Waterfront regeneration as a sustainable approach to city development in Malaysia

Abstract

The morphological development of the towns and cities in Malaysia was influenced by the river, where it functioned as the main transportation system. Many of these rivers flow right through the town centres and are influential in giving character to the townscapes of the cities through the quality of views. Nevertheless, many of these rivers are in a poor state of health in terms of the water quality and have not been fully exploited in terms of their recreational potential as well as their heritage value. Of the thirteen state capital cities studied, there are three cities that have already embarked on a regeneration program to revitalize their riverfronts. However, some of the recent developments on the riverfront are considered unsustainable and insensitive to the river as a valuable asset of the city, such as the covering of the river with an open plaza and changing the natural embankment of the river to concrete banks, hence turning its image into that of a large open culvert running across the city. Many of the buildings along the river are still backing the waterfront where access both visually and physically is rather limited. This paper is going to discuss the issue of rivers as one of the significant elements that contribute to the sense of place of the city and the plight of the rivers as the city progresses into the future. The discussion is based on an urban design study of all the state capital cities in Malaysia as well as a doctoral research that looks at the issue of waterfront regeneration in the Federal Capital City of Kuala Lumpur. The paper concludes by highlighting the impact of these rivers to the sense of place of Malaysian cities and their roles in creating sustainable cities in the future.

Survey of Sustainable Regeneration of Historic and Cultural Cores of Cities

“…Tourism development can also be a tool to help regeneration and economic growth, or to stimulate it and, at the same time, promote the physical-spatial quality of historic cores so as to be able to increase the capital to improve living standards in local communities [36,55]. However, it is also important to note that large-scale commercial development can be dangerous for historic cores of cities because, if it is not properly designed in the historic core, it may spread as a cancerous mass in these areas [56].…”

An Integrated Strategy for Waterfront Redevelopment Case Study: Alexandria, Egypt

“…"Mahatet El-Raml" area is part of the central district -one of nine districts of the Alexandria Governorate- [2], with unique waterfront which extends about 1.5km along the sea. Because of its history, it contains main distinctive historic buildings and landmarks from various periods; roman, Coptic and Islamic, and adjust many other famous like Bibliotheca Alexandria [35].…”

“…While Alexandria city has varied economic base with a competitive advantage globally, and with its status as an important distention for about 3 million during the summer which including 10% foreign tourists [35]. The city center "Mahatet El-Raml" of Alex.…”

The role of natural resources in the historic urban landscape approach

“…The garden wetlands of Suzhou, China are traditional representations of Chinese cultural heritage, but they are also seen as a potential starting point for understanding sustainable ecological systems in urban areas (Sun and Wang, 2007). Waterfronts in the capital of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are currently being revitalized to enhance the city's sense of place and improve the heritage values of riversides while maximizing its recreational usage potential (Shamsuddin et al, 2008).…”