Heritage At Risk: Gentrification, Artisan Displacement, and The Future of Melaka’s Living Culture

Abstract

Gentrification is becoming a significant challenge to the viability of Artisan Family Businesses (AFBs) in heritage cities, where urban transformation may displace the communities that sustain living cultural heritage. This paper examines artisan displacement in Melaka, Malaysia, following its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) in 2008, with particular attention to tourism-related property pressures and commercial redevelopment within the historic core. An initial inventory identified 25 artisan businesses, which the study later validated through field visits. Eight artisan family businesses met the study’s inclusion criteria of being actively operating for more than 50 years and engaged in traditional crafts, and all eight were included in the qualitative study. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and site observations identified three interconnected pressures contributing to artisan displacement: rising rental costs, displacement associated with property sales and redevelopment, and the transformation of heritage shophouses into tourism-oriented businesses. These processes disrupt business continuity, customer relationships, and intergenerational transmission of craft knowledge, while potentially weakening the living cultural heritage of the WHS. Although some landlords provide security to traditional tenants, such arrangements remain informal and uncommon. The findings suggest that WHS designation, while enhancing Melaka's visibility and attractiveness as a heritage destination, may also contribute to socio-spatial reorganisation that marginalises cultural custodians. The paper contributes to heritage urbanism debates by foregrounding artisan displacement as an important consequence of heritage-led gentrification and examining the tension between the commercial transformation of heritage spaces and the continuity of traditional artisan businesses. Policy responses include heritage tenancy protection, incentives for landlords who retain traditional artisan tenants, and more inclusive tourism planning. Preserving AFBs matters not only for maintaining economic diversity but also for sustaining the living cultural practices that contribute to the WHS's heritage significance.