malaysian townplan journal 1

townplanMalaysian

SEMENANJUNGMALAYSIA

Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia

JPBD September 2003: Malaysian Townplan. Copyright @2003 by The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Housing and Local Government,Malaysia. All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing of the publisher. ISSN 1975-7629. Published in Malaysia by The Federal Department ofTown and Country Planning, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia.

02 M A L A Y S I A N T O W N P L A N

FFOORREEWWOORRDD

The planning profession in this country has put in about 82 yearsof fruitful contribution to sustainable human, economic and environmental development. I am pleased to note that plannersin the department continue to have strong interest and the tradition of cultivating writing habits to disseminate planningthoughts, ideas and experience.

It is my sincere hope that Malaysian TownPlan will receive goodresponse from readers. Planning today has grown to encompassmuch wider areas of concern. We have gone beyond the conventional forward and development control processes. Nowwe are actively monitoring prescribed development and reportingthe status of the town and country planning. In the meantime,concerted attentions are given to social, environmental, conservation and heritage issues. The looming impact of globalisation on Malaysian land use planning practice, wouldnecessitate planners to constantly reinvent and retool their planning expertise.

I take this opportunity to thank the editorial board for their initiatives to publish this journal. Malaysian TownPlan will certainly be the medium of communication connecting and disseminating planning discourse, innovations and debates onissues of concern to all in the planning profession. With thesethoughts in mind, I wish the editorial board success in their endeavours.

Dato� Haji Abd. Mutallib JelaniDirector General

Federal Department of Town and Country PlanningPeninsular Malaysia

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T . 2 0 0 3 03

ContentsEE DD II TT OO RR ’’ SS JJ OO TT TT II NN GG SS 04

FF EE AA TT UU RR EE SS

Sustainable Land Use Development in the Klang Valley :An Elusive Dream? 05

Emerging Town Planning Issues Confronting the Unprepared 10

Konsep dan Proses E-Submission dalam Permohonan Perancangan 19

PP LL AA NN NN II NN GG PP AA LL AA VV EE RR 26

RR EE VV II EE WW

Planning Book Review 29

Planning Website Highlights 31

PP LL AA NN NN II NN GG UU PP DD AA TT EE SS 33

BB LL AA SS TT FF RR OO MM TT HH EE PP AA SS TT 34

townplanMalaysian

01M A L A Y S I A N T O W N P L A NThis Journal is a quarterly publicationof The Federal Department of Town and CountryPlanning, Ministry of Housing and Local Government,Malaysia.

Jalan Cenderasari 50646 Kuala Lumpur.Tel: 603-26989211 Fax: 603-26933964Webpage : http://www.townplan.gov.myE-mail : [email protected]

A D V I S O R S

Dato’ Haji Abd. Mutallib JelaniMohd. Fadzil Hj. Mohd. KhirDato’ Haji Zainul Ayob

C O O R D I N A T O R

Hajjah Norasiah Hj. Yahya

C H I E F E D I T O R

Kamalruddin Shamsudin

E D I T O R I A L B O A R D

Jamil AhmadDr. Dahlia RoslyDr. Dolbani MijanMohd. Nasir ShaariRokibah Abd. LatifDatin Hamisah AriffinLilian Ho Yin ChanSanisah ShafieChua Rhan See

E D I T O R I A L S T A F FNoraziah Abd. AzizSaifuddin AhmadKhatijah EmbiZahrah SallehMohd. Nasir Kamin

E D I T O R I A L P O L I C Y

The content of this Journal do not necessarily reflectthe view of The Federal Department of Town andCountry Planning nor are they official record.Manuscripts or articles submitted which do not conformto the conventions of the Journal may be returned tothe authors for revision. The Editorial Board will nottake any responsibility for any information published inthis journal for their authenticity.

M A L A Y S I A N T O W N P L A NS e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3


Reflecting on past journal publications produced by the Federal Department of Townand Country Planning (JPBD), one comes away with a tinge of nostalgia. Such creative outlets are largely sustained and driven by individuals who wrote and contribute articles, with the aim to forge communication and the sharing of planningideas. Malaysian TownPlan is no different. With the recent amendments to the townplanning legislature, greater scope and diverse roles are entrusted to the planningservice; thereby providing a rich and diverse source of planning ideas and experiences.

In this inaugural issue, we traverse and examine Klang Valley contribution to sustainable development; this article is hard-hitting and long overdue; if only planners wake up from their slumber! Then we explore emerging town planningissues and ask planners whether they are prepared and what they ought to do. E-submission is another new tool in town, and comparison made from a number ofexperiences. Planning Palaver updates innovations in planning ideas worldwide, thistime on smart growth, new urbanism and transit oriented development; it would beinteresting to see how such ideas jostle with the traditional urban designs in thecountry. A book review is provided, plus some planning websites revisited. Andupcoming planning events posted.

We hope this edition of TownPlan format and layout is pleasing to your eyes. Wehave paid attention to colours and illustrations. The second and subsequent issueswill probably keep these motives. Give us your feedback; we'll have a reader's feed-back column too. More importantly be a contributor of articles and let others know ofyour planning experiences or viewpoints. We thank all contributing authors for thisinaugural issue and the good support from JPBD management.

1981

1995

1996

2003

The front cover denotes the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes signifying rebirth. The phoenix is shown flyingtowards the light of new things to come, heralding future excitements in store for the Journal. Concept: Jamil Ahmad. Design: A&I Network

1978

Th

e

Ev

ol

ut

io

n

C O V E R D E S I G N

" A policy of the Journal was not to bar articles that were critical of the department orany government office carrying out town planning functions, provided such criticism wasof professional nature. The Journal set out to promote and nurture the development oftown planning as a profession with a high standard of intellectual rigour, technical competence and social responsibility. Honest opinions and criticisms, expressed constructively, were not out of place. This does not mean the editors abdicated any responsibility of selection and editing; articles were indeed rejected because of gross per-sonal bias, unverifiable facts or unwarranted tone or target of criticism... A journal is not produced by command: it is a labour of love...A journal like its related word, journey, is atravel, a going from one place to another, or rather a record of that travelling. "

Ho Khong Ming Planning Malaysia Issue no 1 September 1995,

Editor’s Jottings

Kamalruddin Shamsudin

The Town and Country Planning legislature in this country (through tworecent amendments, 1995 and 2001)has incorporated elements of sustain-ability, and this has been translatedwithin various planning guidelines andstatutory planning documents (namelywithin the structure and local plans).New chapters have been introduced, for example strategic environmentalassessment (SEA), and social impactassessment (SIA).

Another recent development was theadoption and adaptation of the principles and tools of sustainabledevelopment. One of these, the precautionary approach, in particularappears administratively and politicallyconvenient, but its application has beenwidely contested by concerned citizensand NGOs, as such tools appear to bein favour of the project proponent ratherthan other affected stakeholders. This isparticularly telling of the EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA) that appearseither towards the tail-end of the plan-ning application procedure or runningparallel to it. Such EIA requirements arebeyond the remit of local planningauthorities, they are decided by theDepartment of Environment.

Conformity of land use development to planning documents is a moving target.Conflicts in land uses have a direct negative impact to sustainable land develop-ment. The Klang Valley provides a classic example where such pervasive conflictscontinue to tease good town planning intentions. A complex mix of conditions andprocesses related to legislative, institution and the dominant planning ideology ofthe day, all have a bearing on the direction land is finally used and developed. Theadoption of sustainable principles emanating from a proliferation of documents(The Langkawi Declaration, 1989; The Kuala Lumpur Accord on Environment,1990; and The Rio Declaration, 1992) has reaffirmed and made land use planninga vital tool in delivering sustainable land development. However, contemporaryplanning ideology (through its current plan making tools and value system) has yetto actualised itself efficiently as an integrating and coordinating tool of sustainabledevelopment.

Since 1976, when the Town and Country Planning Act was promulgated, the development plan system has been used as a tool to regulate and promote goodland use management practices within all local authority areas in PeninsularMalaysia. Indeed, a higher-tier planning document has been formulated recently,i.e. the national physical plan, over-arching the structure and local plans. In a nut-shell, these planning documents are seen as coordinating tools between various multi-sectoral agencies and agents of development of the State and Federal government, and a required reference for consideration of the suitability of publicand private sector land use development. Indeed it was meant to translate the government and the citizen aspirations within the covers of a planning document.This combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches (through stakeholders participation) appears to stay for the foreseeable future despite some ideologicaland institutional limitations. They relate to power relation, planner�s interpretation oftheir roles (advisory or advocacy), institutional openness to democratisation in thedecision-making process etc.

Within the remit of sustainable growth, this article will limit discussions on salientinstitutional, legislative, and the plan making tools and processes (in particular howwell it has been able to guide development along sustainable lines). The focus ison the Klang Valley region, the home to 4.7 million people.

Sustainable Land use Development In The Klang Valley : An Elusive Dream ?

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T . 2 0 0 3 05

KAMALRUDDIN shamsudin, [email protected] and Development Division, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract:The Klang Valley is the most developed region in Malaysia and continues to pursue high level ofland consumption to accommodate a projected population of 7 million by 2020, compared to itsexisting 4.7 million population. Already unsustainable practices in land development are a common feature in a number of areas, featuring in sprawl development with the consequenceworsening traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, lost in recreational open spaces, landslides,and various safety or quality of life parameters etc. Inevitably, policy issues that need to beaddressed may not only include strategic policy recommendation within various development sectoral policies but also those of the institutional and legislative. To what extent can the institutional and legislative machinery innovate progressively in keeping with the rate of development, which is largely dictated by global and market forces within a deregulated economic environment? To what extent could a statutory planning document be complied with andwhat new innovative areas could such document incorporate within its covers to fulfil sustainable land development?

Features

�...contemporary planning ideology(through its current plan making tools andvalue system) has yet to actualised itselfefficiently as an integrating and coordinating tool ofsustainable development.�

Innttrroodduuccttiioonn::

SSuussttaaiinnaabbllee DDeevveellooppmmeenntt ::IInnccoorrppoorraattiioonn IInnttoo TThhee LLooccaallSSeettttiinnggss TToo-DDaattee


Features

matter, the structure plan guidance (covering the district) may or may not befollowed. It is felt many of the publiccomplaints over noise, air pollution andtraffic safety are tied-up to this aberra-tion (more on this later).

The quality of many of the structureplans too is in doubt. It is commonknowledge that the strategies and development growth options of suchplans are largely undertaken from a top-down approach with strong physicalbias and a weak consideration of implementation mechanism and theiruncertainties. Methods in generatingsuch growth proposals and their evalua-tion appear to need much neededrobust decision methodology. The pasttwo decades shows no substantialprogress in analytical methodology in itsintelligent, design and evaluation stage(the certification of MS ISO 9001 in localplanning notwithstanding). Structuraland local planning issues are a mix ofsemi-structured and unstructured category and all are related in a system.Being a comprehensive plan, the structure plan attempts to tackle a widerange of issues (incorporating sectoralfunctions and utilitarian policies), allwithin a limited 2 years span of study(many of its implementation budget andschedule under different agencies). Itsdominant linear decision context withinthe planning process has deceptivelymade plan making looks simple. As aresult poor or non-existent application ofconflict and uncertainty analysismethodology is a major drawback ofsuch planning studies. The recent usageof matrix table for strategic environmen-tal assessment (SEA) to assess conflict-ing policies is a welcome change, but isstill a poor substitute for rigorous conflictanalysis methodology.

The Klang Valley region comprises the entities of Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpurand seven other local authorities of the state of Selangor. A common visualisation ofthe valley is its rapid rate of population growth with attendant sprawling residentialand commercial development to outlying areas of Kuala Lumpur. Today the KlangValley built-up area constitutes more than 61% of the region compared to 17% in1985. Such rapid land consumption has made many local planning authorities statutory planning documents looks out of date.

The region has seen much socio-economic development, and also its share ofgeohazard incidences. Meanwhile, institutional capability has not grown in tandemwith the rate of urban growth. There continues to be shortage in professional staffingat local authority level (every structure and local plan document never fails to pointthis out), although of late, most local authorities have appointed town planners on acontract basis. But it is inadequate to handle post approval and monitoring of devel-opment projects (example administering the environmental management plan, EMP,and other projects in sensitive geo-hazard prone areas).

The Klang Valley has been well studied since the early 70s, by a number of region-al plans studies, either in a comprehensive manner or from a single sector perspec-tive (example transportation, drainage etc). All its local authorities have some form ofplanning document to guide their growth. There was also a need to sort out planningand coordination of infrastructural development given the fact that the valley con-tributes about 1/3 of the country's GDP.

Indeed a Klang Valley Planning Secretariat was formed in the early 80s to dealwith planning and coordination of large infrastructural projects (example highwayinfrastructure) and to act as a framework for other planning studies (in particular eco-nomic development plans, structure and local plans). Though this secretariat stillexists today, its role and functions have been diluted with other administrative expe-diencies. It has since merged with the defunct Federal Territory Ministry office tobecome a division in the Prime Minister's Department. Thus a strong and unifiedregional planning authority for the Klang Valley does not exist.

�despite..... having planning documents asa guide to good plan-ning of development,the reality is that for agreater portion of thevalley much haphazarddevelopment hasalready occurred inthe late 80s and early 90s,�

AA BBrriieeff BBaacckkggrroouunndd OOff TThhee KKllaanngg VVaalllleeyy RReeggiioonn

((11)) PPllaannnniinngg DDooccuummeennttss iinn tthhee KKllaanngg VVaalllleeyy:: QQuuaalliittyy,, NNoonn-CCoonnffoorrmmaannccee aanndd LLoosstt ooff RReeggiioonnaall GGrreeeenn AArreeaass

Despite all eight local authorities having their own planning documents as a guide togood planning of development, the reality is that for a greater portion of the valleymuch haphazard development has already occurred in the late 80s and early 90s,especially those areas outside the local authority boundary. In particular the district ofPetaling have seen rapid growth of both legal and illegal industries, squatters andhousing projects. It was only recently that MPPJ and MPSJ (a new creation) andMBSA had extended its borders to cover the whole of the district. So despite theexistence of the Petaling District Structure Plan, this has not deterred sprawl development into such outlying areas. One reason for this is the State Authority'sprerogative in approving land development, using the power of the State over land

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T . 2 0 0 3 07

Features

technology to aid in the evaluationprocess for better decision-making.More importantly through SMCE, partici-patory processes could be realisticallyleverage in the decision-making context,thereby moving closer to transparencyin the decision making processes in plan making (for more information on SMCEsee the latest development within JPBDGSARD program).

Unsustainable land development couldalso be attributable to the manner inwhich decisions are made. The NationalLand Code provides for the State inmatters relating to administering changein land use category and ownership.Although administratively the relevantplanning and infrastructural agenciesare consulted, the decision of the Statemay not be tied to the recommendationof the structure or local plan. Thus at thelocal planning authority level, the use ofland by an applicant may already havebeen approved by the State which neednot be in conformity with the structure orlocal plan. This obviously creates imminent problems in land use conflictseither to existing land use or future useof adjoining land, which complies withthe use, set in the structure or localplanning document.

Such dual authorities in regards theuse of land at town planning level hascaused much unnecessary conflict anddeplorable consequences. Indeed suchmatters should be straightened outwhere planning considerations be set-tled earlier before decision on change ofuse is administered. A professional attitude towards land administration withcompliance to planning documentswould certainly reduce such unsustain-able land administration; but institutionaldomain and power relation limits thispossibility.

It is also felt that detailed descriptionsin the change of use (within the NationalLand Code) need not be explicitly stated, for they can be sufficiently settled within the local planning requirements. Similarly, the giving out ofgovernment land for certain category ofactivity ought to be in conformity withthe local plan requirements.

� A weak regard for regional policies and its spatial proposals,and overlapping land administration practices, all contributes to the currentregional sprawl 'mayhem'... More importantly will local plans proposals beambivalent towards such issues through propagating and playing to thetunes of market driven economy, and conversely giving haft-hearted andimpractical environmental and recreational (green) policies to the plan? �

The structure plan although giving the notion of sectoral integration, has persistentlyfailed to mobilize the motivations, values and priorities of public as well as privatesectors crucial roles in the implementation of the plan (especially its future spatiallocations). The number of contacts and duration of communications within the plan-ning process although having improved slightly (emanating from the recent planninglegislative amendments) have yet to show substantive and genuine participatoryinvolvement from various major stakeholders. Cross-sectoral linkages and implica-tions of non-implementation of sectoral infrastructures were not properly examined.Despite adopting various working and steering committee format during the studyprocess, such gaps in fulfilling realistic integration between various sectors andstakeholders still remain elusive.

Environmentalist, conservationist and resident associations have decried over thelack of open spaces including inter-connected or a regional green recreational areafor the Klang Valley. Such green reserves also serve as nature reserves. But the burgeoning economic climate in the last decade has derided the green buffers recommended in the Klang Valley Perspective Plan of 1984. Forest areas have dropfrom about 10,000 hectares in 1985 to 3000 hectares in 1997. Today a sprawlingurban development from Klang to Kuala Lumpur welcomes visitors to the KlangValley. Earlier multi-nucleated or polycentric urban regional development frameworkhas largely been forgotten, resulting in a corridor or ribbon development with hardlyany discernable open green areas to clearly demarcate the leaving and arrival of anurban entity or its use as a recreational retreat of the urban population (save the lastbastion of the forest and water catchments reserves in the foothills of the mainrange, even this has not been spared from development). A weak regard for regionalpolicies and its spatial proposals, and overlapping land administration practices, allcontributes to the current regional sprawl 'mayhem'. How well the national physicalplan and the state structure plan handle this issues remains to be seen. More impor-tantly will local plans proposals be ambivalent towards such issues through propagat-ing and playing to the tunes of market driven economy, and conversely giving haft-hearted and impractical environmental and recreational (green) policies to the plan?

On paper things appear to look hopeful for sustainable development in the KlangValley. Based on the latest amendment of the TCP Act, the application of strategicenvironmental assessment (SEA) and social impact assessment (SIA) has beenintroduced for new structure and local planning studies. This will address some of theweaknesses in the sectoral integration process. For some of us, this may be too little too late given the fact at least 2/3 of the built-form of tomorrow already existstoday. To make matter worst,much property development have obtained approval inthe last few forested areas in the valley�a subject of intense public oppositions anda looming protracted struggle (for sustainable development?).

JPBD is currently working on institutionalising Spatial Multi-criteria Evaluation(SMCE) Methods for plan generation and evaluation into the development planningprocess. Such decision science methodology is currently been coupled with GIS

((22)) LLaanndd AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn aanndd PPllaannnniinngg AApppprroovvaall

�Highways too dissect existing communities, leaving facilities on theother side and having to build overhead pedestrian bridges to connect them.All in all, the urban image of such networks are a picture of�geography of nowhere� �

Without such changes in legislature, con-fusions at the planning approval stage willpersist when two separate authorities givediffering conditions.

In regard matters relating to applicationof the precautionary approach, the case ofEIA provides illuminating examples wherethings can go awry. For those applicationsfalling within the prescribed list, an application for subdivision may beapproved subject to approval of the EIAby DOE. For their part, EIA are usuallyapproved with the usual mitigating measures to ensure the project gets offthe ground. Thereupon the administrationof the EMP will be undertaken by theDOE and the concerned local authority. Itis common knowledge (especially todevelopers) that the local authority andthe DOE are in no capacity to monitor thevarious conditions imposed in the EIA.The number of cases whereby adjoiningresidential areas are put to risk, due tofailure to comply with such mitigatingmeasures are not isolated. This is an arearequiring urgent attention, both at DOEand the local authority level. Federal andState government directives for greaterefforts at monitoring such post approvalactivities are no deterrent and certainlynot a solution to such curative urban problem.

Within the planning approval process,project proposals are required to be submitted with the Development ProposalDocument (LCP). Although such document should relate to the impact ofthe project and the nature of the geological features etc, this part of thereport has been widely known to be ofdoubtful quality in their preparation.Related reasons to this are the small feeimposed to undertake such report and itsconsequent poor documentation of relevant analysis submitted by the developer's consultant.

Monitoring of approved development insensitive areas (either those approvedprior to the administrative circular on hillside development or those that hadtheir land use class approved by the Stateauthorities for building) is poorly managedby local authorities, due to unavailability ofadequate professional staff. Perhaps all isnot lost, based on the recent amendmentto the TCP Act (A1129), especially section22(2A), has provided for referral of three


Features

A classic example where there exists no creative integration between different sectors is the transportation system in the Klang Valley. The region is the moststudied area in regards transportation planning. And what is common in all thesestudies is the recommendation for an autonomous authority on transportation forthe Klang Valley or matters to that effect. But such recommendation goes againstthe structure of existing institutions. Politically it is unpalatable. Currently such rolesare placed in different ministries. Thus substantive transportation solutions areimplemented halfway or less. For example, light rail has been implemented forselected areas only leaving many congested routes still unchanged. New sprawlingneighbourhoods are left with poor public transportation facilities, especially theKuala Lumpur conurbation. Bad condition of buses, poor scheduling, and lengthytravel time due to congested routes are no incentive to encourage greater ridership;the light rails being an exception. Overcoming traffic congestion in the city androutes leading to the city has been a constant struggle by the government.Undoubtedly measures taken today are all curative and retrofitting in nature, i.e.double deck flyovers (at Subang/Sg.Way), elevated highway over the Klang River,elevated and underground light rail tracks etc. These are billion ringgit projects andthe impact to traffic reduction is arguably small compared to growth in congestedareas. The recent Kuala Lumpur Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel(Smart) project also points to this costly curative process. Highways too dissectexisting communities, leaving facilities on the other side and having to build overhead pedestrian bridges to connect them. All in all, the urban image of suchnetworks are a picture of "geography of nowhere" in terms of neighbourhood imagelacking safety and clean air quality. Retrofitted noise screens are obtrusive and donot contribute to a likeable community image as one passes from one 'taman' to another in a continuing row of double storey shophouses, flats, and punctuated byislands of wooden buildings,warehouses, hypermarkets and poorly sited schoolsand mosque along the highways (example Middle Ring Road 2).

category of development to the National Physical Council (NPC) for advise. Theserefers to (1) proposed new towns with population more than 10,000 population orarea exceeding 100 hectares, (2) major infrastructural facilities, and (3) developmenton top or hill slope within sensitive environmental area of a development plan.Following this, a regulatory role has been provided whereby a Regulatory TechnicalCommittee has been approved by the NPC, headed by the Director General ofJPBD. In conforming to this role, JPBD has reorganized its Legal, Planning andRegulatory Division with additional manpower. Follow-up administration of guide-lines and procedures relating to processing of such prescribed list of developmentare currently on the way.

((33)) UUnnssuussttaaiinnaabbllee TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn:: ""AA GGeeooggrraapphhyy OOff NNoowwhheerree ??""

The Klang Valley secretariat has conducted a social impact study(TranSimpact 1999) to assess theimpact of a number of highways andrails crossing such communities; thishas culminated with a proposed partici-patory process framework and a soft-ware (TS-1, to assess its social impact)with a view to creatively handle suchhighway and rail planning and develop-ment issues in the future; but whetherthese can be institutionalised within theimmediate future is a moot question; willparticipation of affected parties movebeyond settlement of compensation andinto the decision process itself?

Given the poor integration betweenland use development and transporta-tion studies, the Klang Valley secretariathas recently initiated an integrated public transport system and land use development plan study, with a view toenhance and encourage usage of publictransportation through harnessing exist-ing and future transport nodes incorpo-rating living, recreation and employmentcharacteristics and appropriate transitbuilt designs. More importantly, thestudy for the first time, introduced thespatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE)methodology to assess the various alternative routes from various stake-holders perspectives.

KAMALRUDDIN shamsudin.Kamalruddin (aka Kl'din) created theGeotechnical Spatial Analysis Researchand Development (GSARD) programme in2001 with the aim to institutionalise spatial analytical planning techniques anddecision science methodologies in theplanning service. He currently works ontwo research theme (town planning failures and successes; and the contribution of Charles Reade to townplanning in Malaya). A 336-page compilation of his past articles, papers,booklet, speeches and planning ideas hasrecently been completed and kept atJPBD library.

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 09

1An earlier version of his paper was presented at the National Seminar on Legal Regime of SustainableLand use and EnvironmentalDevelopment, organised by the Land Tenure and Environmental PlanningUnit (LATEC), International Islamic University Malaysia, 9 August 2003.

References:

1.Banister D, Button K and Nijkamp P (eds) (1999),�Environment, Land Use and Urban Policy�,�Environmental Analysis and Economic Policy2�, An Elgar Reference Collection.2.JPBD Selangor (2003), �Laporan PemeriksaanRancangan Struktur Negeri Selangor (2002-2020)�, JPBD Selangor.3.JPBD dan LESTARI (2003), �Agenda 21Selangor. Iltizam Selangor KearahPembangunan Mampan�, Kerajaan NegeriSelangor Darul Ehsan.4. JPBD Semenanjung Malaysia �GeotechnicalSpatial Analysis Research and Development(GSARD)� Website can be viewed athttp://www.townplan.gov.my/eng/gsard/gsard.htm5.Kenny M and Meadowcroft (eds) (1999),�Planning Sustainability�Routledge. 6.Kunstler JH (1993), �The Geography ofNowhere : The Rise and Decline of America'sMan-made Landscape�, Simon and Schuster.7.Layard A, Simin D and Batty S (eds) (2001),�Planning for a sustainable Future�. Spon press.

8.Macnaghten P and Pinfield G (1999), �Planningand Sustainable Development : Prospects ForSocial Change in Allmendinger P and ChapmanM (eds) Planning Beyond 2000� ,Wiley.9.Kamalruddin bin Shamsudin (2001), workingpaper on "Pembangunan Pengangkutan TransitAwam Dan Hubungannya Dengan PenggunaanTanah : Cabaran dan Halangan Perlaksanaan diLembah Klang" presented at the Klang ValleyRegion Metropolitan Policy Workshop organised byJPBD Selangor- Equatorial Hotel Bangi.10.Miller D and Roo GD (eds) (1999), �IntegratingCity Planning and Environmental Improvement: Practicable Strategies for Sustainable UrbanDevelopment�, Ashgate.11.Owens S and Cowell R (2002), �Land andLimits: Interpreting Sustainability in thePlanning Process�, Routledge.12.Salet W and Faludi A (eds) (2000), �TheRevival of Strategic Spatial Planning.Proceedings of the Colloquium, Amsterdam,25-26 February 1999�, Royal NetherlandsAcademy of Arts and Sciences.

Features

Will the Klang Valley score high on the sustainability scale? Assuming no substantive change in land administration procedures (resolving the dual landadministration) in regards approval of land use development at State level; theapplication of newer approaches in the local and structure planning; the continuingcrisis management and retrofitting by the Federal and State agencies; and thegradual adoption of sustainable development strategies at State level; the resulting outcome will not change much, indeed a declining environmental situation may occur.

Achieving sustainable land development indeed is a herculean tasks. For toaspire to achieve it (balancing economic, social and environmental objectives),would require the following key structural changes: a (radical) shift in land adminis-tration vis-à-vis resolving the dual administration of land use activities between theState and the local planning authorities, the establishment of a central authority ontransportation for the Klang Valley; a professional and NCIT skilled humanresource at the local authorities to handle processing and monitoring of projects;improvement to the quality of development plans in regards integration and coordi-nation of various sectors vis-à-vis the formulation of realistic growth managementstrategies (a position needing extra demands on its formulation to bridge the various agencies and stakeholders); and a pro-active and efficient administration of the SPC with regards to matters which do not conform to gazetted developmentplans. Unless such features are in place, achieving sustainable land developmentwill be an elusive dream.

A number of readers will dispute such gloomy conclusion, by arguing that somestate government has started work on sustainable development (producing a num-ber of sustainable documents, and the State adoption of Sustainable Strategy andAgenda 21), and that at Federal level, data are been collected for the urban indicator programme, to measure level of sustainability for a number of towns.Such efforts are laudable, it is a beginning, but it is too little. For while the keystructural prerequisites are not tackle head-on or seen as bypassing the heart ofthe conflict, such efforts and small beginning will be meaningless in climbing up thesustainability ladder. Of the key structural prerequisites, the establishment of acentral transportation authority for Klang Valley, and the resolution of a dual landadministration, will prove to be the most intractable to implement under existingpolitical and administrative structures.

CCoonncclluuddiinngg rreemmaarrkkss:: IInnssttiittuuttiioonnaall aanndd LLeeggiissllaattiivvee RReeffoorrmm......

CCuurrrreenntt TThhiinnkkiinngg aanndd AAccttiioonnss

Town Planning in Malaysia has a richhistory of problem solving approaches.Disasters trigger sets of planning guide-lines and developments plans cater forthe minimization of man made catastro-phes. A majority of the planning guidelines prepared are actually directives from the Cabinet as a result of mishaps or a court's decision. An appropriate example is the guidelines onrooftop gardens and development onhighlands (see appendix 1) although onpaper, Structure Plans and Local Planshave the general notion that it is devisedfor the future, in actual sense it is mere-ly a set of actions that is more remedialto past and current issues than pre-emptive ones.

Keeping abreast with current trends inplanning in the developed nations havealways been the privileges of a fewselected professionals. Making theknowledge of such changing practisesand future proposals widely available toother planners and decision makerswould be an important agenda as far asthe FDTCP (Federal Department t ofTown and Country Planning) is concern.

Planners are often caught "flat footed"in tackling fast changing issues. As anexample current planning guidelines ontelecommunication towers are unable tocope for the fast changing technologymaking it obsolete and causing unsightlystructures that bemoans both theCabinet and the public.


Features Emerging Town Planning Issues

JAMIL ahmad [email protected] and Development Division Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia

AAbbssttrraacctt

Town planning in Malaysia has always been saddled with housekeeping exercises and "ad hoc"programmes so much so that the original aim of planning itself that involves the formulation ofcomprehensive pre-emptive measures has been sidelined. Current planning practices inMalaysia be it planning guidelines or development plan format are actually having more remedial objectives than being futuristic in nature. The lack of insight into things to come due toa strong grip in doing the traditional way in planning are some of the factors contributing to thisstate of affairs. Emphasising in newer approaches (although are nothing new elsewhere) inplanning with such techniques such as scenario writing, operational research, scientific methods in planning are much needed. Current and emerging trends in technology in communication and other sciences will have a big impact on future planning practices. Thinkingin 3 dimensional planning platforms, sophisticated planning support system such as What if,MultiCriteria Decision Making processes, Carrying Capacities and Ecological Footprints and reinventing planning approaches are some of the topics being discussed. Trends in lifestyle,globalisation and cross country protocol and even global terrorism have been emerging issuesconfronting planners in developed countries and everywhere else...

The future has always been a preoccupation with futurists while predictionsare the ramblings of a fool Planning, however, is an act that concerns thefuture! But planners are no fools unless they are blind to the emerging trendsthat will shape the way we think, live and play.

Trends do not appear in a flash but invades our presence in an unseeming-less fashion. By the time one realized it, we are already dancing to the tune ofchange. Changes in the way we have to think, live and play are an inevitableforce that one has to cope. However, the most important question is whetherwe are prepared for such changes? Resisting change will only be worthwhileif the majority of the populace are with us, and at the end of the day it is dol-lars and sense that will determine the final decision.

"The fact that globalisation has come does not mean weshould just sit by and watch as the predators destroy us" 1

Dato'Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad(Globalisation and New Realities)

Confronting The Unprepared

Preamble

So what are the major world changes in the years to come facing the planning fraternity that will have major impact in theway we do our plans?

The emerging issues are:

GGlloobbaalliissaattiioonn AAnndd CCrroossssCCoouunnttrryy PPrroottooccooll

Definition:According to the UNESCO's world Communication Report (1997)globalisation refers to a

"Concept originating in Anglo-Saxon coun-tries which refers to the increasingly world-wide nature of industrial production andtrade, caused by the rapid development ofnew information and communication tech-nology, and the instant, planetary transmis-sion of their content."

IImmppaacctt ooff GGlloobbaalliissaattiioonn aanndd IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall PPaaccttss oonnPPllaannnniinngg

The opening of our doors on the front of trade, environmentaland other sectoral agreements will definitely shape the formand content of development plans. No longer will the plans berigid in their approach but flexible enough to cater forInternational regulations and requirements. The effect of tradeliberalization will see bigger players more free to take oversmaller industries as such the numbers and other projectionsby planners will have to be relooked in the light of such situation. Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself time andtime again in his series of talks and books caution us aboutthis predicament 1. Planners have to be in touch with the latesttrade agreement and other international protocol so as to be

able to anticipate any changes that will best suit the nation. At the same time master plans and planning guidelines beingformulated will not be made redundant and irrelevant by such moves.

In 1997, 160 countries met in Kyoto Japan to negotiate binding limitations for gaseous release by developed countriesto reduce greenhouse effect. Curtailing the number of pollutingand ozone depleting utilities as CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon)emitting devices are one of the major breakthrough achieved.However, the United States of America agreed to limit gasemissions by 7% from the period 2008 to 2012. With theadvent of Globalisation and other multilateral agreement suchas the Rio Declaration (Agenda 21) on sustainability, Plannerswill have to keep abreast with the current as well as emergingcross country protocols that will effect their planning practices.

The advent of AFTA in 2005 will definitely have an impact ontransportation planning and the overall master plan's projectionon land use if the cross-country protocol will cause a surge incar ownership and thus affecting the travelling pattern ofMalaysians. Or will cheaper cars be just a dream if protectionist strategies are in place to safeguard the NationalAutomobile Industry?

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 11

Features

The New CityCentury 9, Quatrain 92

�The king will want to enterthe new city, Through itsenemies they will come tosubdue it, Captives liberatedto speak and act falsely,King to be outside, he willkeep far from the enemy�

Nostradamus

HHooww RReeaaddyy AArree WWee ffoorr tthhee KKnnoowwlleeddggee BBaasseedd EEccoonnoommyy ??

Malaysia's journey towards becoming a k-economy began when vision 2020 waslaunched in February 1991. For the purpose of this paper, Malaysia knowledgebased economy is defined as an economy in which knowledge, creativity andinnovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaininggrowth. 1Some of the measures in gearing the civil service into venturing in a k-economy are; (Figure 1)

The above strategies to reshape the public service, which include the planning profession obviously need a quick transformation not only in provision of adequateand appropriate physical infrastructure but most important would be preparing oneself mentally to cater for such a knowledge based era. The Federal Town andCountry Planning Department have in fact answered to the call partly to equip herselfto k-economy by strengthening not just the Research and Development Division butother divisions in line with the emerging changes of the Information andCommunication Technology age.

EEmmeerrggiinngg TTrreennddss iinn tthhee TToowwnn aanndd CCoouunnttrryy PPllaannnniinngg LLeeggiissllaattiioonnss

The Town And Country Planning Act (Act 172) has gone substantial modificationsand amendments ever since its inception in 1976.The act is a useful "tool" to reflectwhether planning activity in Malaysia is pre-emptive or reactive. Some of the amend-ed provisions reflects the reactive nature of planning as in the following examples;

Section 12(3): Act 933(a) formulate, in such details as the local planning authority thinks appropriate, its proposals for:(iii) the protection and improvement of the physical environment of;(iv) the preservation of the natural topography of;(v) the improvement of the landscape of;(vi) the preservation and planting of trees in."

Part VA, section 38HThe emphasis on the protection of the environment is a result of a series of naturaland manmade disasters such the Highland Towers tragedy in 1993,the water crisis inKlang Valley on 1993 and the rapid depletion of water catchment and forest reserves.

Section 2A.(I)Act 1129�There shall be established a National Physical Planning Council...�

TThhee RRoollee ooff tthhee NNaattiioonnaall PPhhyyssiiccaall PPllaannnniinngg CCoouunncciill ((NNPPPPCC))

The most recent (Sept 2001) amendments to the Planning Act which looks more pre-emptive are actually reactive in nature. The formation of The National PhysicalPlanning Council, the preparation of the National Spatial Plan, and the creation of

Regional PlanningCommittees are actually long over due! Having said that,it should be noted that Malaysia is oneof the few nations in the world to have aNational Physical Plan with the PrimeMinister at the helm..With the latestamendments to include provisions inHeritage protection, planning in thiscountry has join the league of developednations where conservation planninghave actually been long in practice.

While it is commendable that provi-sions is enshrined in the Planning Acttowards the protection of the environ-ment, the actual implementation andmonitoring on the ground is indeed amonumental task to follow.

SScciieennttiiffiicc AApppprrooaacchheess TToo PPllaannnniinngg EEvvaalluuaattiioonn AAnndd FFoorrmmuullaattiioonn

The current approaches in our develop-ment plans as explicitly manifested inthe 1st and 2nd generation (between1980 to 2000) Structure Plans and LocalPlans, the formulation of Key Diagramsand Proposals Maps, uses conventionaltechniques in evaluating best proposeduses of the land. A manual approach inevaluating land budget based on popu-lation projections was the practise in formulating key diagrams and proposalmaps. Unfortunately this approach couldnot cope with the ever dynamics of themarket forces and in Klang Valley alonenon compliance of the Local Authority'sStructure Plans is about 40% deviationfrom the original uses proposed in theKey Diagrams.9

With the help of GIS applications andLand Use Modelling techniques namedILA or Integrated Land Assessmentbeing developed in Klang ValleyPlanning Secretariat it is possible to pre-dict and simulate future trends in theland uses (see diagram 1)


Features

Measures In Gearing The Civil Services Into Venturing In A K-Economy.A. Developing Human ResourcesRecommendation 1: Develop management of human resources based on competencyRecommendation 2: Attract some of the best brains into public service.Recommendation 3: Improve training policy and strengten training programmes.Recommendation 4: Strengthen support infrastructure for training.Recommendation 5: Inculate stronger thinking skills and a culture of innovation by 2005Recommendation 6: Develop a management system.Recommendation 7: Enhance transparency.Recommendation 8: Strengthen capacity for policy analysis and R&D.Recommendation 9: Improve English language capabilities.

B. Reform of Structure and OrganisationRecommendation 10:Introduce flexible, flatter,non-hierarchical structures.Recommendation 11:Recognise the public sector.

C. Reform of Work ProgressRecommendation 12:Intoduce more efficient work processes.

D. Absorption and Application of ICTRecommendation 13:Address ICT shortfalls and introduce improvement

Figure 1: Source: Knowledge based economy Master Plan 2000

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 S E P T 2 0 0 3 13

Features

Diagram 1 :Criteria used in Integrated Landuse Assesment for Environmentally Sensitive areas inGombak District Selangor .(BKWWPLK) 2002 - Source:AGISWLK 2002

Diagram 2 : Land Suitability analysis using locality as a criterion in ILA( Source:AGISWLK 2002)

Scenario generating programmes suchas MIKE 11 and Watershed for floodsprediction and What If for land use scenarios and Multi Criteria DecisionAnalysis which is an offshoot ofOperational Research will give the townplanners a wider scope in determiningbetter and more appropriate future useof the land. These scientific approachesare and will be an integral part of theplanning process in the future.

Currently the Research andDevelopment Division under the coordination of Researcher KamalruddinShamsuddin is embarking vigorously onthe GSARD programme (GeotechnicalSpatial Analysis Research andDevelopment) incorporating spatialanalysis methods in plan formulations

(http://www.townplan.gov.my/eng/gsard/gsard.htm)

of land use classification. The work ofthe American Planning Association informulating a 3Dimensioanl land useclassification in line with the GIS applica-tion in the country makes sense sinceGIS are basically data kept in layers andare such more easily categorized andretrievable. The existing cornucopia ofland use categories among local authori-ties and in the currently 2-dimensionalform is complicated since the categoriestend to infuse and mix hierarchical struc-ture of land with feature classes and sta-tus of land use. A 3D classification willease reading and interpretation as onecan easily decipher categories by GISlayers without cluttering many emblemsand logos to depict their uses.(see diagram 3)

1. An Integrated Regional MasterPlans for All Agencies.

The existing "line of command" for theimplementation of Regional MasterPlans and other non statutory Planshave sometimes been accused of leaning towards Town PlanningDepartment centric; in other wordsmaster plans formulation tend to caterfor planning departments requirementrather than other related agencies.Taking for example the Klang ValleyPerspective Plan, approaches, the Planwas formulated by the Klang ValleyPlanning Division with consultation of thevarious key Government Agencies. However some government agencieswithin the Klang Valley also undertaketheir own planning programmes not in

TThhiinnkkiinngg IInn 33DD

The usage of Geographical InformationSystem (GIS) in planning is a standardpractise in most planning organizations.

Many GIS based applications arealready "matured"systems such as AGISWlk (GIS for Klang Valley Region),PEGIS (Penang GIS) and DEGis(Selangor GIS), which have undergonea decade of progress. One of the basiccomponents or applications in any GISbased planning system is land use. Astandardized land use classification willbe of utmost necessity if theGeographical Information system is toinvolve interfacing with other GIS basedplanning systems. MAGDI (MalaysianGeospatial Data Infrastucture ) is in themidst of producing an international code

RReeiinnvveennttiinngg PPllaannnniinngg AApppprrooaacchheess


Features

La

nd

-Us

e D

ime

ns

ion

sDiagram 3: American Planning Associations Landbased Classification Standard using a 3D Approach

Residential activitiesShopping, business or trade activitiesIndustrial, manufacturing and waste-related activitiesSocial, institutional or infrastructure-related activitiesTravel or movement activitiesMass assembly of peopleLeisure activitiesNatural resource-related activitiesNo human activity or unclassitiable activity

LBCS Activity

Residence or accomodation functionsGeneral Sales or servicesManufacturing and wholesale tradeTransportation, communication, information, and utilitiesArts, entertainment and recreationEducation, public amin., health care, other inst.Construction-related businessesMining and extraction establishmentsAgriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

LBCS Function

Residential buildingsCommercial buildings and other specialized structionsPublic assembly structuresInstitutional or community facilitiesTransportation-related facilitiesUtility and other nonbuilding structuresMilitary installationsSheds, farm buildings or agricultural facilitiesNo structure

LBCS Structure

Developed siteDeveloped site with a structure - buildingDeveloped site with a structure - nonbuildingDeveloped site that is functional (crops, storage etc.)Developed site that is primarily ornamental (landscape)Developed site that is functional and ornamental (park)Developed site that is gradedSite with temporary structureSite in natural state

LBCS Site

No constraints - private ownershipSome constraints - easements or restricted useLimited restrictions - leased or tenancy restrictionsPublic restrictions - local, state, federal ownershipOther public use restrictions - regional, special districtNonprofit ownership restrictionsJoint ownership character - public entitiesJoint ownership character - public, private, nonprofit etc.Not applicable to this dimension

LBCS Site Ownership

source:http:www.planning.org/lbcs

Land-Based Classification Standards LBCS

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 15

Features

2. Emerging Retail Development and Shopping Patterns

The recent mushrooming of big retail establishments in the urban areas in particularand the property overhang in general reflects the 'inability' of the current developmentplans to cope with ever changing economic scenarios. The input of big corporateplayers in the plan making formulation in an effective manner could be one of thereasons for such inadequacies. The issue of giant retail multinationals in the form ofhypermarkets especially in the Klang Valley recently warrant a full review by plannersat large.

The Cabinet in May 2002 have directed that no more hypermarkets should beapproved pending proper guidelines. Existing Structure and Local Plans do not designate areas for major retail outlets. As such, application of hypermarket is either targeting existing commercial zones in Structure Plans or green field areas withinclose housing estates. Is the whole Structure Plans and Local Plans too long in itspreparation stage? Should the whole plan making process not be regimented by legalprovisions? Are the public participation activities just superficial formality? These arethe questions constantly being asked by planners and other parties affected by the Plans.

3. The Potential of Sequential Approach in Planning

Structure Plans and Local Plans should incorporate clear Shopping hierarchies in the Plans. In the United Kingdom and most Europe Local Plans designate areasmeant for Hypermarket and Super Stores. PPG 6 (Planning Policy Guidelines) ordirectives by the Secretary of State for The Environment and Planning in the UnitedKingdom details out the use of Sequential Approach in retail Planning. SequentialApproach11 determine the areas meant for retail and shopping activities within andout of town sites according to demand and time phase. In other words before a majorretail outlet such as a hypermarket can be approved by local authority a market studyhas to be conducted to warrant such an establishment is necessary and viable at thattime. In this case the private sector is actively involve in the plan making process ofthe Local Plan.

In determining the number of hypermarkets viable at one time for an area, or theirsaturation point, Sequential Approach can be used as an effective tool. This controlmechanism coupled with an integrated approach with public and transportation policies will give optimal use of the land.

The Regional Structure and Local Plans however must detail out clear policies onshopping and commercial activities. The vibrancy of the inner city centre must beensured while formulating "out of town shopping policies". A proper balance in distributing commercial and real estates zones must be studied and translated inclear policies and guidelines.

4. Increasing the Role of the Private Sector in Planning

The role of the private sector and other agencies involves in the planning processmust further enhanced in a more integrated manner and upgrade to a better-coordi-nated situation. The best mismatch example between land use and transportationnetwork that result in a "lose lose situation" is the Midvalley Shopping Megacomplexand the Putra LRT line that does not meet. Common sense shows that lack of planning coordination existed in the creation of such planning folly thus the need toreinvent existing planning approaches and methodology must be undertaken.Perhaps the National Physical Planning Council can address this uncoordination inplanning for the nation's interest.

conformity with the strategies outline thePerspective Plan. A rethinking of thewhole planning format and approachesis underway to make the RegionalMaster Plan more integrated and actionoriented. The "overlapping function" ofthe Selangor State Structure Plan willmake the Perspective Pelan redundantunless The Klang Valley PlanningSecretariat seriously reinvent the currentform and content and implementationmechanism. What is more important themodus operandus for implementing thestrategies which involves monitoring andperiodical review should be the focus ofthe Klang Valley Planning Secretariat

In the context of formatting, thereshould no longer be a one single volume of Perspective Plan exclusively by and of the" Prime MinisterDepartment but ideally would include -Perspective Plan of the Drainage andIrrigation Department and other relevant implementing agencies. Eachsub Perspective Plan then will containstrategies and programmes of the relevant Departments in line and in consonant to the main strategies of theMainPerspective Plan Report. The maintask of the Klang Valley PlanningSecretariat then will be outlining mainphysical planning policies and broadframework and monitoring of the strate-gies and disbursement of funds for theimplementation of programmes by thevarious agencies.

�The best mismatchexample between landuse and transportation network that result in a"lose lose situation" isthe Midvalley ShoppingMegacomplex and thePutra LRT line thatdoes not meet.�


Features

TTrraannssiitt OOrriieenntteedd DDeevveellooppmmeenntt AAnndd NNeeww UUrrbbaanniissmm

Major cities in the world where land is expensive have been advocating and implementing the principles of Transit OrientedDevelopment (TOD) where high density land use are centred around transit stations for higher accessibility and at the same timeretaining and maintaining ecological balance in other green areas for future use. Toronto, Curitiba, Singapore and Munich aresome of the major cities that have embarked on this philosophy of sustainability. Klang Valley is the new kid on the block toembrace such planning principle as outlined in the Klang Valley Perpective Plan 2000-2020. With its 3 principles of Safety,Healthy and Wealthy other major conurbations in the country are expected to join these league of sustainable cities.

Transit Oriented Development should also be coupled with other planning control mechanisms such preferential infill develop-ment, increasing density measures around transit nodes, bonus plot ratios and inner city parking measures.

Optimisation of land utilization to avoid wastage which could result in property overhang is the basis of current and emergingplanning models and initiatives. Underlying sustainability concept in new planning approaches is being looked into by plannersformulating development plans. The initiative of the Selangor State Government especially The State Town and Country PlanningDepartment together with the Malaysian Institute of Planning in the formulation of Sustainable Community Guidelines. This pilotproject called Komuniti Sejahtera augurs well for the country. The elements of new urbanism and smart growth is being stud-ied to be part and parcel of new Structure and Local Plans being prepared by the Department.

Urban sprawl and uncontrollable development is a phenomenon that will face this country if development zones as delineated inStructure Plans and Local Plans are not being adhered to. Over approving of planning permissions outside development zonesshould be a thing of the past if planning is to be effective. Effective "realtime" monitoring of property development in the countryshould the ideal goal of the nation.

SSuussttaaiinnaabbiilliittyy AAnndd CCaarrrryyiinngg CCaappaacciittiieess

The second Klang Valley Perspective Plan (2000-2020) puts heavy emphasis onTransit Oriented Development and infill development while proposing a 6 million pop-ulation for the Valley by 2020.While the Valley can accommodate more population butat the expense of more green spaces including environmentally sensitive areas, thePlan advocate studies in carrying capacities measures based on future supply ofwater and to create a sustainable balance of development.

Two important Studies: The (Sustainable)Quality of Life Indicators Study and theIntegrated Transportation and land use Study is being undertaken. It is also recom-mended that an Ecological Footprint measures be formulated for major urbanagglomeration in the country. An Ecological footprint study will indicate the status orrate of environmental depletion that is the cost of our lifestyle.

The FTCPD is also undertaking a Sustainable Urban Indicators Study (Murninet).In the future, these sustainable indicators will be an integral part of running a localauthority or a planning organization.

VViirruuss AAnndd PPllaannnniinngg

The recent outbreak of SARS not only have a profound effect on the tourism indus-try but many other aspects of human life. In China the outbreak of SARS resulted inmany fatalities in closed knit, densely inner city areas. As a response the Chinaplanners are in the midst of vigorously reviewing their masterplans to accommodatemillions who want to settle in the urban fringes where housing units are more spa-cious and healthy. The unprecedented occurrence of such devastating global biologi-cal catastrophe has caught many planners worldwide off guard. The irony of it all isthat the discipline of modern town planning originated from sanitary and healthproblems in the late 19th century England.

China planners are in the midst of vigorously reviewingtheir masterplans toaccommodate millions who want tosettle in the urban-fringes where housing units aremore spacious andhealthy.

�Underlying sustainability concept in new planning approach-es is being looked into by planners formulating development plans.The initiative of the Selangor State Government especially TheState Town and Country Planning Department together with theMalaysian Institute of Planning in the formulation of Sustainable Community Guidelines.�

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 17

Features

EEmmeerrggiinngg TTeecchhnnoollooggiieess

1. Telecommunication

The current Information and Communication Technology (ICT) age is already seeingsome exciting innovations with the migration from the analogue to digital. format Nownot only can we receive sound signals using microwave but also transfer of data athigh speed. WAP over GPRS is the current exciting consumer facilities. With thecoming 3G, 4G, 5G or future generation telecommunication technology speedier andgreater transfer of video, text and audio is possible. Wi Fi or wireless technology isalready making inroads in advanced countries and will be the latest phenomenon inthis country in the coming years. The laying of Hotspots or communications nodesin public areas will affect the Planning Guidelines on communication and technology.While unsightly telecommunication antenna and receivers cluttered the Malaysianskyline except in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya the Island paradise of Bali uses satellitenetwork for its mobile phones users making their architectural aesthetics intact anddevoid of such intrusions.

2. Nanotechnology

One of the most exciting scientific fields that is getting growing attention isNanotechnology Advancement in research of this technological field involves heavyinvestment because new technology gives cutting edge advantage to nations. A hugeinvestment has been put aside in the United States and Japan to undertake furtherlong-term research in nanotechnology dubbed THE technology of the 21st century. Nanotechnology will be the next Industrial Revolution preceding thisage of Information Technology.

As a philosophy, this emerging fields of nanoscale science, engineering and technology-the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create largestructures with fundamentally new properties and function are leading to unprece-dented understanding and control over basic building blocks and properties of all natural and man made things. Nanotechnology is synonymous with the works of Dr K .Eric Drexler but the term is actually coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi in1974. Nanoscience works at the smallest level a bout a billionth of a metre and eachnanometer is 4 atoms wide! Some of the most promising potential of nanotechnologyexists due to the laws of quantum physics. Quantum physics laws take over at thisscale, enabling novel applications in optics, electronics, magnetic storage, computing,catalysts, and other areas.

The basic principles involves in nanotechnology is the ability to reassembleatomic structure of things to produce another physical shape much like geneticengineering and manipulation of DNA.

In some local authorities in the United Kingdom, conferences on the impact of nan-otechnology has already been organized (see http://www.egovmonitor.com./newslet-ter), MINITEC a research Institute in Grenoble France is also aggressively pursuingreaseach into nanotechnology, photonics and micro technology. It is also hearteningto know that Local Universities are giving increasing attention to this emerging fieldnamely the University Science Malaysia, Universiti Putera Malaysia and the NationalUniversity Malaysia and the University of Technology Malaysia. The NationalUniversity of Malaysia have even set up an Institute of Microengineering andNanoelectronics (IMENS)and is embarking on incubator joint projects with TelekomMalaysia. Research labs the various Universities are dedicated to the field ofmicrotechnology, photonics and nanotechnology.

Diagram 3: Nanogears no more than a nanometer wide could beused to construct a matter compiler, which could be fed rawmaterial to arrange atoms and build a macro-scale structure

Some of the startling predictions are;

> Nearly free consumer products> PC's billions of times faster

than today> Safe and affordable space travel> Virtual end to illness, aging> No more pollution and

automatic cleanup of existing pollution

> End of famine and starvation> Superior education for every

child on Earth> Reintroduction of many

extinct plants and animals> Terraforming Earth and the

Solar System

a. Nearly free consumer productsNanotechnology according to the proponents will enable using nanoscaleassemblers and nano devices whichcan replicate itself and produce nowaste as a result. As such there will beno need to have money since mostmaterial things are relatively free.Working for money will no longer be relevant and there will be no moreoffices and shops. Commercial spaceswill be a thing of the past. Since mostconsumer materials will be easily trans-formed into other items there will be nowaste. There will therefore be no needfor incinerators and sanitary landfill.

3. Potential of Nanotechnology

Prof Drexler's prophecies7 about thepotential and dangers of nanotechnolo-gy gives an exciting insight into the sci-ence fiction or facts of tomorrow and willhave a profound effect of the planningsystems in the world.


Features

b. PC's billions of times faster than today

The most powerful supercomputer willbe the size of a grain of sugar and willuse microorganism as its chips. Storingof data into nanoscale computers willmean the whole books in the nationalLibrary can be stored in a computerhardisk the size of a grain of sugar!Everybody will have their own super-computer built within their bodies andcomputers is ubiquitous in future world.This highly sophisticated world of computer linkages to everything we dois often called evernet is not an impossi-ble scenario.

c. Safe and affordable space travelThe use of carbon filament made fromcarbondioid the lightest as well as thehardest material known to man willmake space travel and levitation possi-ble. Would that spell the demise ofvehicular tyres?

d. End of famine and starvationThe possibility in restructuring atomicstructures of common materials to formanother physical form such as foodmeans there will be less dependence onland to grow food. The implication willbe the need to control population explo-sion as a result. Population projectionwill take new dimension in developmentplans if such a need a rise.

e. Terraforming Earth and Solar systems

This is the most exciting prospects withnanotechnology. The prediction thatthere will be an end to pollution andcleanup of existing mess is a plannersdream and utopia. Terraforming Earthmeans using self replicating processes itis possible to replenish Earth in itsGreenery. Deserts can be turn to hugetropical Amazons.

WWhhaatt SShhoouulldd PPllaannnneerrss DDoo??

> READ! Planners should read and take note of things to come, there are abun-dant of resources both virtually and in the conventional form.

> OPEN MIND! Planners should have an open mind to things but should NOTevade reading materials "sensitive "to their belief. However one should not be toogullible in reading materials and easily convinced over what they read. Giving oppor-tunity to see the other side of things before making a decision is an adil practise.

> THINK GLOBAL! The coming era will see more interaction and interfacingwith the outside world. No longer the adage "FROG UNDER THE COCONUT SHELL"applicable in this age if we want to progress. Learn what the outside world is doingand adopt and improve on their technology.

> SELF CRITICAL! Planners must never be satisfied with their work andwould want to improve on their professionalism. Planners must never be afraid toinvent and be creative to new things and methodology if they want to play on equalplaying ground with their International counterparts.

RReeffeerreenncceess

1.Dr Seri Mahathir Mohamed: �Globalisation andNew Realities�, Pelanduk Publications 20002.Stretegic Initiative One of the 2151 Century:�Knowledge based economy Master Plan�Economic Planning Unit Prime Minister's Department20023.Arthur C Clarke: �July 20, 2019 Life in the 2151Century�, Omni Book Publishing Com pany Newyork 19854.Nik Rairi Omar ,Arena Che Kasim,Azima AbdulManaf,Suhana Saad: �Pembangunan Abad ke 21 :beberapa Perbincangan Falsafah danPeradaban�, Fakulti Sains Sosial danKemanusiaanUKM 20025.Mohamed Jamil Ahmad: �Penggunaan TeknikPemetaan Terrain (Terrain Mapping) DalamAnalisa Pembangunan DiTanah Tinggi DanLereng Bukit di Lembah Klang�, BahagianKemajuan Wilayah Persekutuan dan PerancanganLembah Klang6.Jack Malczewski : �GIS and MulticriteriaDecision Analysis�, John Wiley & Sons 1999

7.M.c Rocco NSF: �National NanotechnologyInvestment in the FY 2003 Budget Request by thePresident�, National Nanotechnology Initiative See:http:www.nano.gov/8.A global inquiry, Robert Cervero: �The TransitMetropolis�, Island Press Wahington 19989.Federal territory Development and Klang ValleyPlanning Division �Klang valley Perspective Plan 2�, Prime Ministers Department. 200010. Application for Geographical Information Systemfor Klang Valley: �AGISWLK�, Federal TerritoryDevelopment and Klang Valley Planning DivisionPrime Minister Department. 200011.CB Hillier Parker : �The Sequential Approach toRetail Development�, Report on a National;Research Project for The National Retail PlanningForum British Council of Shopping CentresDepartment of the Environment, Transport and TheRegions Jan 200012. �The Foresight Institute Webpage�,http://www.foresight.orgiindex.html

JAMIL ahmad

Jamil Ahmad is currently the seniorassistant director at the Research andDevelopment Division Federal Town andCountry Planning Department.His 25years of experience in the planning profesion includes stint at the SpatialPlanning Division, State director forPerlis and Penang and City Planner forIpoh.He was also seconded to theNational University as the resident plan-ner as well as the Principal AssistantSecretary at the Klang Valley PlanningCouncil.He has written and deliveredmany papers including at Internationallevel, the most recent at the 7th CUPUM(Computers in Urban Planning andUrban Management) conference inHawaii in 2001.

1An earlier version of his paper was presented at the National Seminar on Legal Regime of SustainableLand use and EnvironmentalDevelopment, organised by the Land Tenure and Environmental PlanningUnit (LATEC), International Islamic University Malaysia, 9 August 2003.

If such a future will be in store it will make our current planning practise redundant and irrelevant. The seriousness of advanced countries in research into nanotechnology is reflected in the amount of money invested. As an example the2003 budget by the United States Government in nanotechnology research anddevelopment amounted to US 710 million involving multiple agencies from Defenceto Agriculture.7 The most significant question now is when will we get to see allthese utopian dreams? Although some applications are in already in reality like thetunnelling microscope and MIPS chips in PDA's, as well as the stain repellent SteveBauer Nano care Khakis. The Foresight Institute a non-profitable organisation found-ed by Dr Drexler predict such possibilities in 5 to 50 years12. What an exciting newworld! Wallahhuallam!

However, while the benefits of this radical technology might bring greater prosperi-ty to Earth there are dangers that comes with a little knowledge. Nanoweapons thatcan disintegrate human molecule as popularise in science fiction movies such asStar Trek is also possible!

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 19

Konsep dan Proses E-SUBMISSIONdalam Permohonan Perancangan1 FeaturesNOR SALLEHI Kassim ([email protected]) Bahagian Rancangan Fizikal Negara Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Semenanjung Malaysia

Konsep pemohonan kebenaran meran-cang secara elektronik ini merupakansatu proses mengemukakan sesuatupermohonan kepada Pihak BerkuasaTempatan (PBT) dan JabatanPerancangan Bandar dan Desa Negeri(JPBD) untuk kelulusan. Jika dahulunyaproses permohonan dibuat secara manu-al tetapi dengan perkembangan teknolo-gi komputer dan disokong oleh perisianyang mudah, kebanyakkan PBT danJPBD Negeri telah mula mengalih kepa-da keperluan penyediaan dan penghan-taran kebenaran merancang secara elek-tronik. Ianya bukanlah satu proses atauprosidur yang baru tetapi yang mem-bezakan diantara e-submission danpenyerahan secara manual (manual sub-mission) ialah e-submission diprosessecara on-line.

Sungguh pun terdapat pelan-pelanmasakini diserahkan dengan menggu-nakan perisian AutoCad oleh pemohonke PBT dan JPBD, namun keluarannyamasih dicetak dalam bentuk hard copysebelum diedarkan kepada Ahli-ahliJawatankuasa Teknikal yang terlibat didalam proses kelulusan.Walaubagaimana pun proses secaraelektronik seperti penyerahan, penye-makan dan penghantaran secara on-lineini masih belum dilaksanakan sepenuh-nya. Sungguh pun demikian, dewasa initerdapat juga beberapa PBT dan JPBDNegeri sedang giat dan telah memban-gunkan konsep e-submission mereka,seperti PBT Kulim, JPBD Selangor,Planning Application System (SEPAS)dan yang terbaharu melibatkan MajlisDaerah Sepang yang sedang di dalamproses membangunkan Virtual ApprovalEnvironment (VAE).

Sesuatu permohonan untuk kebenaranmerancang berkenaan dengan sesuatupemajuan hendaklah dibuat kepadapihak berkuasa perancang tempatan danhendaklah mengikut bentuk dan men-gandungi butir-butir dan disertakan den-gan dokumen-dokumen, pelan-pelan danbayaran yang ditetapkan (AktaPerancangan Bandar dan Desa 1976 ,Seksyen 21).

Pada kebiasaannya, permohonan per-ancangan yang diterima dikategorikandalam tiga jenis iaitu, permohonan tukarsyarat, pecah sempadan dan pecahbahagian. Permohonan tukar syarat,mendirikan bangunan dan cantumanditerima dari semua Majlis Daerah / PBTuntuk ulasan teknikal. Bagi tanah yangberkeluasan 5 ekar keatas, pemohonadalah disyarat menyediakan LaporanCadangan Pemajuan (LCP).

Selain dari itu di dalam mengendalikanpermohonan perancangan, KhidmatNasihat Perancangan dikaunter jugadiberi pada orang ramai untuk membuatpertanyaan berhubung dengan kesesua-ian dan potensi tanah. Nasihat dan pan-duan yang diberikan adalah berpan-dukan kepada maklumat RancanganStruktur dan Rancangan Tempatan seba-gai dokumen rujukan utama.Permohonan yang dirujuk akan disemakdengan kehendak perancangan berpan-du kepada Akta 172, Kanun TanahNegara, Undang-Undang KecilBangunan Seragam 1984,Garispanduan, Piawaian dan dasar-dasar yang berkaitan.Prosidur mempros-es permohonan adalah seperti ditun-jukkan di Rajah 1.

Sungguh pun proses kebenaran mer-ancang dilihat sebagai a straight forwardprocess, ia dari masa kesemasa meng-hadapi tekanan apabila permohonanyang dibuat makin bertambah dan timbulisu-isu yang lebih kompleks. Justeru itupihak PBT dan JPBD Negeri mengalamimasalah backlog kerana ia mengambilmasa yang lama untuk menyediakanpelan, membuat pindaan dan menge-maskini data dan maklumat.

Berdasarkan masalah-masalah terse-but, beberapa JPBD Negeri telah men-gorak langkah memperkemaskan prosespermohonan perancangan mereka.Sebagai contoh JPBD NegeriTerengganu, Perak dan Kedah telahmempertingkatkan proses permohonanperancangan mereka, dimana kesemuapelan-pelan dibuat dengan menggu-nakan komputer dalam format ACAD.Walaubagaimana pun keluarannyamasih dalam bentuk hard copy. Namunkaedah ini didapati memberi banyakkelebihan seperti mengeluarkan pelansusunatur yang menarik, mudah dipinda,fleksibel dan menjimatkan masa ( JPBDTerengganu ). Apa yang pasti prosesdan pendekatan ini menampakkanusaha-usaha untuk membentuk asas(foundation) di dalam menyokong penye-diaan pelan berdigital pada masa hada-pan. Sungguh pun demikian, terdapatbeberapa kelemahan mengenai prosespermohonan perancangan kaedah CADDrawing ini. Seperti dinyatakan di dalamkertas-kerja Unit Bank Data, JPBDSemenanjung Malaysia (Februari 2000),memang benar tiada terdapat prosesyang menyeluruh kearah memper-lengkapkan proses kebenaran meran-cang secara elektronik ini. Ia adalahberasaskan perkara-perkara berikut:

1. ACAD Drawing diguna hanya untukmenghasilkan pelan. Ianya satu prosesdimana dahulunya menggunakan kertassurih diganti dengan sistem pendigitanberkomputer.

2. Proses rujukan kepada kajianRancangan Struktur dan RancanganTempatan di buat secara merujuk kepadalaporan sahaja.

Abstrak:Tujuan kertas kerja ini ialah untuk menerangkan cadangan konsep dan proses e-submissionyang melibatkan aplikasi permohonan/kelulusan perancangan. Kertas kerja ini akanmenumpukan kepada konsep dan proses yang dipraktikkan oleh Pihak BerkuasaPerancangan Tempatan (PBT) dan Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Negeri (JPBD) didalam memproses permohonan perancangan secara manual dan kemudiannya akan meneli-ti contoh-contoh pelaksanaan sistem e-submission sediada dan kesesuaiannya untuk digu-nakan oleh PBT dan JPBD Negeri. Satu konsep sistem e-submission dicadangkan denganmengambilkira pemakaiannya secara menyeluruh dan dijadikan asas di dalam merangka sis-tem e-submission, diperbaiki dan diperluaskan skopnya.

LLaattaarrbbeellaakkaanngg PPrroosseess PPeerrmmoohhoonnaann

3. Permohonan disemak di bawahkehendak Akta 172, Kanun TanahNegara, Undang-Undang Kecil BangunanSeragam 1984, Garispanduan Piawaiandan Dasar-Dasar yang berkaitansemuanya dibuat secara manual,memakan masa dan integrasi maklumatyang lemah.

4. Faktor- faktor Pre-Requisite. Tidakmenggunakan format digital (CAMS), perolehan data statistik dan spatial yangtidak sempurna.

Berdasarkan faktor-faktor ini adalah dirumuskan langkah-langkah yang dibuat oleh beberapa JPBD Negeri masihditahap percubaan dan belum dilak-sanakan sepenuhnya.

KKeeaarraahh PPeemmbbeennttuukkaann AAssaass SSiisstteemm EE-SSuubbmmiissssiioonn


Features Pemohon Pihak BerkuasaTempatan Jabatan Teknikal JPBD, TNB, JKR, JPS

(JPBD) Penerimaan / Pendaftaran Surat

Tindakan Bhg. Teknik

Terima Fail KebenaranMerancang (LCP) Jika Perlu

Terima Fail Permohonan Tukar Syarat

Lawatan Tapak Jika Perlu

Sediakan Laporan

Terima Fail PermohonanMendirikan Bangunan

Catatan / Semakan

Perbincangan (Jika Perlu) Membuat Pindaan JikaPerlu

Sediakan Pelan RangkaianJalan

Sediakan Draf Jawapan

Tandatangan danMenghantar Jawapan

Catatan / SemakanCatatan / Semakan

Lawatan Tapak Jika Perlu

Sediakan LaporanSediakan Laporan

Membuat Pindaan JikaPerlu

Rajah 1: Proses Permohonan Kebenaran Merancang(Sumber: Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Negeri Terengganu)

E-Submission disifatkan satu sistem yang komprehensif, mengambilkira data-data digital dan interlinkages process, menghubungkait sistem ini dengan kesempurnaan perolehan data. Kertas-kerja Unit Bank Data, Februari 2000, telah mengutarakan contoh-contoh proses elektronik permohonan perancangan di Australia, Jepun danAmerika Syarikat, tetapi tidak dijelaskan proses integrasi sistem yang digunakan olehnegara-negara tersebut. Negara-negara tersebut telah menggunakan kemudahan internet sebagai alat untuk menyebarkan maklumat, menerima maklumat dan mendapatkan maklum-balas berhubung dengan isu-isu perancangan tetapi ianya bukanlah satu sistem permohonan perancangan. Di dalam merujuk kepada applikasi E-Submission ini, dua contoh yang dapat dijadikan panduan adalah applikasi sistem E-submission di Putrajaya dan Electronic Development Application (EDA), Urban Redevelopment Authority di Singapura.

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 21

KKeess 11:: AApppplliikkaassii SSiisstteemm EE-SSuubbmmiissssiioonn PPuuttrraajjaayyaa

Petikan di atas menerangkan kereme-han proses permohonan perancanganyang diamalkan bagi mendapatkan kelulusan perancangan. Proses inibukan hanya berlaku pada masa yanglepas tetapi ada setengah PBT danJPBD Negeri masih mengamalkannya.Di atas kesedaran inilah, Putrajaya telahmemperkenalkan sistem permohonanperancangan elektronik (electronic planning submission system) SUMBER -PUTRA. Sistem ini di bentuk bagi tujuanmemperbaiki aktiviti komunikasi diantaraJabatan-Jabatan di PerbadananPutrajaya dengan Perunding, kontraktordan orang awam dengan menggunakaninternet dan mel elektronik. Selain dariitu ianya juga bertujuan mengemask-inikan prosidur menilai dan meluluskanpermohonan pembangunan melaluicomputerised workflow management.Dalam ertikata lain, Sumber-Putra inimerupakan applikasi sistem komputerdibentuk membantu PerbadananPutrajaya mentadbir aktiviti-aktivitinyadengan lebih berkesan lagi. Secarakeseluruhannya sistem ini merangkumibeberapa sistem kecil terdiri daripadaPerancangan Pembangunan,Permohonan Perancangan, PentadbiranTanah, Kawalan Bangunan,Pembayaran dan Pangkalan Data.

PPeerrmmoohhoonnaann PPeerraannccaannggaann

Konsep asas proses permohonan kebenaran merancang yang diamalkanoleh Perbadanan Putrajaya tiadabezanya dengan proses yang diamalkanoleh PBT dan JPBD Negeri (LihatRajah 2). Ia melibatkan peringkat penerimaan permohonan, penglibatanulasan teknikal dari Jabatan-jabatanyang berkaitan, mesyuarat teknikal danseterusnya melibatkan aktiviti-aktivitipindaan dan kelulusan. Konsep asas inimenjadi rangkakerja (framework) kepada sistem yang dibentuk secaraelektronik atau lebih dikenali dengannama Planning Permission ExpertSystem (PPES). Sistem ini akan meneliti sebarang permohonan

Features

Start of The Layout E- SubmissionWorkflow

Decryption Virus Scan

E- Mail Check Status of Submission

Register ClericalDetails

Eveluate SubmissionChecklist

Register TechnicalDetails

External Consultation ifNecessery

Internal Consultation by allUnits

Compile External / InternalComments

Technical Meeting

Check MeetingComments

Prepare / PrintTechnical Meeting

Finalise TechnicalMinutes of Meeting

Jawatankuasa Perancangan danPembangunan Putrajaya (JKPP)

Meeting

Decision

Verify External / InternalComments

Rajah 2: Putrajaya Planning Submission System

�... the submission of application for development (planning permission), has inthe past, been a tedious process requiringthe printing of many copies of plans andreports, followed by a journey to the localauthority's office to hand in the documents.�

(John, Jebasingam Issace. March 2000)

Di antara ciri-ciri potensi mengenai sis-tem ini adalah seperti berikut:

Ia membolehkan pemohon menghantar permohonan mereka pada bila-bilamasa samada dari rumah atau pejabat.

Memendekkan masa memprosespermohonan dan keputusan dibuat den-gan cepat.

Membolehkan pemohon meneliti sta-tus permohonan mereka secara on-line.

Memudahkan membuat pindaan

Menjimatkan masa, penyimpanandata, kos pengangkutan dan tenagakerja.

MMeekkaanniissmmaa SSiisstteemm EElleeccttrroonniiccDDeevveellooppmmeenntt AApppplliiccaattiioonn

Sistem EDA ini menonjolkan faktor-faktor seperti user-friendly dan mudahcapaian (accessibility) berasaskan app-likasinya melalui EDA Website/Internet-Singapore One. Mekanisma yang dipraktikkan di dalam penggunaan sistemini melibatkan (Lihat Rajah 4):

1. Setiap pemohon terlebih dahulu perlumendaftar dengan pejabat UrbanRedevelopment Authority (URA). Setelahmendaftar, komputer akan mengesahkan(verify) electronic signature pendaftar.

2. Pemohon akan menyerahkan permo-honan mereka dalam format CAD danmengisi borang elektronik yang disedi-akan oleh URA secara on-line. Di dalamproses ini kedua-dua pelan dan borangtersebut perlu di encrypt dan di tandatangani secara digital.

3. Proses seterusnya melibatkan peng-hantaran (submission) melalui WebsiteEDA. Urban Redevelopment Authorityakan menjawab setiap penerimaan danmemberi nombor rujukan kepada setiappemohon. Pemohon pula akan menggu-nakan nombor rujukan ini untukmemeriksa status permohonan mereka.

4. URA akan menilai setiap permoho-nan dan menghantar setiap keputusanmelalui pemberitahuan elektronik (elec-tronic notification).

secara automatik dan berintegrasi dengan pelbagai keperluan seperti kegunaantanah, anjakan belakang, plinth area mengikut kehendak Akta Perancangan Bandardan Desa 1976.

Sistem permohonan perancangan elektronik melibatkan semua permohonan dibuat melalui Internet (Lihat Rajah 3). Applikasi e-submission Perbadanan Putrajayaini akan membekalkan kepada mereka yang telah mendaftar dengan programPermohonan Elektronik (Electronic Submission Program). Perisian ini akan mem-boleh dan membantu semua perunding di dalam penyediaan dokumen yang diper-lukan bagi tujuan e-submission ( ID numbers and Username).

Seterusnya program ini akan encrypt dan compress data sebelum menyalurkankepada Perbadanan melalui Internet. Sebaik saja data diterima oleh Perbadananproses permohonan akan bermula. Fail atau data akan di decrypt, decompresseddan virus scan dimana semua dokumen serta data akan disimpan secara automatikdi dalam sistem pengurusan dokumen.

Di dalam memastikan e-submission ini mengikut garispanduan dan piawaian yangditetapkan, Perbadanan Putrajaya telah menyediakan piawaian mengenai simboldan sistem lapisan data untuk diguna dan dirujuk oleh semua perunding. Hanya dengan pemakaian piawaian dan lapisan yang ditetapkan mem-bolehkan Planning Permission Expert System berjalan dengan lancar.

KKeess 22:: EElleeccttrroonniicc DDeevveellooppmmeenntt AApppplliiccaattiioonn ((EEDDAA)) - UUrrbbaann RReeddeevveellooppmmeenntt AAuutthhoorriittyy,, SSiinnggaappoorree

Electronic Development Application (EDA) merupakan satu lagi contoh aplikasi per-mohonan perancangan dibuat secara elektronik. Ia merupakan satu sistem mem-bolehkan penghantaran permohonan dilakukan terus kepada Urban RedevelopmentAuthority (URA) untuk mendapatkan kelulusan. Sistem ini dihubungkan melaluiInternet dan Singapore One Network yang memberi kelebihan penghantaran datadigital dan maklumat dilakukan dengan pantas.

Features


Pemohon

Perunding

Mendaftar

Terima ApplikasiE-Submission,Nombor ID dan

Username

Garispanduandan Piawai

Standard Symbols Standard Layering

Encrypt andCompress

Submit KepadaPerbadanan

PutrajayaMelalui Internet

Fail di Decryptdan

Decompressed,Virus Scan

Menilai danmeneliti

Permohonanuntuk Kelulusan

Membuat Keputusan

Rajah 3: Putrajaya Electronic Submission System

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 23

Sistem EDA ini pada dasarnya mem-beri penjelasan bagaimana permohonanperancangan boleh dilakukan melaluielektronik (electronic submission).Walaubagaimana pun sistem ini tidakmenerangkan jumlah masa yang diambildi dalam memproses permohonan.Selain dari itu ianya juga gagal menun-jukkan faktor-faktor pre-requisite yangpada kebiasaannya penting sebelummenjalankan kerja-kerja mendigit pelan.

Kemungkinan Singapura sudah mempunyai pelan digitalnya dan memu-dahkan setiap pemohon mengikut skaladan dari segi maklumat garispanduan,kemungkinan mereka sudah mempunyaimaklumat tersebut dan boleh di accesssecara on-line (lawatan ke URA padabulan Mei 2000, tidak memperincikansistem ini seperti, bagaimana merekamenggunakan GIS, storan/menyimpanmaklumat/data dan mendapat semula(retrieve) data serta penglibatanJabatan-Jabatan Teknikal di dalammemproses dan menilai permohonan)

Kedua-dua kes applikasi SistemPermohonan Perancangan diPerbadanan Putrajaya dan UrbanRedevelopment Authority telah menun-jukkan persamaan. Kedua-duanyamenggunakan kemudahan internet sebagai laluan penghantaran dan penerimaan permohonan.

JJuussttiiffiikkaassii KKeeppeerrlluuaann SSiisstteemm EE-SSuubbmmiissssiioonn

Permohonan kebenaran merancangmelalui kaedah elektronik ini seme-mangnya memberi kelebihan dari segipenyediaan pelannya yang lebih kemas,mudah di buat pindaan, menjimatkanmasa dan kos.

Sistem yang diguna oleh URA danPerbadanan Putrajaya telah menun-jukkan contoh-contoh bagaimana sisteme-submission ini boleh dijalankan.Namun begitu, ianya bukanlah satuprosidur yang mudah dan boleh diilhamkan secara spontan, malah iamemerlukan masa dan penglibatan kosyang tinggi untuk menyediakannya.Sebagai contoh Perbadanan Putrajayatelah mengambil kira-kira 2 tahun (dilan-carkan pada 17 April 2000) untukmemastikan sistem e-submission mereka boleh dilaksanakan.

Berdasarkan contoh dan keperluan untuk menjayakan proses e-submission ini,ia memerlukan perkara-perkara berikut:

a. Membangunkan sistem aplikasi. Sebagai contoh Putrajaya telah membangunkanPlanning Permission Expert System. Ini termasuklah merekabentuk dokumen seperti borang elektronik, format pelan-pelan dan seterusnya menentukan alirankerja (workflow).

b. Membangunkan infrastruktur dan rangkaian capaian. Ini melibatkan pembangu-nan Local Area Network dan Wide Area Network bagi memudahkan perhubungandan penghantaran permohonan kebenaran merancang.

c. Menjalinkan perhubungan terus dengan lain-lain Jabatan yang menganggotaiJawatankuasa Teknikal.

d. Membangunkan garispanduan dan piawaian untuk gunapakai oleh pihak perund-ing dan agensi yang berkaitan. Putrajaya sebagai contoh telah menyediakan piawa-ian mengenai simbol dan sistem lapisan data bagi memastikan setiap penyediaanpelan dan pindaan mengikut standard format.

e. Membangunkan pangkalan data yang lengkap dan sistematik.

f. Membangunkan personel yang terlatih dan berkemampuan menggunakan sistemapplikasi yang dibangunkan.

Features

Developer / Owner

Applicant / Agent

Prepare ElectronicForm

Prepare CAD Drawing

Send ElectronicAcknowledgement

Notice

Send ElectronicNotification of

Decision

Evaluate Applicationfor Planning Decision

Electronically Sign and Encrypt Files

Urban Redevelopment Authority

Submit Application to EDA Web Site viaInternet S-One

Rajah 4: Electronic Development Application System, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore Sumber: Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore (Mei 2000)

CCaaddaannggaann

Berdasarkan contoh dan ulasan dibuatmengenai proses permohonan kebe-naran merancang berelektronik iniadalah tidak mustahil jika semua PBTdan juga JPBD Negeri untuk melak-sanakannya. Walaubagaimana pununtuk tujuan melaksanakannya ia perludigubal dalam bentuk dan perspektifyang menyeluruh. Diantara faktor-faktorpenting di dalam memastikan pemban-gunan sistem yang menyeluruh ini ialah,memastikan pembentukan sistem on-lineyang praktikal, membentuk pangkalandata yang lengkap dan berinteraksi sertamembangunkan secara berperingkat-peringkat. Rajah 5 menerangkan cadan-gan konsep menyeluruh aplikasi sisteme-submission ini. Ia merangkumiaplikasinya di peringkat negeri danhubungkaitnya dengan lain-lain agensidan JPBD Ibu Pejabat.

Proses yang ditunjukkan di atas akanmerangkumi pelaksanaan sistem e-sub-mission secara menyeluruh. Konsepnyaada persamaan dengan proses sediada

dan disesuaikan dengan sistem applikasidi Putrajaya dan URA. Proses menyelu-ruh ini telah mengambilkira perkara-perkara berikut:

1. Pembangunan infrastruktur danrangkaian capaian.

2. Pembangunan sistem applikasi yangmelibatkan pendaftaran elektronik den-gan menggunakan borang elektronik danmenentukan kaedah pengesahan(authenticating).

3. Pembentukan pangkalan data per-ingkat Negeri dan PBT

Oleh kerana pihak PBT tidak mempun-yai rangkaian unit atau jabatan setempatseperti di Putrajaya, proses menyeluruhini telah mencadangkan di tubuhkanVirtual Planning Studio (VPS)². Ia akanberfungsi sebagai pusat perhubungansumber terutama sekali di dalam menda-patkan maklumat dan data yang berkai-tan. Selain dihubungkan secara

networking , ia juga akan menggunakankaedah video conferencing dimana PBTyang ingin mendapatkan maklumat bolehmelalui VPS ini terutama sekali di dalammembuat keputusan yang kadangkalamenemui jalan buntu. Keputusan dijang-ka dapat dibuat secara tepat dan segera.Sebagai contoh, pihak PBT boleh mela-yari ke GIS Masterplan JPBD untukmendapatkan maklumat terkini mengenaiarah tujuan pembangunan. MaklumatRancangan Fizikal Negara misalannyaakan memberi gambaran arah tuju pem-bangunan, manakala RancanganStruktur Negeri akan menjelaskan arahpembangunan Negeri dan seterusnyaRancangan Tempatan akan memberi ter-perincian pembangunan dikawasan PBT.

Selain dari itu pangkalan data yangdiwujudkan oleh Pelan Induk ini bolehdigunapakai terutama sekali di dalammembuat analisis. Proses ini dijangkaakan menjamin satu sistem perancanganyang teratur dan bersepadu.

Features


Pemohon

DATABASE

RTRSNRFN TCP ACTGuidelines

Planning StandardsPoliciesGIS / MASTER PLAN

Lain-lain JabatanJPBD IP

Amendments

Virtual Planning Studios

Decision

Evaluation

Comments

Technical Depts

PBT

Submit Plan /Application

CAD Drawing / Mapinfo

Register

Rajah 5: Cadangan Konsep Menyeluruh E-Submission

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 25

Features

RRuummuussaann

Sistem e-submission ini amat meluas sekali skopnya. Ia merupakan satu proses permohonan perancangan yang boleh membantu pihak terbabit meluluskan pelan dengan cepat dan berkualiti. Ia juga menjimatkan kos dan boleh di access dimanasahaja. Justeru itu, pihak PBT atau JPBD Negeri yang ingin melaksanakan sistem ini perlu membangunkannya secara berperingkat-peringkat. Jika sekiranya mereka sudah mempunyai infrastruktur yang lengkap, buat permulaan ia perlumenumpukan kepada pembangunan sistem applikasi, pembentukan format CAD dan hubungan elektroniknya dengan Jabatan-jabatan Teknikal yang berkaitan. Jika sekiranya pembentukkan sistem aplikasi melibatkan kos yang tinggi, adalah disyorkan PBT atau JPBD Negeri menumpukan kepada kaedah CAD Drawing dan membangunkan pangkalan data sahaja.

NOR SALLEHI kassim

Bertugas di Bahagian Rancangan Fizikal Negara Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Semenanjung Malaysia. Sebelum inipernah bertugas di Bahagian Luar Bandar Ibu Pejabat dan Pejabat Projek Kuantan terlibat dengan projek RancanganPengumpulan Semula Orang Asli, Kajian Kampung Tradisional, Rancangan Struktur dan Rancangan Tempatan. Selain daritugas utama, juga terlibat dalam kerja-kerja Sistem Maklumat dan perkomputeran berkaitan dengan Computer Aided Design,GIS dan Multimedia. Di dalam perancangan Pusat Pentadbiran Putrajaya terlibat secara lansung dalam kerja-kerja IT danMultimedia. Pada masa ini terlibat di dalam Kajian Rancangan Fizikal Negara (RFN), khususnya dalam Pakej Sistem MaklumatRFN. Pakej Sistem Maklumat RFN ini melibatkan penggunaan Sistem Maklumat GIS untuk membangunkan pangkalan datadan analisis.

Selain dari itu, terlibat di dalam Kerja-Kerja Perkomputeran Jabatan, Jawatankuasa Penilaian Teknikal Komputer Jabatan danJawatankuasa Sistem Maklumat Jabatan.Telah menulis beberapa kertaskerja untuk Jabatan seperti : 'Sistem IntegrasiPerkomputeran di JPBD Dalam Pelaksanaan Sistem Maklumat RFN, ' IT and Its Application in Urban Planning' dan'Pendekatan Perancangan Dalam Sumber Asli Negara: Dialog Perkongsian Pintar Dalam Perancangan Pembangunan WarisanBumi dan Pelancongan Tabii.

¹ Kertaskerja mengenai E-Submission ini telah dibentangkan kepada KPKT pada November 2000. ² Kertas Cadangan Teknikal Virtual Planning Studio - ditulis bersama Nor Sallehi Kassim & Chris Webster 1999.


PalaverPlanning

Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something planning...

How do I justify this feature? Selfishly - it's my channel to share (what used to be) my ignorance, with others. Don't you everyonce in a while find yourself perplexed with certain words? - some are just too new a word for you, some not-so-new (but you justforgot to look them up the last time you heard them), some are borrowed words (German), while some are plain old words beingused way too often, but suddenly when it really matters (interview!) your memory seems to fail you as to what they really mean.Well, I do.

'Palaver' (p&-'la-v&r) for example - I first came across the word at Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus, where it appears to be oneof the synonyms for the word 'Terminology'. Then, I look up its etymology at Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, and find that it isPortuguese (palavra) for 'word', and in Late Latin (parabola) it means 'speech'. Then again at Oxford Advanced Learner'sDictionary (6th Edition) where it is defined as 'a lot of unnecessary activity, excitement or trouble especially caused by somethingthat is unimportant'; and finally at (Online) HyperDictionary as 'loud and confused and empty talk'. So there, (Planning) 'Palaver'here can mean either one of them - I find the words, you read, and you choose.

Whatever it is, the aim of this feature is noble : to introduce, clarify and refresh you on new, not-so-new and old words respectively; and if it triggers more questions .. well, that is good too. Or I can be downright wrong, in which case, I can be contacted at the above address.

I hope you realize that this feature is not a result of deep intense research, nor very original. What I did was surf the internet during the interval when it was actually online (and for the next issues, maybe look up the words in the various literature), andthen I merely select and/or summarise the best descriptions and definitions - most comprehensive, comprehensible and agreeable, to put in this feature, along with little bits of my personal comment. Nevertheless, I hope it will be of some use to someof you. ☺

Smart Growth is a general term for policies that integrate transportation and land use decisions, for example by encouragingmore development within existing urban areas where additional growth is desirable, and discouraging low density, automobiledependent development at the urban fringe. Smart Growth can help create more accessible land use patterns, improve transportoptions, create more liveable communities, reduce public service costs and achieve other land use objectives. Smart Growth is analternative to urban sprawl.

Smart Growth emphasizes accessibility, meaning that the activities people use frequently are located close together. For thisreason, the basic unit of planning is the local community, neighbourhood or 'village', that is, a mixed-use, walkable area, 1.5 - 1mile in diameter, with commonly used public services clustered into a central commercial area. This is in contrast to conventionalplanning which tends to emphasize mobility as a solution to transport problem, and so tends to plan communities at a larger scalethat relies primarily on motor vehicle travel, with little consideration to pedestrian access.

ii.. SSmmaarrtt GGrroowwtthh

SMART GROWTH SPRAWL

Density Higher density, clustered activities Lower density, dispersed activities

Growth Pattern Infill (brownfield) development Urban periphery (greenfield) development

Land Use Mix Mix land use Homogeneous land use

ScaleHuman scale, smaller buildings, blocks & roads Careful details (People experience the landscape up closeas pedestrian)

Larger scale, larger buildings, blocks, wide roads.Less details ( People experience the landscapeat distanceas motorist)

Public Services (Shops, schools, park) Local, distributed, smaller. Accomodates walking space Regional, consolidated,larger. Requires automobiles access

Transport Multi-modal transportation and land use patterns that support walking, cycling and public transit.

Automobiles orientated trasportation and land use pattern,poorly suited to walking cycling and public transit

Connectivity Highly connected roads, sidewalks and path, allowingrelatively direct travel by motozed & non-motorized

Hierarcihical road network with numerous loops anddead-end streets, unconnected sidewalks and paths

Street Design Street design to accomodate a variety of activitiesTraffic calming Street design to maximise motor vihicle traffic volume

and speed.

Planning Process Planned and coordinated between jurisdictions & stakeholders

Unplanned with little coordination between jurisdictions & stakeholders

Public Space Emphasis on public realm (streetscape, pedestrian environment public parks, public facolities) Emphasis on private realm (yards, shopping malls, gated

communities, private clubs).

Figure 1:Comparison between Smart Growth & Sprawl- Ewing 1996; Galster,et al,2001

Smart Growth , New Urbanism andTransit Oriented Development ( T O D )

SANISAH shafie, [email protected] Physical Plan Division Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia.

Smart Growth strives to provide thebest of all possible worlds: adequateautomobile mobility with good alternativetransport options, and accessible,mixed-use, resource efficient land usepatterns that offer residents and employ-ers a range of urban development den-sity and price options, while preservinggreenspace and community liveability asmuch as possible.

Smart Growth includes a number ofindividual policies and practices, such asthose listed below:

--Strategic Planning--Self-contained Communities --Distinctive, Attractive Communities--Quality, Compact Development--Encourage Infill Development--Encourage TOD--Network of Interconnected Streets--Preserve Greenspace --Mix of Housing Types

Smart Growth can be implemented inmany different ways and under manyconditions.

Urban: In urban areas it emphasizesredevelopment and infill of existingurban neighbourhoods, improvingmixed-use design features and enhanc-ing multi-modal transport systems, par-ticularly walking and public transit.

Suburban: In suburban areas it createsmedium-density, mixed-use, multi-modalcentres (sometimes called TransitVillages), either by incrementally devel-oping existing suburban communities orby Masterplan developments that reflectSmart Growth principles. It encouragesmore complete suburban communitiesand improved regional travel options. Itsupports greenspace preservation.

Rural: In rural areas Smart Growthinvolves policies that help channeldevelopment and public services intoaccessible and mixed-use villages.

(Source: (Summarised from)http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm38.htm)

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 27

Palaver

22% -Implement car-pool and limited access zones

8% -Ban all cars above five years of age4% -Increase road tax and parking charge

66%-Town planners need to be innovative.

So, what happen whenthe growth is not-so-smart ? Maybe this 'SMSSurvey From 3 Sept.- 8Sept. 2003' by TV3, iswhat happened :

Modern, sophisticated -but roads in theNational Capital Cityare still congested ?.What should be done ?

New Urbanism (also called NewCommunity Design, Neo-TraditionalDesign and Traditional NeighbourhoodDevelopment) is a set of developmentpractices to create more attractive andefficient communities through significantimprovement in accessibility and reduc-tion in per-capita automobile travel. Agrowing movement of architects, plannersand developers, the New Urbanism isbased on the belief that a return to tradi-tional neighbourhood patterns is essentialto restoring functional, sustainable communities.

At the heart of the New Urbanism is thedesign of neighbourhoods; and there isno clearer description than these specificdesign features listed below, that is most-ly developed by town planners AndresDuany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (fromDuany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ)).Of course, not all of these features areincluded in all New Urban developments.

New Urbanism Neighbourhood DesignFeatures

1. The community has a discernible centre. Thisis often a plaza, square or green, and some-times a busy or memorable intersection. A tran-sit stop should be located at this centre.

2. Buildings at the centre are placed close to thesidewalk and to each other, creating an urbansense of spatial definition. Buildings towards theedges are placed further away and further apartfrom each other, creating a more rural environment.

3. Most dwellings are within a five-minute walk(a quarter mile) from the centre, an average ofroughly 2,000 feet. Streets are designed forwalking and cycling, with sidewalks on bothsides, bike lanes where needed, good cross-ings, traffic calming features used to controlmotor vehicle traffic speeds, and other featuresto `encourage non-motorized travel.

4. There are a variety of dwelling types. Thesetake the form of houses, row houses, and apart-ments, such that younger and older, singles andfamilies, the poorer and the wealthier can findplaces to live. Density averages 6-7 units peracre or greater.

5. There are places to work within and adjacentto the neighbourhood, including shops, officebuildings, and live-work units.

6. There are shops sufficiently varied to meetcommon household needs, such as conven-ience stores, a post office, a bank machine, anda gym.

7. A small ancillary building should be permittedwithin the backyard of houses. It may be usedas a rental apartment, or as a place to work.

8. There should be an elementary school closeenough so that most children can walk fromtheir dwelling. This distance should not be morethan one mile.

9. There are parks, trails and playgrounds nearevery dwelling. This distance should not bemore than one-eighth of a mile.

10. Thoroughfares within the neighbourhoodform a continuous network, providing a varietyof itineraries and dispersing traffic. The neigh-bourhood has multiple access routes connect toadjacent neighbourhoods. These access pointsmay be highlighted with a gateway or signs.

11. Thoroughfares are relatively narrow andshaded by rows of trees that slow traffic andcreate an appropriate environment for pedestri-an and bicyclist.

12. Parking lots and garage doors rarely end offront the thoroughfares. Parking is relegated tothe rear of the buildings and usually accessedby alleys or lanes.

13. Certain prominent sites are reserved forpublic buildings. A building must be provided atthe centre for neighbourhood meetings.

14. The neighbourhood should be self govern-ing, deciding on matters of maintenance, secu-rity, and physical evolution.

Smart Growth usuallyreflects regional policiesand planning, while NewUrbanism and TOD reflectsimilar design principles atthe local and site level.

Figure 2: SMS Survey on KL�s Roads - TV3

ii. New Urbanism

New Urbanist features tend toincrease the value and marketability ofbuildings. National market surveys indicate that about a third of homebuy-ers would prefer to live in New Urbanistcommunity if available (Hirschhorn andSouza, 2001). A study by Eppli and Tu(2000) found that homes in NewUrbanist communities sold for an aver-age of $20,189 more than otherwisecomparable homes in more conventionalcommunities, an 11% increase in value.

Although most well-known NewUrbanist projects are "master plannedcommunities," meaning large urban-fringe developments design as a unit,these concepts can also be incorporated

into existing urban communities (Otak,1999), and even in communities thathave highways with heavy traffic throughtheir commercial centres (DEA, 1999).Existing residential and commercialareas are incorporating New Urbanistdesign features as part of redevelop-ment efforts.

New Urbanism has gained increasingattention among development profes-sionals and the general public, particularly in regions experiencinggrowth-related conflicts. Many see theNew Urbanism as a way to accommo-date growth while enhancing communityand environmental objectives.

(Source: (Summarised from)http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm24.htm,http://www.newurbannews.com/AboutNewUrbanism.html)

Putrajaya masterplan, based on theGarden City Concept, delineates thearea into twenty precincts, of which fiveare in the Core Area (comprisingi.Government, ii.Commercial, iii.Civicand Cultural, iv.Mixed Development, andv.Sports and Recreational) while theremaining fifteen are Neighbourhoodand Residential precincts. Here theneighbourhood concept is adopted,whereby each unit contains some 3,000

dwellings (±15,000 population) with amix of low, medium and high-cost housing and a variety of designs. Eachneighbourhood is of cycleable, human-scale, and equipped with necessarypublic amenities like multipurpose halls,clinics, kindergartens, schools, foodcourts, parks and other communal facilities, creating a distinct sense ofplace. While such design is not ideallyNew Urbanist in nature, to me this is ahybrid of New Urbanism and the moreconventional mass/commercial housing,and it surely represents a positive steptowards more sustainable communitiesand a better quality of living environment.

iii. Transit OrientedDevelopment (TOD)

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) iscompact, mixed-use development withinan easy walk of a transit station, whichis designed to maximize access by tran-sit and non-motorized transportation,and has other features to encouragetransit ridership.

These TOD neighbourhoods/villageshas a centre with a rail or bus station,surrounded by relatively high-densitydevelopment, with progressively lower-density spreading outwards, matchingthe existing scale of development. Forexample, the neighbourhood centre mayhave a transit station and a few multi-

storey commercial and residential build-ings, surrounded by several blocks oftownhouses and small-lot single-familyresidential, and larger-lot single-familyhousing farther away. TOD neighbour-hoods typically have a diameter of 1.25 -1.5 mile, which represents pedestrianscale distances (5-10 mins.).

Mixed uses within these TOD neigh-bourhoods include residential, commer-cial, office, civic uses and entertainment,or some combination. This mix of uses,

combined with thoughtfully designedcommunity spaces, plazas, etc., forms avibrant village-like neighbourhood wherepeople can live, work and play. Such aneighbourhood is compact in size,pedestrian-friendly in design, and can becustomized to offer a wide variety ofhousing options, with convenient accessto services, jobs, and plenty of ways toget around. These TOD neighbourhoodscan be new construction or redevelopment.

(Source: (Summarised from)http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm45.htm,http://www.dvrpc.org/planning/TOD.htm,http://www.rtd-denver.com/Projects/TOD)


Palaver

To date, as far as I am aware, thisconcept has clearly been adoptedin the Klang Valley PerspectivePlan 2000-2020, the RegionalMasterplan for Klang Valley, andcurrently incorporated within theKlang Valley Integrated Transportand Land Use Development Study.This is followed by Selangor StateStructure Plan (Report of Survey,2003) and National Physical Plan(Draft Final NPP, 2003). On theground, the development of KLSentral, which is still in progress,is testimony that TOD is a feasibleplanning approach to be adoptedin this country.

RReeffeerreenncceess

1. Reid Ewing: Best Development PracticesPlanners Press (Chicago; www.planning.org), 19962. George Galste, et al: "Wrestling Sprawl to theGround: Defining and Measuring an ElusiveConcept," Housing Policy Debate, Vol. 12, Issue 4Fannie Mae Foundation (www.fanniemaefoundation.org/programs/hpd/pdf/HPD_1204_galster.pdf), 2001, pp. 681-717.3. Joel Hirschhorn and Paul Souza:New Community Design to the Rescue; FulfillingAnother American DreamNational Governor's Association, Centre for BestPractices (www.nga.org), July 2001.4. Mark Eppli and Charles C. Tu: Valuing the NewUrbanism; The Impact of New Urbanism on Pricesof Single-Family HomesUrban Land Institute (www.uli.org), 2000.5. Otak, Inc: Infill and Redevelopment CodeHandbook, Transportation and GrowthManagement ProgramOregon DOT and Dept. of Environmental Quality(www.lcd.state.or.us/tgm/publications.htm), 1999.6. DEA & Associates: Main Street�When aHighway Runs Through ItTransportation and Growth Management Program,Oregon DOT and Dept. of Environmental Quality(www.lcd.state.or.us/tgm/publications.htm), 1999.

Figure 3: Putrajaya Neighbourhood Concept

NEIGHBOURHOOD UNIT15,000 Population

3,000 Residential Units

COMMUNITY CENTREMulti-Purpose HallOther Religious ReservesPolice StationCommunity Park

Mosque Polyclinic Shopping Centre

NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTREKindergartenHealth CentreConvenience ShopsNeighbourhood Park

School Complex Community Hall Surau

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 29

THE REGIONMAKER : The RheinRuhrCityAuthor : MVRDV, RotterdamPublisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers, GermanyPages : 351Cover Price: RM 135

Ever wondered how a region could be analysed and its possible future and identityvisualized and compared? This book is a collaborative effort between the Dutchplanning office, MVRDV and various academic institutions and input from distin-guished international professionals. The REGIONMAKER has been developed as an innovative planning device and applied to the agglomeration at Rhine and Ruhr,Germany. The authors have envisioned that the software will ultimately answer questions like the following: "What would be the perfect population for a chosen specialization? What is the relation between politics and regionalism? What is therelation between accessibility and attractivity for specific companies? What is theinfluence of (land value) towards regional competitiveness? What is better: spreadingor concentration of a chosen program?"

This colourful book is nicely structured despite catering to two languages (Germanand English). A brief discourse on regional interpretations from various disciplines ispresented. Mathematical Set Theory with union of two sets is explained to precedeserious discussions on spatial regions and those of its societal activity and process-es, including predicament of cores and boundaries. This is followed with views fromprominent regional theorist about the dynamism of region within local and the globalsettings. A brief history of the growth and emerging importance of computer aidedtechnology to understand and control the urban and regional processes is discussed.Contributions from prominent professionals in the field of urban and architectural dis-ciplines (example Doxiadis, Chermayeff and Alexander) were narrated up to the present where the REGIONMAKER could be "seen as a tree structure of minimachines, all leading to a chain of very specialized inter-related software".

The software program is constructed out of several components, namely : solutionenvelope (three dimensional space with defined size, scale and limit of a region); unittypes (smallest entity or building block of solution envelope representing eitherhouse, industry, roads, parks, forests, agriculture, offices, services etc); parameters(spatial decision rules of unit types; defined by Boolean operations [and, or and not]);sliders (enabling user to adjust importance of a certain parameter); evaluation criteria (relate to parameters in term of achievements, usually structured hierarchically and optimised by the computer), scenario (generated based on userpreset conditions, criteria and expected qualities through using levels of sliders), visualisation (3D simulation, fly-through, zoom-in and selected perspectives) andscore (indexed score diagram for each scenario generated depending on user presetobjectives example economic or sustainability performance and sub-parameters).

Two other important components are the variation mechanisms (possibility to deriveone or more new solutions from existing one) and the optimisation algorithm whichdetermine the manner how solution space is navigated. The heuristic structure of theREGIONMAKER is based on a software named OptiMixer which consists of a formal-ized process that evaluates, variates and optimizes spatial envelopes. It adopts amodular system building on latest development from the internet, modelling, simula-tion, visualization and animation software industries.

Planning Book Review

Review

KAMALRUDDIN shamsudin reviews �The Regionmaker� for this issue of Malaysian Townplan


Detail explanations are given on the optimization components including its optimization algorithm (example the local search, local maximum and global maximum) within its spatialenvelope of three dimensional, orthogonal,homogenous grid of cubical shapes (example2x2x1 solution envelope).

An equal amount of attention is devoted todescribing how to operate the software in themanual and scenario setting chapters of the RheinRuhr region. Four scenarios were generated i.e.park scenario, archipelago scenario, campus scenario and lastly network scenario.Characteristics of each scenario were explainedand this serves as a good platform to visualiserequired regional image and effects from variousland use perspective and urban setting, populationdensities, development strategies and commitment etc. To generate such scenarios theuser is required to have a good understandinghow real regions work. It certainly requires interdisciplinary researchers and experts to addand integrate (inputs from economics and social-spatial sciences etc.) in order to optimizethe software capabilities. In other words the software absorbs and combines knowledge fromdifferent professions, and optimizes the chosenand available parameters.

Visionary planners, urban designers, architectsand those with interest in GIS and visualizationwould find this book interesting read. Nowadaysthere are a number of softwares which have similar capabilities to REGIONMAKER, a few arein the game industry (example SimCity), a few inuniversities (example UrbanSim and CLUE Model)and a number have been carried out by researchinstitution (example Dynamic Urban ExolutionaryModelling, DUEM and TRANSMS). It appearssuch scenario development softwares will soon becommon place in planning institutions in this coun-try (optimistically) within a couple of years fromnow (when the tools starts maturing) performingdecision support system at a regional level andthey be further augmented with dedicated impactsoftwares for urban planning applications.

This review copy was purchased from Basheergraphic books, 3rd Floor BB Plaza, Jalan BukitBintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Review

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 31

Planning Website HHiighhlliighhts

AAbboouutt CCyybbuurrbbiiaa

Cyburbia, the Internet's oldest portal site for urban planners and others interested in cities and the built environment, contains aselective directory of Internet resources relevant to planning and urbanism. Cyburbia also includes information about mailing listsand newsgroups, and it hosts a very active bulletin board and image hosting gallery. Cyburbia is maintained by its founder, Dan Tasman AICP. In 1995 Dr Lee Lek Meng from the Housing and Building School of the University of Science Malaysia introduced me to the site and The Penang State Department of Town and Country Planning become the first State PlanningDepartment to have link to this huge planning depository.Highly recommended for Planners.

Cyburbia historyThe first incarnation of Cyburbia was established in November 1994 at the University at Buffalo, when a page of links to the fewurban planning and architecture-related Web sites then online was created on the personal Web site of the founder. As theInternet grew, subcategories were added, and the list of links was given a somewhat awkward name; PAIRC, an acronym whichstood for "Planning and Architecture Internet Resource Directory" PAIRC was renamed Cyburbia in 1997, after its founder sawthe word used as a pseudonym for "cyberspace" in a Wired magazine article.

In 2000, a partnership was formed with Chris Steins of Urban Insight, who started the acclaimed PLANetizen Web site. Thatyear, due to an increased number of architecture-related Web portals, and Cyburbia's lack of exposure and its reputation as aplanning-related site among architects, links to architecture-related Web sites were reduced to those pointing to Web sites thatheld some appeal for planners.

Cyburbia was gutted and rebuilt in 2001. The Web site indexing program was replaced with In-Link, allowing links to be indexed in a hierarchical directory, like Yahoo and DMOZ. The bulletin board software was replaced with vBulletin, one of themost powerful and popular bulletin board systems for small and medium Web sites. In 2002, an image gallery was added, where users can upload and view planning and built environment-related photos and graphics.

Cyburbia started off as a personal endeavor, created in the spirit of giving something back to the Internet. Cyburbia isn't a commercial venture intended to make a profit. Cyburbia is no longer the most visited or most popular planning-related Web site,but it is still the only Web site of its kind for urban planners.

Review

A sample page of Cyburbia the Urban Planning Portal.

JAMIL ahmad reviews Cyburbia at www.cyburbia.org.for for this issue of Malaysian Townplan


AwardsCyburbia was named a Top 50 planningWeb site by PLANetizen.

Browser CompatibilityCyburbia should be viewable with mostWeb browsers released in recentyearsand has been successfully testedwith the following browsers:

Lynx 2.8.3 - Linux kernel 2.*Microsoft Internet Explorer 4-6 - Windows XP,Mac OS 10.*Mozilla 1.0-1.4b - Windows XP, Linux kernel2.*Mozilla Firebird 0.1b-0.6b - Windows XP,Linux kernel 2.*, BeOS 5.0, Mac OS 10.*Netscape 7.0 - Windows XP, Linux kernel 2.*OmniWeb 3.0-4.5b - Mac OS 10.*Opera 5.0-7.2 - Windows XP

ColophonBulletin board - vBulletin 2.3.0.Photo gallery - PhotoPost PHP.Link directory - In-Link 2.2.Content editing - Notepad Plus (WindowsXP), emacs (Linux) and pico (Linux).Web site hosting - 100 Megs Web Hosting.

Review

August 2003

September 2003

November 2003

December 2003

The Assistant Town Planner Forum was organised by JPBD Training Unit, in Putra Palace, Kangar, Perlis on 6-10 August 2003. 161 participants from all over the country had attended this forum which was officiated by the Director-General of JPBD.

A course on Project Monitoring System II was organised by JPBD Training Unit and Project Coordination Office on 19-20 August at theComputer Lab of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. 40 participants from JPBD attended the course.

I S S U E . 0 1 / V O L . 0 1 / S E P T 2 0 0 3 33

P l a n n i n g UpdatesNews and Events for August - December 2003Compiled by: CHUA ran see, [email protected],Planning and Regulatory Division, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia.

A seminar on the Application and Enforcement of the Town and Country Planning Act (Act 172) for Local Planning Authority was organised by JPBD Legal, Planning and Regulatory Division in Crown Princess Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 3 September 2003..500 participants from 100 local authorities have attended this seminar which was officiated by the Deputy Secretary-General of theMinistry of Housing and Local Government.

The Expertise Network for Spatial Planning and Decision Support (ENSPADS) project. The SteeringCommittee inaugural meeting was held at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) on the 19September 2003. The project's main objective is to improve the urban and regional planning processes byenhancing the role of spatial information technology, decision theory, and multi-criteria decision analysis.Members were from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC,Holland), IIUM, JPBD (represented by Nor Sallehi Kassim and Kamalruddin Shamsudin.), Macres and tworepresentatives from the private planning practise. The 2 years project is funded by the EuropeanCommission and lead by ITC (Holland).

An international seminar on Land Readjustment Development was held in The Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on23 September 2003. This seminar was jointly organized by JPBD National Physical Plan Division, JICA and the Association for TownPlanning Officers. 150 participants have attended this seminar which was officiated by Dato' Seri Ong Ka Ting, the Minister of Housingand Local Government, Malaysia.

A briefing will be organised by JPBD National Physical Plan Division for the JKKK of Kg. Pulau Meranti, Puchong Malay Reserve onThe Implementation Plan of Land Readjustment Development (PTB) in its area. The briefing will be held at Cyber Lodge, Cyberjaya on 7 October 2003.

A meeting entitled Sepang District Council As An One Stop Agency will be held at Sepang District Council on 10 October 2003. JPBD National Physical Plan Division will be the co-chairman of the meeting.

The International Symposium and Exhibition on Geoinformation 2003 will be organised by UiTM at Grand Blue Wave Hotel, Shah Alamon the 13-14 October 2003. For more information please logon to: http://www.uitm.edu.my

MapAsia 2003, an international conference and exhibition on GIS, global positioning system (GPS) and remote sensing will be held atPWTC on 13-15 October 2003. This conference is jointly organised by MACRES, Malaysia; Centre for Spatial Database Managementand Solutions, India; GIS Development and AIT, Thailand. For information, please logon to: http://www.mapasia.org

JPBD Quality Day will be celebrated at JPBD HQ on 16 October 2003. A series of activities will be organised on that day which includeweb design and oration competition. In conjunction with this event, a dinner will be held at Pan Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur at night.

A seminar on Building A Knowledge Society (Value Creation Through People Knowledge and ICT) will be organised by The Kulliyyah ofICT, UIA at Prince Hotel & Residence, Kuala Lumpur on the 21-22 October 2003. For more information, please logon to: http://kict.iiu.edu.my/ncict

The Draft Pasir Gudang Local Development Plan will be opened for public viewing and inspection in October 2003 at Komplek PusatBandar, Pasir Gudang, Johor.

The World Town Planning Day 2003 celebration will be held at JPBD, HQ on 13 December 2003. The activities organised for this celebration include photography competition, colouring competition for primary school children and drawing competition for secondaryschool students in the federal territory.

34 M

AL

AY

SIA

N T

OW

NP

LA

N

Blast fro

mthe

Past

Blast from the Past

The First Assistant Planning Directors Conference held in 1980 at Fraser’s Hill(Photograph from Kl’ din’s private collection)Who’s wearing the platform shoes and guess where is the Chief Editor?(The answer in the next issue of Malaysian TownPlan).

Guide to Contributors

Malaysian TownPlan welcome articles that wouldfurther the cause and development of the town and countryplanning service in this country. All planning agencies (public and private), local authorities and from academia(local and overseas) are invited.

Articles should be submitted to the following address:

Chief Editor,Malaysian TownPlan Journal, Bahagian Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan,Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa, SemenanjungMalaysia,Jalan Cenderasari,50646 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.

Submission should be in the form of a hard copy and a digital version. The editorial board reserve the right toselect and edit articles submitted. Articles selected for publication will be made known to contributors and follow-up communication on fine tuning of article etc. may follow.

Feature articles should conform to conventional format i.e.abstract, main body of article, references (author, year,name of book etc, publisher). A short profile of contributoris required.

Other submissions, example book review, planningupdates, news, reader's column may be submitted. Follow-up communications are expected in some cases, so e-mailaddresses and telephone numbers will be required.

Successful contributors will receive two copies ofMalaysian TownPlan.

Potential contributors may contact any of the editorialboard members (JPBD main line tel: 03 26989211), for further information or e-mail to:[email protected]

Next IssueNext issue will give special focus onGIS

“Is GIS palatable toplanners?”“ Planning Palaver on GIS

gobbledygook”

“ Integrated Land UseAssesment (ILA)”

“ Special Area Plan”

.. and many more exciting read.

malaysian townplan journal 1

Documents

planning discourse

planning expertise

pp ll aa nn nn

nn gg pp aa ll aa vv

nn gg uu pp dd aa tt

emerging town planning

tt oo rr ss jj oo tt

nn gg ss