KUALA LUMPUR IS A CITY REGION

GENERAL

A city region is an urban area comprising a number of cities, large towns and larger urban areas that, through population growth and expansion, have physically merged to form one continuous built up area. It is thus a polycentric form of agglomeration. A city region is easily confused with a metropolitan area. A metropolitan area actually consists of many neighborhoods, while a city region consists of many different metropolitan areas that are very close to or connected with one another. Most of the time these separate metropolitan areas that make up a city region are somehow dependent on each other and in conjunction economically and socially, hence the formation of one city region.

A city region is something which has always been around, but we have seen an increase in city regions in the era of globalization. City region have increased for many reasons, including:

· Globalization, which has brought the world closer physically and socially;

· Relocation of businesses and corporations outside city boundaries ;

· The loss of the centrality of the city ;

· Migration away from the city due to crime and greater affluence of suburbs;

· Exportation of labor moved industries away from cities

KUALA LUMPUR CITY REGION IN THE CONTEXT OF KLANG VALLEY

source : Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan, 2020

A more appropriate term of reference for Kuala Lumpur’s sub-national context is the Kuala Lumpur and its city region (KLCR). The KLCR refers to the entire Klang Valley Region as originally defined by the Klang Valley Study (1972) together with much of the Kuala Langat district and the remaining part of the Sepang district where the KLIA is located. It covers a total area of approximately 4,000 square kilometres, which is about 40 percent larger thanthe size of the Klang Valley Region of 2,843 square kilometres. The KLCR is one large urban entity which incorporates the complete range of urban functions. However, it is important to distinguish between Kuala Lumpur, which is an administrative unit and the much larger KLCR which represents the total urban entity within which Kuala Lumpur is located and functions in many ways as the nucleus of the KLCR. Kuala Lumpur’s role, status and specific functions within the overall KLCR must be defined within the context of the wider total urban entity. Similarly, in view of their symbiotic relationship, the planning of Kuala Lumpur must take full account of developments in the KLCR as a whole.

Kuala Lumpur’s principal functions will be redefined as a consequence of the MSC, the relocation of federal government administrative functions to Putrajaya and the wide range of city functions and activities that are now part of the KLCR. Furthermore, as the proportion of built-up land area and population of Kuala Lumpur declines in relation to that of the entire KLCR, the role of Kuala Lumpur is likely to be increasingly specialised. The City must focus on developing its strengths in the top-end services and manufacturing industries to enable them to operate within larger market catchments on an international, national and subnational scale.

The core urban functions will continue to be located within the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. Thus the headquarters of transnational companies, the top end hotels and shopping outlets, recreational and entertainment centres will be located in the city centre, as will specialised training facilities, professional services and specialist medical services. In addition, Kuala Lumpur will also be a focus for the development of knowledge-based and high value added manufacturing industries. As the capital of the nation, Kuala Lumpur will continue to house the major knowledge-based institutions, religious and cultural facilities. Befitting their international and national status, theseinstitutions and facilities must be enhanced considerably.