bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PARTICIPATION TOWARDS HERITAGE CONSERVATION: CASE OF A FISHING COMMUNITY IN LANGKAWI GEOPARK
Authors: Abdul Halim Sharina , Puay Liu Ong , Yussof Nurhafizah , Choun Sian Lim
Published: September 2016

There is an increasing movement towards acceptance of public participation as a logical approach to heritage conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. In conservation initiatives, to ensure effective participation is to see it as a social process. Thus, the importance of community participation and consultation in planning for heritage conservation is emphasised using an example from fishing community involvement in community-based fisheries management in Langkawi. The setting up of cooperative community resource management Komuniti Pengurusan Ekosistem Perikanan (KPEP) is a significant attempt that acknowledges the value of local involvement in natural resource management. It aims to understand local fishers’ participation in resource management activities towards heritage conservation. One of the findings revealed that although the resource management activities did not mentioned explicitly the importance of heritage conservation. However it could be assumed that intention for heritage conservation is at the heart of the initiatives. Implicit in such an approach is a sense that local fishers’ participation in managing resources would utilise local knowledge gained from past down traditions of previous generations. The application of local knowledge encourages them to become aware of their fishing cultural heritage and to encourage them to conserve it. It is crucial for development activities surrounding the area of KPEP Kuala Teriang are compatible and complementary to the existing activities of fisheries heritage conservation and promotion of social well-being.
THE CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTES IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA
Authors: Eusuf Muhammad Abu , Ibrahim Mansor , Islam Rafikul
Published: September 2016

Numerous activities in construction and demolition (C&D) projects are generally considered as complex and di stant that may affect surrounding environment and public health. Construction, remodell ing, repairing, refurbishing or demotion works of buildings and other infrastructures such as roads generate huge amounts of hazardous and non-hazardous materials. In the present work, an attempt has been made to highlight a number of issues in C&D waste management in the Klang valley of Malaysia and which then discusses the current traditions of managing those materials in Malaysian perspectives. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations that can help to improve C&D waste management in Malaysia national perspectives.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIATIONS OF GRID LAYOUT AND BURGLARY
Authors: Ahmad Zaki Saniah , Abdullah Jamalunlaili
Published: September 2016

The study examined the relationship between urban spaces and burglary in Malaysian grid-like res idential layouts located in a local authority area in the Klang Valley. It analysed first, the degree of grid in the layouts to understand how they could influence burglary rate, and, second, the spatial patterns of burglary in those layouts. The instrument used in this research was space syntax, a tool that analyse urban spaces. By comparing burglary rates to syntactical spatial attributes in six residential layouts, the findings showed how spatial attributes influenced burglary. It also attempted to relate how degree of permeability of grid-like layouts may have affected vulnerability. It concluded by suggesting for further studies in other residential layouts in this country.
ESTIMATION OF RESIDENTIAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACE USING GIS TECHNIQUE
Authors: Majid M. Rafee , Jamaludin Jamal Aimi , Wan Ibrahim Wan Yusryzal
Published: September 2016

Urban impervious surface in the form of rooftops, street pavement, parking lots, etc. is an important contributor to water pollution, urban heat island, flash floods and other environmental degradations. While studies on the extent of impervious surface are common in advanced countries, few have been carried out in developing countries. This paper discusses a study on the nature of impervious surface coverage in a southern city in Malaysia. The study focuses on impervious surface in several residential areas, looking at the relationship between impervious surface and housing density as well as the source of the surface. Remote sensing images combined with some GIS techniques were employed for this purpose. The percentage o[ impervious surface measured ranged from 40-95%, well above the values indicated from similar studies overseas. While density was a factor in the amount of impervious surface, it was not the only factor. Other factors such as policies on impervious surface control were also important as illustrated by comparison of the results of this study to similar studies reported in the USA. Based on these findings, the paper offersseveral steps towards reduction of impervious sw'face in residential areas.
GREEN SPACE AUDITS ON ITS ACCESSIBILITY IN PASIR GUDANG
Authors: Wan Ibrahim Wan Yusryzal , Long Ahmad , Permana Ariva Sugandi
Published: September 2016

Green space is an essential element in a city that serves outdoor recreational place for the community. It helps generating the economic and social values and promoting a healthy lifestyle for local community. The aim of the study is to audit the green spaces in Pasir Gudang Municipality and promote the strategies to improve the use of green space in the study area towards better quality of life of the citizens. The study classifies the existing green spaces in Pasir Gudang in terms of size, function, use, quality, area, accessibility and facilities provided in the green space areas. Two key points have been identified as a basic reference before any development of green spaces take place in Pasir Gudang. The study reveals that present green space areas in Pasir Gudang Municipality are able to serve most communities in the municipality. However, still about 35% of the municipality area is not presently served by the existing green spaces. Thus quantity, quality and accessibility of the green space areas need improvement. This study also shows the potential network of the access that will be able to improve the approachability of all existing green space areas by the citizens to contribute to their quality of life.
ASSESSMENT OF NEIGHBOURHOOD AFFORDABILITY BASED ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Authors: Sabri Soheil , M. Ludin Ahmad Nazri , Johar Foziah
Published: September 2016

One of the primary aims of transit-oriented development (TOD) is to reduce auto dependency, especially for low-income as well as senior residents. This study aims at providing some guiding principles for development of affordable housing with respect to TOD concept. As such, the study employed an index called Affordability Index (AI) and adapted for the study area to assess the neighbourhoods' affordability. It is composed of housing cost, household transportation cost, and household income. The analyses were conducted on three neighbourhoods in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The results reveal that the AI is lower for both owners and renters in the neighbourhood farther away from the LRT station, where there is less public transit facility, despite the existence of more affordable housing. On the contrary, the index is high in the neighbourhood where the distance to LRT station is shorter, connectivity index is higher, and there are more public transport facilities, despite the presence of high- and medium-cost housings. These findings can be used to plan for suitable public transport facilities in view of neighbourhood affordability.
SEISMIC MICROZONATION FOR BANDA ACEH CITY PLANNING
Authors: Johar Foziah , Majid M. Rafee , Jaffar Abdul Razak , Yahya Adi Safyan
Published: September 2016

Of all natural disasters of the twentieth century, earthquakes caused the largest amount of losses. Although the number of earthquakes remains fairly unchanged, the loss of properties and human lives in recent periods has increased manifolds due to increasing concentration of human population and urbanisation in earthquake-prone areas. Recent improvement in documentations and computational facilities, however, allows for the preparation of seismic microzonation maps of such areas for urban planning and earthquake mitigation purposes. This paper discusses the development of seismic microzonation maps for Banda Aceh which lies close to the Sumatra Subduction Zone and the Sumatran Transform Faults, making the city extremely vulnerable to earthquake hazards. The development of the maps employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques that make use of several layers of parameters influencing earthquake hazards such as seismological data, faults, tsunami, etc. and site characteristic data such as soil type, groundwater distribution and depth, geological and geophysical data. The seismic microzonation maps incorporate various seismic hazard maps including ground shaking hazard map, liquefaction susceptibility hazard map, landslide potential hazard map, surface faulting hazard map and tsunami hazard map. The final composite map identifies zones with various degrees of hazards which will enable planners to avert hazardous locations during site selection processes, thus reducing losses.
MALAYSIAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN SYSTEM: ISSUES AND PROBLEMS, ONE DECADE AFTER ITS REFORM (2001-2011)
Authors: Ahmad Faizah , Mohd Ibrahim , Maidin Syra Lawrence , Zainol Rosilawati , Mohd Noor Norzailawati
Published: September 2016

In 2001, the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) was amended through Act A1129 (2001). The amendments included provisions to allow four levels of government involvement (Federal, Regional, State and Local Authority) in spatial planning, with the intention of establishing a more effective development plan system in Malaysia. However, an assessment of the relationship between legislative provision and the implementation of development planning is urgently required to consider a number of issues, including delays in adopting plans and the continued existence of out of date plans. Therefore, this paper discusses issues and problems encountered by selected local planning authorities in the implementation of the development planning system. The discussion focuses on the capacity and capability of these authorities with regard to legal aspects, administration, finance, human resource issues and technical support. The data were obtained through mixed methods i.e. postal surveys, interviews with representatives from selected local authorities and focus group discussions with selected professional town planners. The findings demonstrate that most of the issues and problems encountered in implementing the development plan system at each plan level in Malaysia are legal in origin.
PERCEPTIONS ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN MALAYSIA: THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE
Authors: Hassan Norhaslina , Mohd Jaafar Noor Ismawati , Raja Ariffin Raja Noriza , Abu Samah Asmarulkhadi , Jaafar Mohd Nazari
Published: September 2016

Spatial strategy then known as regional planning, was conceptualized and formally institutionalized in the Second Malaysia Plan, to be among the major instruments of the New Economic Policy (NEP). Urbanization in this context was envisaged to help achieve the spatially balanced development target of the NEP, serving as a means to improve the socioeconomic status of the population in general, and increase the participation of Bumiputras in particular, in the modern urban sector (2nd Malaysia Plan, 1971). Conscious planning which characterizes the country’s development since independence has placed Malaysia currently to be among Asia’s best. The challenge of the concomitant rapid rate of urbanization however, continues to remain one of bridging the multidimensional urban-rural gaps. The National Urbanization Policy (NUP) and National Physical Plan (NPP) while fully cognizant of the potentially divisive globalization effect on national development, stress the enhancement of overall living qualities for sustainability. This paper seeks to explore the differences between the importance and satisfaction in living qualities between the urban and rural dwellers in 14 quality of life domains. These domains are Population and Family, Participation in Education, Human Resource, Health, Income, Expenditures and Savings, Housing, Environment, Transportation, Culture and Entertainment, National Unity, Communication and Technological Change, Social Participation, Public Safety and Social Security. Quality of Life Index in this study which is based on a questionnaire survey on 3,500respondents was derived using the Customer Satisfaction Index. It revealed a gap between the perceived importance and satisfaction rating for most of the quality of life domains studied. This gap prevailed for both rural and urban respondents.
AWARENESS BY KUALA LUMPUR CITY HALL STAFFS FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED)
Authors: Shamsuddin Shuhana , Azim Hussin Natasha
Published: September 2016

A city that is free from all forms of crime and criminal threats will able to create a community that has quality human capital. Both crimes and the fear of crime have a significant impact on the quality of life. A safe city is a key to the success of community development, urban development and nation building. Rising of crime index for past six years in Kuala Lumpur is questionable whether CPTED has been successfully carried out by the KLCH in creating a safe urban environment for people to live in. Urban development Plans should make safety primary criteria in making the city successful and livable. This research aims to investigate the awareness level of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (KLCH) implementer in implementing the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) which was introduced in 2004 by the Malaysian Government. A mixed method research approach was adopted employing a questionnaire survey and in depth interview with a sample of officers and technician of KLCH whose scope of work includes the implementation of CPTED. The findings suggest that the existing level of awareness is still low with the lack of awareness on CPTED due to the limited knowledge and poor understanding of CPTED concept and implementation. However, it was also found that the implementers of KLCH are beginning to develop an awareness of the importance of safety urban environment and are beginning to consider the capability of the built environment in reducing both, the fear of crime and the actual crime from happening. Successful CPTED implementation will be a meaningful contribution towards the creation of a safe city that is livable for the urban community in Kuala Lumpur therefore helping to improve their quality of life.
ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING USE OF MOTORCARS IN INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
Authors: Abdul Rahim Nelza Lyana , Kadar Hamsa Abdul Azeez
Published: September 2016

Trends in transport have been changing and will continue to change over the next few years. A number of issues on the national and international transport scene have driven a need for organisations such as the Universities to further develop a sustainable transport strategy to encourage use of sustainable transport modes to achieve better environmental qualities on-campus. This research highlights the factors influencing the choice of using motorcars among student population for trips on-campus. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect data on "trip-makers" and "trip-making" characteristics and "preference to use motorcars as their main travel mode choice". The questionnaires were distributed to the student population who use motorcars oncampus. The total sample size selected was 100 and samples were selected from each Mahallah (hostel) by using stratified sampling method. The factors influencing use of motorcars on-campus was analysed using Pearson Chi- Square, Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and t-test. The preference of the respondents on the measures that should be implemented to attract students to travel by sustainable transport modes such as walking, cycling, carpooling, or using public transportation are also discussed. The factors such as “year of study”, “vehicle registration status”, “travel time by walking from Mahallah (hostel) to Kulliyyah (faculty)” and “experienced delay time to the Kulliyyah” were found to influence the use of motorcars on-campus. 86% of the respondents were willing to shift from using motorcars to sustainable transportation modes. Recommendations to realize the willingness to shift from motorcars to other travel modes include: formulation of policy by the University authority to reduce the over-dependence on motorcars on campus; provision and management of efficient and effective public transportation services on-campus; provision and improvement of infrastructure to facilitate walking and cycling on-campus and strict enforcement on the use of illegal motorcars on-campus.
GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES IN URBAN MORPHOLOGY FOR RESILIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE
Authors: Mohd Noor Norzailawati , Mohd Nor Marina , Abdullah Alias , Zahari Rustam Khairi
Published: September 2016

This study analysed the potential of applications of geospatial technology in urban planning research in urban morphology. Urban morphology is the study of the form of human settlements and the process of their formation and transformation. It is an approach in designing urban form that considers both physical and spatial components of the urban structure. This study was conducted in Georgetown, Penang with the main purpose to identify the evolution of urban morphology and the land use expansion using remote sensing images and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique. Four series of temporal satellite SPOT 5 J from 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2014 were used to detect an expansion of land use development using change detection technique. Three types of land use were identified, namely built-up area, unbuilt-up area, and water bodies with a good accuracy of above 85%. The result showed that the built-up area significantly increased due to the rapid development in urban area. Finally, the result provided an understanding and strengthened the relationship between urban planning and geospatial applications in creating sustainable and resilient city and future urban governance.
E-PAYMENT AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL: A STUDY OF MAJLIS BANDARAYA SHAH ALAM AND MAJLIS DAERAH KAMPAR
Authors: Zahari Rustam Khairi , Raja Ariffin Raja Noriza , Zamin Nurhawani , Mohd Noor Norzailawati
Published: September 2016

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption through the implementation of electronic government (e-Government) helps improves local authority‘s service delivery for the benefit of the community. Many of the local authorities have adopted the online payment method for the assessment rate collection. Despite the notion that e-Government increased productivity and improved efficiency, citizen‘s usage is still considered minimal and has been comparatively low especially in services involving transactional. This study investigates the factors influencing the usage of online payment method in local authority‘s assessment rate collection. Data for this study was collected through questionnaire, interview and document analysis. The findings showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, payment receipt issuance and income level seem to influence user‘s intention to adopt the online payment method.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF ROAD GEOMETRICAL DESIGN TOWARDS SPOT SPEED DISTRIBUTION ON ARTERIAL ROAD
Authors: Mohd Maksid Noor Hafiza , Kadar Hamsa Abdul Azeez
Published: September 2016

Drivers travel at speeds they judge to be comfortably achievable in relation to the prevailing conditions and road geometrical design. The relationship between road geometrical design and speed of vehicles traveling in is very prominent. Speeds vary according to the perception of constraint imparted to the drivers by the road geometrical design. In a broader sense, these two factors are often interrelated with speed limits and road safety. The purpose of this study is to investigate how road geometrical design could influence the speed of vehicles on arterial road. Two roads with different geometric design were compared: arterial road with straight stretch and arterial road with curved stretch. The study was carried out by analyzing the speed characteristics between these two road stretches and it was discovered that vehicles traveling on straight road stretch tend to travel at higher speed than curved road stretch. The difference in the mean speed of the straight road and the curved road was tested for statistical significance by using t-test. The results show that there exists difference in the mean speed of the vehicles traveling at straight and curved road stretches. It was also found that the existing speed limit of the selected road stretches is lower than the 85th percentile speed. The 85th percentile speed is a commonly used measure to decide speed limit on a road. The vehicles were traveling at higher speed along straight stretch of road than curved road stretch. Few recommendations on strengthening the enforcement and improving speed reduction measures are drawn to discourage drivers driving at high speed to make roads free from accidents.
TOWN PLANNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SPORTS FACILITIES AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF 13 STATES’ MAIN SPORTS FACILITIES IN MALAYSIA
Authors: Barghchi Maassoumeh , Omar Dasimah
Published: September 2016

Sport is defined as recreation and is considered as the symbol of developed degree of a country and economic development. However, globalisation and dramatic growth of urbanisation highlight the importance of sport and sports facilities in cities. On the other hand, there is a recent trend in some countries to build sports facilities not only for their intended sporting purpose but also for the twin aim of stimulating urban areas. In Malaysia, sports and sports facilities have improved rapidly over the past years. There is also currently tremendous interest in sports and a wave of sports investment. This research aims to examine town planners‟ perceptions of sports facilities and urban development focusing on the main sports facilities at State level in Malaysia. It is based on quantitative research via postal questionnaire survey and key informant interviews. The research reveals new trend of sports investment and sports facilities construction started in the mid-1990s. The findings of this research elaborate new considerations for town planners to determine the type of local environment for a new sports facility. Further, it may assist to review and provide specific guidelines and principles for sports facilities in Malaysia to follow the global trend in the future.
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN MALAYSIAN URBAN PLANNING
Authors: Mohamad Amin Intan Afida , Hashim Halimaton Saadiah
Published: September 2016

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become one of the main agenda at the global level. This is reflected in the 'Hyogo Framework for Action (2005- 2015) Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters’ where one of the priority actions that has been agreed is to reduce the risk factors that can induce disasters. In addition, consensus was obtained during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which was held in 2012 better known as Rio+20 where disaster risk reduction, resilience and risk resulting from climate change should be taken into account in urban planning. Strengthening the instruments for the implementation of disaster risk reduction and risk assessment is needed to ensure that more sustainable urban planning can be implemented in order to accommodate rapid development that goes hand in hand with rapid urban population growth in the future. This research explores the needs for disaster risk reduction in Malaysian urban planning and also explores the roles of urban planners in disaster risk reduction. Further, this study will briefly discuss on preliminary review on disaster risk reduction agendas that has been incorporated in five stages of development plans and document in Malaysian urban planning practice namely the National Physical Plan (NPP), the State Structure Plan (SSP), the Local Plan (LP), the Special Area Plan (SAP) and the Development Proposal Report (DPR).
CREATIVE CITIES RESEARCH IN PENANG, MALAYSIA: A REVIEW OF CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
Authors: Suet Leng Khoo , Badarulzaman Nurwati , Samat Narimah , Sirat Morshidi , Sheikh Dawood Sharifah Rohayah
Published: September 2016

A heightened interest in the notions of ‘creative cities, creative industries and creative economy’ has propelled research in these emerging areas of the New Economy. As an emerging area, some conceptual and methodological issues need to be addressed prior to adopting the creative city paradigm as part of the strategic and policy framework towards a creative economy. This paper presents a review of key conceptual and methodological issues that need to be considered when conducting research on creative cities in Malaysia. The conceptual and methodological issues relating to creative cities and creative industries should be addressed and dealt with in order to facilitate an enabling framework for contemporary research in this emerging area.
THE ROLE OF FABRIC BANNERS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DIGITAL ERA
Authors: Zainol Rosilawati , Hong Ching Goh , Mohd @ Ahmad Ibrahim , Nordin Ahmad Nikmatul Adha , Baharom Siti Maisara , Tengku Hamzah Tengku Adeline Adura
Published: September 2016

This paper presents the role of fabric banners as a communication medium for community engagement, which would be the relevant communication medium for public participation in the development plan process. Discussions are based on findings from a study conducted in Subang Jaya-USJ, Selangor where the main objective was to evaluate the relevance of fabric banners as a communication medium in eliciting public participation in community engagements. The study was within a theoretical framework that links community engagement, urban way of life and the Media Richness Theory. Primary data were collected through self-administered survey under the purposive sampling method and in-depth interviews involving 100 local residents of Subang Jaya-USJ. Findings demonstrated that fabric banners are still relevant and functioning as an effective communication medium in community engagement, particularly in Subang Jaya-USJ. Thus, this type of communication medium should be seriously considered in town planning public participation process.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN HAPPINESS AND NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING: CASE STUDY PUCHONG INDAH HOUSING ESTATE, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA
Authors: Hoon Leh Oliver Ling , Marhalim Farah Ayuni , Mohamed Musthafa Siti Nur Afiqah , Abdullah Yusfida Ayu , Marzukhi Marlyana Azyyati
Published: September 2016

People living in urban area are always linked to stressful life and less happiness. One of the symptoms is the increasing number of people experiencing depression. Besides, there is also the feeling of fear (unsafe) within the community. To overcome the problems, neighbourhood planning should take into consideration the elements of happiness. A study was carried out at Puchong Indah Housing Estate, with the objectives to examine the level of happiness of residents and to analyse the relationship between happiness and neighbourhood planning aspects. Questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the level of happiness and satisfaction among the residents. The Spearman correlation was applied for the relationship analysis. The main findings demonstrate that the people in Puchong Indah are happy. The residential area planning aspects, i.e. community relationship, accessibility to public areas, transportation and safety aspects were significantly related to happiness of respondents. Recommendations were constructed based on the findings.
ASSESSING THE URBAN AND RURAL STAGE BUS SERVICES DISPARITIES IN PENINSULA MALAYSIA
Authors: Ponrahono Zakiah , Bachok Syahriah , Mohamed Osman Mariana , Ibrahim Mansor , Abdullah Muhammad Faris , Abdullah Alias
Published: September 2016

Disparities between services and goods provision have been the concerns of various regional development proponents. Among the gaps that needed to be addressed by regional policies and initiatives were accessibility and mobility levels between urbanites and the rural population. This study reports on the differences of the urban versus rural bus services. For this purpose, this study extends the exploration of approximately 48 routes within selected urban and regional settlements in Peninsula Malaysia, using a quantitative traffic engineering measure known as Level of Service standards or LOS. Three performance measures, namely fixed-route hour of service, fixed-route service frequency and passenger-load threshold were evaluated in determining the existence and extent of such disparities. The passengers’ satisfaction and preference survey were conducted to complement some qualitative explanations left void by the LOS evaluation. Methods of on-board face to face intercept survey and adoption of Geographical Information System (GIS) /Global Positioning System (GPS) were deployed in the collection of primary data. More than 1600 survey forms were distributed, but after collection and data cleaning, only a total of 1130 were analysed. Findings of the study supported and confirmed the existence of such spatial imbalances of services provision. They also further accentuated that many developing nations’ rural settlements were indeed stigmatised by a lower level of stage bus services (average at LOS D) compared to those enjoyed by the urbanites (average services at LOS C).
THE ROLES OF URBAN HERITAGE IN DETERMINING THE IMAGE OF THE ROYAL TOWN OF SRI MENANTI, NEGERI SEMBILAN
Authors: Harun Nor Zalina , Fairuz Dg. Norhidayah , Nordin Nor Adilla
Published: September 2016

Malaysia has many towns of historic and cultural significance that are worthy of preservation for sustainable development. For instance, a royal town, which is a town where the old palaces and the royal administrative district are located. This paper aims to discover the significance of the urban heritage of a royal town so as to ensure its preservation. Special attention is paid to the identification of townscape elements in forming the image of the town and the roles of the townscape elements as built heritage of the royal town. A case study was carried out in Sri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan, which is one of the royal towns in Malaysia. The study methodology involves a historical map overlay, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that Sri Menanti has played a significant role in the history and development of Negeri Sembilan. Additionally, the contribution of ‘Adat Perpatih’ to the nation's history as one of the unique administrative components helps to signify the importance of the town’s local culture and urban heritage. The town also represents a number of townscape elements that are intertwined as urban heritage, with rich cultural and architectural significance. The paper concludes that diversity in the character of the town is unique and worthy of preservation.
PRESERVATION OF URBAN CULTURAL LANDSCAPE: CASE STUDY OF ROJI IN KAGURAZAKA, TOKYO
Authors: Morokuma Benika
Published: September 2016

The Landscape Law, introduced in Japan in 2004, has granted the municipal governments the regulatory power to protect cultural landscape they wish to preserve. Due to its wider coverage, the law can technically protect the landscape developed through the secondary and tertiary industries, which theoretically includes the urban cultural landscape. However, until today, no significant cultural landscape is officially designated in its capital city Tokyo, although, such urban neighborhoods with historic sense of place still exist and are highly appreciated. By examining the fifteen-year community’s effort to preserve roji (alleys) and its landscape in Kagurazaka in central Tokyo as a case study, this paper aims to examine the achievement and limitation of the community’s advocacy efforts. In conclusion, this urban community has rather viewed its landscape as a favorable living environment than cultural resources, while the academic research recognized it as historic resource and urban cultural landscape. To better preserve the urban landscape as living environment with authenticity of the place, two approaches need to be combined in the future.
EVALUATING SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PUBLIC TRANSPORT USAGE IN KERMAN, IRAN
Authors: Bahreini Azin , Mirzaei Hamed , Moeinaddini Mehdi , Asadi-Shekari Zohreh , Shah Muhammad Zaly , Sultan Zahid
Published: September 2016

Although public transport is recommended to develop a sustainable transport system, the percentage of daily trips by public transport in Iran specifically in medium sized cities such as Kerman is very low. Currently, efforts are being made to indicate significant factors that prevent public transport usage in developed countries but few studies have been conducted in developing countries. Only a few studies have considered public transport usage in Iranian megacities and medium sized cities such as Kerman require more attention. Therefore, this study tries to identify effective factors that influence public transport usage in urban areas in developing countries like Iran and in medium sized cities like Kerman. In addition, this study tries to investigate various ways to increase public transport ridership. The people awareness regarding benefits of public transport usage is also tested in this study. This study uses questionnaire and observation to collect data. The descriptive analysis based on the collected data shows that most of the people are aware of public transport benefits. These benefits include environment protection, reduction in parking demand and traffic congestion, lower travel cost (compare with private vehicle), fewer mental stresses, more safety, and being more convenient. Although people are aware of public transport benefits, there are some issues that prevent them to use public transport properly. Insufficient information about public transport schedules, lack of attractive facilities and suitable waiting stations and inadequate reliability are examples of issues that discourage people to use public transport. The results show that some improvements such as providing suitable information about public transport schedules, considering comfortable facilities to increase attractiveness, improving waiting facilities and reliability can encourage people to use public transport.
THE IMPACT OF ISKANDAR MALAYSIA DEVELOPMENT ON URBAN AMENITIES
Authors: Razak Muhammad Rafeq , Johar Foziah , Abd Khalil Rabiatul Adawiyah
Published: September 2016

For major cities in Malaysia, globalized urban images are enthusiastically pursued by urban policy and explicitly depicted as a blueprint for a civilized city life. These developments have implications to physical and socio-economic developments as well as cultural aspects of cities in Malaysia. This is especially true for Iskandar Malaysia (IM), a new corridor development envisioned to be a “sustainable conurbation of internationalstanding‟. The whole initiatives targeted an enormous increase in socio-economic development indicators such as populations (222%), workforce (233%), and per-capita GDP (210%) during a 20-year period of 2005-2025. Since its establishment in 2006, Iskandar Malaysia has witnessed wide spread urban renewal and new urban/suburban projects which resulted in distinct physical and socio-economic changes. One of the challenges to urban consumption is the provision and allocation of amenities to people within the region. A main concern of this paper is to identify the impact of Iskandar Malaysia development on urban amenities distribution. The 2000 and 2010 census data will be explored using GIS to explain the spatial distribution of health, education and safety amenities. This information will be matched with the residential distribution to determine amenities’ location, distribution and accessibility.
FACTOR ANALYSIS OF MOTORCYCLE CRASHES IN MALAYSIA
Authors: Sultan Zahid , Ngadiman Noor Irdiana , A. Kadir Fara Dela , Roslan Nuur Fathin , Moeinaddini Mehdi
Published: September 2016

This research paper focused on factor analysis of motorcycle crashes in Malaysia. Statistics have shown that Malaysia has the highest road fatality risk (per 100,000 populations) among the ASEAN countries and more than 50% of the road accident fatalities involve motorcyclists. The research literature has shown that key factors that significantly involve in the motorcycles crashes are human factors, road and vehicle conditions and environment factors. The purpose of this research is to analyse the driving attitude, behaviour and habits of Malaysian motorcyclists especially the young students. For this purpose, a research survey (N=210) has been conducted in University Technology Malaysia (UTM) in order to perceive road user perception on key factors that contribute to motorcycle crashes in Malaysia among the young students. The results show that the highest factor that contributes to the motorcycle crashes in Malaysia is the human behavior factor, follow by road and vehicle and lastly the environment factor. Human attitude on the road is the main factor that causes a motorcycle crash. Impatience, careless, selfish and dangerous driving make driver involve an accident. Evidence recommendations are suggested to reduce the number motorcycle crash in Malaysia. Implementation of these recommendations can be helpful to reduce the number of accidents and changing the attitude of young driver.
ISLAMISATION OF TOWN PLANNING EDUCATION: A REVIEW ON THE COURSES OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
Authors: Ahmad Sarkawi Azila , Abdullah Alias , Md Dali Norimah
Published: September 2016

The Islamisation of the town planning education in Malaysia especially in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) could successfully be materialized via the smart team-teaching approach where lecturers from the town planning Department collaborate with their counterpart in the Islamic studies Kulliyyah. This paper reports a desk study on the status of Islamic inputs in the current town planning course content. Out of 140 credit hours of town planning core courses and University required courses, it was found that 34% have already embodied Islamic-related topics whilst the remaining 66% were silent. Enhancements via compatible Islamic inputs to strengthen the existing curricula need to be done for the former while for the latter new Islamic inputs need to be incorporated. This paper reiterates that the epistemological and methodological approach combined is the way forward for sustainable education.
A DISCRETE CHOICE MODEL FOR FIRM LOCATION DECISION
Authors: Che Man Noordini , Timmerman Harry
Published: September 2016

Where to locate? It is one of the most important question in locating a business in a city. In the city center, business or firms are functioning as a dominant attractor of employment and also employment locations which linked the land use and transportation system. The objective of this paper is to describe the location model of firms in Kuala Lumpur area. Two important determinants of location choice model in this study are the accessibility measures and the suitability analysis indicators. The model focuses on the statistical technique for analyzing discrete choice data by using econometric and Geographic Information System software. The findings in this paper show that agriculture, mining, electricity, gas and water, transport and finance firms' type are mostly located outside of Kuala Lumpur's Central Business District area. Meanwhile, manufacturing, construction and wholesale firms' type are located in the Central Business District area. The result of this study will highlight the use of discrete choice models in the analysis of firm location decisions which will be a foundation to facilitate town planners and decision makers to understand the firm location decisions in their region.
AN INVESTIGATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND USE COMPOSITION AND PM10 POLLUTION IN ISKANDAR MALAYSIA
Authors: Zikri Zahari Muhammad Azahar , Majid M. Rafee , Chin Siong Ho , Nordin Nadhirah , Kurata Gakuji
Published: September 2016

This paper discusses the relationship between land use composition and the degree of air pollution, specifically PM10, in Iskandar Malaysia. Aspiring to be a low carbon region and a smart city, Iskandar Malaysia has to meet the social and economic needs of its growing population while taking care of all the environmental challenges that come with rapid urbanization. The intermittent regional haze episodes in the past years have shrouded this region with particulate matters including PM10, but the major cause of the haze was extensive agricultural open burning rather than land use change. Since there is no doubt land use change itself can be a significant contributor to local PM10 concentration, separating PM10 caused by the local (land use change) source from that of the regional source would enable us to investigate the trend in local PM10 pollution level. Therefore, a study on the Iskandar Malaysia’s PM10 readings for the years 2002, 2006 and 2008 was carried out with the aim to identify the relationship between land use composition and PM10 concentrations. The background concentration of PM10 was extracted by using the base flow separation process commonly used in the hydrograph study. The extracted background concentration was then interpolated with the Terra MODIS level 2 product to identify the PM10 concentration for the whole Iskandar Malaysia region, spatially. Since data for land use changes are compositional data in nature, where the percentages of different land use coverages always add up to unity, the barycentric or ternary plot had been used to investigate the relationship between PM10 concentrations with the land use composition (urban:agriculture:forest) in Iskandar Malaysia. The results show that air quality as represented by PM10 concentrations are inevitably linked to the land use changes at the local level notwithstanding the more noticeable but intermittent influence of the regional haze episodes. The degree of air pollution is noticeably controlled by the percentage of urban land use with PM10 clearly affected by the size of commercial area.
THE APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPT OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE FOR SECURED HOUSING ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Omar Saari , Megat Omar Megat Arif Shah
Published: September 2016

Housing areas in Malaysia has always relied on the local authorities to take care of the neighbourhood, resulting in apathy in respect to the community's well being, safety and a rise in crime. Most housing developments have been designed to provide a secure home rather than a secured living environment. The provision of a large and undefined communal space, leads to a situation of "anonymity" and become "lost spaces" which allow criminals to "disguise" among the crowd. A viable solution in ensuring a secured housing environment is through the provision of "defensible" communal spaces that encourage community interaction and social cohesion. This paper will discuss the current problems concerning crime and safety in high-density housing settlement in Malaysia. The paper will also review the prevailing ideas and concepts that have been articulated by prominent theorists for the designer to use in designing secured housing development, This is where the defensible space theory raises the issue of 'creating' a community within a neighbourhood, and how it could be applied successfully to local housing.
SUSTAINABLE CITY PLANNING: EMPHASIS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Authors: Hashim Halimaton Saadiah , Pereira Joy Jacqueline , Komoo Ibrahim
Published: September 2016

The need to identify and manage environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) is of fundamental importance for seeking balanced development within and around such areas based on the concept of sustainable development. The identification of ESAs enhances the understanding of the various trade-offs between land development, environmental protection and societal well-being, and this facilitates effective planning for future development. The concept of ESAs, which evolved from a sectoral approach at the international and national levels, was modified to be more integrated for its implementation at the city and state levels, even at national levels. The Selangor State Policy on ESA was officially launched on 5 June 1999. The Policy takes into account the importance of an area from the perspective of the implementing government agencies and the perspective of its major function in terms of providing life support systems, heritage value as well as risks associated with hazards. Integrated ESAs defines an area containing various ecosystems that play an important role in ensuring the well being of the environment as well as society which could be threatened by development. Three groups of ESAs are identified. These are ESA of Heritage Value, ESA associated with Hazards and ESA that is important for Life Support Systems. ESA of Heritage Value is defined as an area that has historical, cultural or scientific value. ESA associated with Hazards is defined as areas that are associated with high risks of natural or man-made hazards. ESA for Life Support Systems takes into account the present and future needs of society to ensure adequate quality of life based on resources available in the State. Integrated ESAs are useful to ensure land use that supports the aspirations of sustainable development and has the potential to enhance stakeholder participation, particularly when used in conjunction with existing land use planning mechanisms.
BOOK REVIEW : THE BOULEVARD BOOK. Boston: M.I.T. Press
Authors: Charng Yen Shu
Published: September 2016

In the course of our master planning work for new communities, many times we might have tried to come up with new ideas forgetting how invaluable our current urban form which has evolved through the times. Places we are familiar with, our "Jalan Besar", "Jalan Bandar", our "Padang", "Bulatan ", "Pesiaran ", "Medan Pasar ", etc. which offers priceless lessons which can be applied to our new environments.Perhaps we are trying to stamp our personal identity into the new places which is within our sphere of influence, as planners, to create, especially with modem technology, we can create something out of nothing. For example, cutting an expressway is by blasting through a steep terrain. Of course, not all is bad, some good things can come out of new technology, converting ex-mining land into resorts that appeal and are used by many.
SAFE CITY PROGRAMME: ARE WE ON THE RIGHT PATH TO REDUCE CRIME?
Authors: Shamsudin Kamalruddin
Published: September 2016

Generally all types of property crime showed increase in occurrences; snatch theft showed a positive decline from 2004 to 2006 and stabilized in 2007. The safe city programme originated with the aim of putting across measures or steps that local authorities (PBTs) could implement immediately to reduce crime occurrences. Effectiveness of CCTV showed mixed result. Lessons from accredited safe city elsewhere (in particular Melbourne) suggest possible future directions for the safe cityprogramme in Malaysia.