ARTICLE ON URBAN REGENERATION PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA

REVITALIZING URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF URBAN REGENERATION PROGRAMME

Abstract

Malaysia’s modern urban growth, development and urbanisation experiences may be conveniently periodised into three major periods, based on the form, structure and functions of the urban centres. . In Malaysia, given the growing conditions of neglect and degradation of the cities centers.  Since most Malaysian city centers are very old historical cities and seem to be rediscovering now the economic value of creative industries and culture. Urban revitalization and regeneration together with the issues of energy sustainability and the need to reduce pollutant emissions, are today the major challenges facing the planning of cities. The concept of urban regeneration in Malaysia’s cities to promote a “return to the city”, revitalise the city centre, restore activity in a fiercely competitive international context, and implement initiatives to improve the quality of the environment operating in a wide sense towards a smart growth.  Urban regeneration is more than just upgrading the physical environment of an area to hopefully spark private investment. However one of most critical issue in urban regeneration is gentrification. This should not be happend in the true spirit of urban revitalition. Instead of displacing the existing community, they should be relocated to the same site. Therefore urban regeneration processes accomplishes the growing importance in literature of concepts like territorial governance, institutional relational density, creativity, social capital, city branding, city image and place marketing. Kuala Lumpur City Hall is among the municipalities practices urban regeneration by recognizing it as one of the strategic directions the city will take in an effort to encourage more sustainable lifestyles.

Keywords : urban revitalization, urban regeneration, gentrification, public participation

Introduction

By 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion in 2008 to 9.2 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is projected to increase from 3.3 billion in 2008 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban areas of the world are expected to absorb all the population growth expected over the next four decades while at the same time drawing in some of the rural population (OECD, 2005). Most of the population growth expected in urban areas will be concentrated in the cities and towns of the less developed regions. Asia, in particular, is projected to see its urban population increase by 1.8 billion, Africa by 0.9 billion, and Latin America and the Caribbean by 0.2 billion. Population growth is therefore becoming largely an urban phenomenon concentrated in the developing world.

There will be an increasingly large population to accommodate in the context of space requirements for economic and social activities. Malaysia’s population in mid-2009 stood at 28.3 million, and the United Nations projects the nation’s population to grow to 40.4 million by 2050. Projections from Malaysia’s National Physical Plan indicate that the population of Peninsular Malaysia would increase to 26.8 million in 2020, from a total of 18.5 million in 2000. Peninsular Malaysia’s population would largely reside in urban areas of various levels and categories. While Peninsular Malaysia’s urban population stood at 65.4 percent (12.1 million) in 2000, it is expected to increase to 75 percent (20.1 million) in 2020. Spatial requirements for urban and city development would thus continue to be a challenge to meet the needs of the ever increasing population (OECD, 2001).

Cities and towns will expand in size and nature to play very important roles as engines of growth to spur development. Cities are expected to provide economic opportunities, and create conducive social environments for a better quality of life. Cities will grow, evolve and age over time into complex and dynamic systems to meet the needs of evolving businesses, employment, housing needs and lifestyles through generations. However, the urban population’s expansion over the last 50 years has placed excessive pressure upon the limited resources of the environment. Excessive industrial growth, increased motorized transportation movements and social lifestyle expectations, contribute to the expansion and continued sprawling of cities’. This gives rise to the excessive use of energy and carbon burning which affects the environment and the inner cities (OECD,2001).

At the same time, older cities now face deteriorating urban infrastructure and services, inefficient water supply, sanitation, waste management, and transportation problems as well as worsening environmental conditions. Challenges in planning and managing urban and cities development, would therefore escalate in time when land for expansion is scarce. Continued sprawling and expansion of cities into valuable greenfield areas consequently leave areas of inner cities to run down and decay in dilapidated conditions. This adversely affects the physical, economic, and social environments of inner city areas (Paddison,1993). ...to be continued ...

Futher enquiry about this article kindly contact :


DR. AZMIZAM ABDUL RASHID
 Research and Development Division,
 Federal Department of Town and Country Planning,
 Ministry of Housing and Local Government,
 Unit No. 50-12-2B, & 50-13-1, Wisma UOA Damansara,
 No. 50, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights,
 50490 Kuala Lumpur,
 Malaysia


 email address : mailto:bpp@townplan.gov.my