive at appropriate strategies. Therefore, the case study was chosen to explain the importance of the existing conservation policies to ensure that the heritage buildings are handled to retain their ingenuity. Keywords: Heritage Conservation, Historic Buildings, Architectural Heritage, Preservation. eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI:

Questions have been raised regarding urbanisation, in which the Malay culture is forgotten. This paper uses a mixed-method by way of a case study on the eight Malay settlements in Kota Bharu. Three hundred fifty questionnaires were distributed, while random interviews provided a more precise explanation of the Malay community in the real world. Traditionally, this settlement is inhabited by Malays and is well known for its high culture and architectural values. This study found that urbanisation has critically influenced the culture and identity of Malay communities in their settlements. The loss of the Malay settlements in Kota Bharu led to the loss of the Malay culture and identity in the community. Keywords:  Malay community, Malay settlement, Malay culture, urbanisation eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i20.2967

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