After fifty years of military rule and international isolation Myanmar (formerly Burma) is now opening up to the world and heading into times of rapid economic, social, and political transformation. If the current peace process is maintained in Myanmar, a dramatic impact will be felt in all aspects of life: democratic elections will be resumed; relations between the state and civil society and between the state and ethnic minority communities will be reshaped; and economic development will create new jobs and alleviate poverty. The impact will be felt, too, on the built environment of Myanmar’s major cities, especially the former capital Yangon, as new investment enables the construction of modern commercial and residential buildings and urban infrastructure in historic quarters. Investment is moving in from China, Korea, the United States and other foreign sources, adding to the funds being packaged internally. An extensive three-storey shopping complex is already being constructed by Chinese investors in downtown People’s Park adjacent to Yangon's iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. Meanwhile historically significant nineteenth-century buildings stand empty, deteriorating and vulnerable to demolition. There is a weak legislative and policy framework to guide such rapid growth and protect the city's distinctive heritage, and the local administrative and professional workforce is struggling to manage circumstances beyond their experience.