Encouraging public role in restoring old buildings

IN A bid to rejuvenate and preserve the rich cultural and historical heritage of Johor Baru, urban impact organisation Think City has been working closely with its partners and local communities.

Its urban mechanics director Daniel Lim (pic) said Think City, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, extended its reach to Johor Baru in 2016.

It has been collaborating with partners such as Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) and Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) to preserve the city’s cultural heritage.

This includes engaging with the local community through programmes, talks and workshops, using grants as tools, and enabling the public to restore buildings.

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“While it is important to ensure that the spaces in old buildings around town are put to good use, it is equally important for us to also ensure that it does not lose its cultural heritage along the way,” said Lim.

“Restoration or adaptive reuse must be done in such a way that it does not take away the buildings’ special elements.

“This requires some know-how and support, which is what we hope to provide to the local community,” he said.

He added that Think City had been managing grants, funded by its partners, to help the local community restore spaces in downtown Johor Baru.

“Application for the grants is open to the public annually, and we provide support to help them realise ideas that are in line with the city’s objectives.

“This includes the restoration of old shophouses, repurposing unutilised spaces as well as cultural activities such as festivals and events to crowdsource content and build community.”

He said there had been increasing interest from the public in applying for the Downtown Johor Baru grant programme.

“Throughout the years, dozens have received the grants and successfully carried out the ideas that have also benefitted the local community.

“Johor Baru is a thriving city and we are seeing more cultural-based and creative businesses popping up. There are also businesses that were able to expand despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added. — By VENESA DEVI