Penang Bay Ideas: An Exciting Social Win For SDG Zones
Penang Bay International Ideas Competition
We’re pleased to report that the Penang State Government recently announced the top prize winners of the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition. Launched in August 2020, the competition was designed to invite innovative ideas from around the world to transform the Penang Bay area into a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) compliant city zone and economic area.
An initiative by the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), a partnership between the Penang State Government and Think City, along with partners—Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and Penang Island City Council (MBPP), the competition was unusual in that it was open to submissions from all disciplines, as well as ordinary citizens and, of course, Penang city residents, to foster a conversation about the economic and social future of the island based around a diverse set of creative ideas.
In a virtual awards ceremony hosted by the Penang Chief Minister, YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, at Think City’s headquarters, the UAB Building in George Town, prizes totalling USD37,000 were awarded to eight finalists out of almost 80 entries from more than 20 countries. That included a USD20,000 first prize, USD8,000 for the runner up and USD4,000 for third place as well as USD1,000 for each of the five honourable mentions. The five honourable mentions received USD1,000 each.
Green, Digital and Creative

The Chief Minister emphasised that the focus on Penang Bay would serve to future-proof Penang, and create a sustainable city for future generations: “The ultimate vision for Penang Bay is to transform the George Town and Butterworth waterfronts into an SDG-Compliant Zone powered by the green, digital and creative industries. It is our aim to have Penang Bay listed as an SDG City Zone to unlock opportunities and scale up the initiative. It would be the first in Malaysia and an opportunity to transform the urbanisation process for Penang in a more sustainable manner. The ideas competition has given the state much to think about while moving forward, as we crystalize the development plan for the Penang Bay zone.”
This was echoed by Think City’s Managing Director Hamdan Abdul Majeed, who added: “…The crisis is also opportunity. Penang is extremely well positioned to tap into these by providing alternatives for investors, technology firms, manufacturers, culture-led tourism and creative industries. It was on this premise that we conceived of the Penang Bay concept and launched the ideas competition. The challenge for the participants was to take into account the changing world and other challenges such a climate change, and subsequently convey a set of inspirational ideas on how Penang’s core urban areas could be transformed into an integrated and resilient new economic zone.”
The Chief Minister emphasised that the focus on Penang Bay would serve to future-proof Penang, and create a sustainable city for future generations: “The ultimate vision for Penang Bay is to transform the George Town and Butterworth waterfronts into an SDG-Compliant Zone powered by the green, digital and creative industries. It is our aim to have Penang Bay listed as an SDG City Zone to unlock opportunities and scale up the initiative. It would be the first in Malaysia and an opportunity to transform the urbanisation process for Penang in a more sustainable manner. The ideas competition has given the state much to think about while moving forward, as we crystalize the development plan for the Penang Bay zone.”
This was echoed by Think City’s Managing Director Hamdan Abdul Majeed, who added: “…The crisis is also opportunity. Penang is extremely well positioned to tap into these by providing alternatives for investors, technology firms, manufacturers, culture-led tourism and creative industries. It was on this premise that we conceived of the Penang Bay concept and launched the ideas competition. The challenge for the participants was to take into account the changing world and other challenges such a climate change, and subsequently convey a set of inspirational ideas on how Penang’s core urban areas could be transformed into an integrated and resilient new economic zone.”
A Winning Argument
The submissions were first evaluated by a technical committee comprising representatives from Chief Minister Incorporated, Penang, Think City, MBPP, MBSP, PLANMalaysia, World Bank, Cendana, and Reimagining City. A virtual jury meeting was then held to decide the finalists with representatives from the Penang State Government, UN Habitat, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Global Development Incubator and the Malaysian Institute of Planners, as well as an independent landscape architect from the Netherlands.

With such an outstanding, eclectic and global field of entrants, first place in the competition was always going to be hard-won. Which made it even more pleasing that that first prize was awarded to a Malaysian submission by Ar. Qhawarizmi Norhisham and Ar. Yasmin Rahman of the Selangor-based Qhawarizmi Architects (access here), which impressed the judges with the way it addressed the SDGs using measured interventions that were communicated in a seamless presentation.

Following them in second place came a team from the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London in the United Kingdom, comprising Hui Ting Wong, Helen Claire Carter, Kulkiran Bedi, Sikkharini Cintantyadwisthi and Zixuan Xiong (access here). Their submission, titled ‘Penang the City of Tomorrow’, considered a phased approach to the revitalisation of the waterfronts, which also included specific interventions such as floating public spaces, social housing and public transport.

In third place was a submission from Aiman Al Fahmi Bin Abdul Kashaf, Aieyeesha Binti Aidi, Dr. Na’asah Nasrudin and Aareena Binti Aidi from Arkitek Kashaf and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia (access here). Their video submission effectively communicated their proposal of six waterfront interventions.
Honourable Mentions
The five honourable mentions, which are accessible here, were awarded in no specific order to:
- Judit Taraba, Eleni-Maria Koskeridou, Jun Chen, Widasari Yunida Putri, Prinka Anandawardhani and Malavika Gopalakhrisnan (Entry 249) from the Netherlands.
- Arif Izzuddin Arif Ismail, Amir bin Shiraz Mikael Khan and Sharifah Nur Adriana Al Aidid Bt Habib Abdullah (Entry 266) from Selangor, Malaysia.
- Ar. Tpr. Michael Ong Chin Keong, Tpr Fang Hwei Ling, Ar. Tan Chiew Hoon, Por Chun Hau, BYG Group and BIV Multimedia Sdn Bhd (Entry 211) from Penang, Malaysia.
- Kevin Sutjijadi, Amirul Farras, Amanda Meilia and Gabrielle Extensia (Entry 248) from Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Alicia Dsouza, Andrea Dsilva, Oriana Fernandez, Sahana Deepak, Fedora Cotta and Arijeet Raikar Design Studio (Entry 265) from Goa, India.
Investing in Ideas

As the Chief Minister asserted, the competition will contribute to ‘the successful transformation of Penang Bay’ which ‘will be an important catalyst for the state, in line with our goals for Penang2030 in shaping Penang to be a family-focused, green and smart state that will inspire the nation’. He added: “With the wealth of innovative ideas we have received through the competition, and with the interest and dedication shown by our partners, the private sector and the community, I am confident we will achieve our goals of creating a new SDG City which will be crucial for our economic recovery, and perhaps inspire other SDG Cities in Malaysia and beyond.’
Echoing the positivity and optimism of the Chief Minister’s statements, Jagdeep Singh Deo, executive councillor of the Penang State Government for Local Government, Housing and Town & Country Planning, concluded: “The quality of the submissions was outstanding. Many innovative ideas have been put forth for us to consider. This is an ideas competition not a design competition, so it is about generating ideas on the ways we can activate the waterfronts of George Town and Butterworth to a create a new economic and SDG City zone.
The Citymaker will be following this story and speaking to some of the judges and winners of the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition over the coming weeks.