With the increasing demand for urban services and infrastructure, heritage sites and structures are often neglected. Southeast Asia’s so-called ‘ancient cities’ are quite unique in the sense that each has its own identity. For instance, Manila’s heritage areas feature Spanish architecture and US urban design influences, while in the former French colonies of Indochina—Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam—has heritage vestiges dissecting between traditional and colonial monuments. The French left behind a cluster of structures and streetscapes inspired by prominent sites in Paris such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Opera House, and the Champs Elysees. These colonial vestiges still exist alongside traditional structures such as palaces, pagodas, temples and houses and Soviet-era buildings from the 1960s in Ha Noi, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. Most urban planners in the region prefer modern architecture, which in their view makes a city appealing... — Blogs.adb.org/blog