1) We Westerners are not too familiar with traditional cities in Asia, being more focused on our own, but also because so many have been destroyed (by wars or by choice). Lijiang, in China, is one of the few to survive, and it is easily equal in beauty to the best of the West. 
2) The Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and despite being largely a tourist town now, thousands of people still live in the traditional "Naxi" homes. This 5 minute video is well made and worth a watch:
3) Under the guidance of UNESCO and the Global Heritage Fund, 250 traditional homes were restored in the 2000's and a comprehensive conservation plan established. Photos from this report: ghn.globalheritagefund.com/uploads/docume…
4) Perhaps most importantly, 300 concrete buildings which surrounded the old town were destroyed and replaced with new Naxi-style buildings. Demolish the ugly mistakes of the past to make way for new beauty? Not the most sustainable approach, but the results speak for themselves.
