Sustainable riverscape preservation strategy framework using goal-oriented method: Case of historical heritage cities in Malaysia

Rapid development and transformation are the main causes for declining urban natural landscapes as well as its physical and environmental qualities. Currently, rehabilitation and preservation actions cause tough pressures to cities, which lead to serious damages on urban natural landscapes. These fragmentations, particularly in historical heritage cities, cause the riverscapes to lose their sustainability qualities. People’s sense of attachment, satisfaction, and social bonding with riverscapes are also being deteriorated. This subject has become one of the most challenging issues for the Malaysian government and its local authorities. This research aimed to establish the sustainable riverscape rehabilitation strategy framework for Malaysia’s historical heritage cities from the urban design and planning perspectives. The research methodology was designed in two phases. Phase one has developed the sustainable riverscape rehabilitation strategy framework for Malaysia’s historical heritage cities by applying the goal-oriented method. The second phase has validated the framework application using the Grounded Group Decision Making (GGDM) method. For validation, the feasibility study shows the expert input has reached more than 70% saturation for all feasibility assessment factors, except technical aspects of the factor project potential for extension, which has received 45% saturation. This strategy framework involves sustainability domains; social benefits, environmental quality, and economic growth. Moreover, this strategy framework formulates a sustainable riverscape rehabilitation index score for promoting riverscape preservation. It integrates the Malaysian government, stakeholders, and public participations in riverscape rehabilitation activities.