The Heritage Walk through the Chinatown area takes a bit of imagination to conjure days past when it was a thriving commercial area. It's now dominated more by cars parking on and obstructing the walkway (as well as damaging the pavement) than by commerce, and many of the shops are closed, but following some recent street upgrades in the area the commercial functions are coming back and some revitalization is taking place. The shopfronts could do with some investment in glass frontages rather than steel rolling doors, and the whole area needs a makeover of parking management. Just installing bollard and barriers to prevent encroachment of car parking would work perfectly and is something many cities have done to prevent parking on walkways in historical areas.
The nearby Jalan Dhoby shows the way. The walkway has been widened and rebuilt in early 2020, with attractive landscaping and fences and kerbs making it impossible for cars to park there. Widening the walkways meant narrowing the roadway and removing most of the on-street parking, making it less attractive for driving around and encouraging people to walk there instead, which is how it should be. Responding to the improved street conditions, shops have been upgraded and the street is lined with newly renovated restaurants and cafes which often look out upon the street and serve to further 'activate' the street and make it an even more appealing. It's an impressive transformation compared to just a year ago when the street consisted of closed or run-down shops, narrow walkways and a continuous row of angle-parked vehicles.