Yangon city is the main gateway of Myanmar and Shwedagon Pagoda is on the must-visit list of Myanmar. Many of the downtown historic buildings were constructed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The Yangon City Heritage List consists of 188 structures, and is largely made up of mostly religious structures and British colonial era buildings.

Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT) is installing a system of commemorative Blue Plaques around Yangon to highlight significant historical buildings and renowned residents who contributed to the narrative of the city. The plaques, in both Burmese and English, will draw attention to both the known and forgotten histories of the city, serving as a reminder for the city’s residents and providing interpretive signage for visitors. With their direct appeal to the public, the introduction of blue plaques will make Yangon’s rich history accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. The first plaque was installed in mid-August, 2014 at City Hall.

The “Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon” (conducted by JICA in 2013) sets out the development vision for Greater Yangon with the slogan of “Yangon 2040, The Peaceful and Beloved Yangon, A City of Green and Gold”, aiming to achieve peace through Myanmar democratization and making the city beloved by all its citizens. The slogan also consists of rich green images of natural environment and gold lighting of Shwedagon Pagoda. Based on the slogan, the four pillars of development visions are summarized as follows:
 

• To be an international hub city
• To be a comfortable city
• To be a well-managed infrastructure city
• To be a city of good governance

The strategic plan calls for action “heritage and urban landscape” in five specific areas. For point 1-3 some limited progress has been made, but for point 4 and 5 there is no foreseeable commitment of resources or time within the local government, indicating the urgency of these matters:
 

• Recording of Historical and Cultural Heritage
• Establishment of the guidelines for Urban Regeneration plan Utilizing Heritage Building
• Establishment of the Management Plan for the Implementation of Conservation
• Cultivation of Human Resources of the Expert for Heritage Related Construction
• Implementation to Renovate Heritage Buildings and Urban Landscape