bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE FUTURE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA: MAKING THE COAST VISIBLE TO PLANNERS
Authors: Asmawi M. Zainora
Published: November 2021

The concept of coastal management which is regarded as an effective management tool has been widely used globally for more than 40 years. It works across sectoral, disciplinary and institutional boundaries to manage coastal resources. In many coastal nations, it is highly regarded as an essential approach in formulating coastal strategies and objectives towards a sustainable coastal development. However, the coastal management strategies are currently not extensively incorporated in the institutional framework of Malaysian land use planning system. This situation leads to this study in which it looks into the scenario of the planning practice and coastal management from the perspective of public town planners. For data collection, questionnaire survey was conducted throughout 40 coastal Local Planning Authorities in Peninsular Malaysia. The results revealed a few pertinent points: the level of awareness on the concept of coastal management is rather low; very few Local Planning Authorities have their coastal management plans and programmes or any activities associated with coastal management; and no expertise and lack of man powers were identified as the main reasons for not involving in coastal management. These findings relatively indicate that the acceptance of Malaysian planners was rather unsatisfactory. It is clearly evident that lacking of awareness led to disintegrated approach between town planning and coastal management.
ESTIMATION OF RESIDENTIAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACE USING GIS TECHNIQUE
Authors: Majid M. Rafee , Jamaludin Jamal Aimi , Wan Ibrahim Wan Yusryzal
Published: November 2021

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: November 2021

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.
FIRM DYNAMIC ANALYSIS FOR URBAN LAND USE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH MODELLING
Authors: Che Man Noordini , Sabri Soheil , Hosni Nafisa , Timmerman Harry
Published: November 2021

In urban growth processes, urbanisation is highly influenced by economic growth which triggers the dynamics of economic agents and land uses. This is consisted of complex subsystems which need sophisticated methods like agent-based modelling and simulation to understand the pattern, behaviour and scale of multiple actors. The objective of this paper is to identify the behaviour, pattern and the scale of impact of firms on market in the region in order to foster an accurate agent-based modelling. The Geographic Information System is utilized to geocode the entrance and exit of firms to the market in Greater Kuala Lumpur region. This study has also carried out a temporal analysis considering 18 years performancesof the firms from 1990 to 2007. The findings in this paper show sector 9 (i.e. Financing) has highest percentage of establishment with 35.1 %. In addition, Sector 3 (i.e. Mining) and Sector 5 (i.e. Electricity) have the lowest percentage of establishment with 0.3 %. The result of this study will be a foundation to facilitate developing an agent-based modelling and simulation which helps town planners and decision makers to understand the relationship and interaction between economic growth and dynamic land use patterns in their region.
POTENTIAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT PARAMETERS THAT REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN RESIDENTIAL AREA
Authors: Permana Ariva Sugandi , Abd. Aziz Norsiah , Jaffar Abdul Razak
Published: November 2021

Cities are relatively the larger energy consumers in comparison to its rural counterparts. Reducing energy consumption in cities through various controlling strategies has significant impact on the conservation of natural resources and environment. Residential density and floor area to land ratio has been used as key parameters in development control tools towards creating harmonious urban development. However no attempt has been made to employ them to lower residential energy consumption. This study attempts to demonstrate the possibility of using residential density and floor area to land ratio as passive parameters to reduce non-transportation energy consumption at household level. The analysis was based on questionnaire survey of nontransportation energy consumption viz. energy for lighting, thermal comfort and cooking purposes at household level in Bandung City, Indonesia. The result shows that non-transportation energy consumption perceptibly associates with the two parameters of development control with a u-shape pattern i.e. the correlation has one lowest point with higher trends at both ends. This finding is important for urban planners in formulating strategies towards lower consumption of non-transportation energy in tropical cities and consequently contributing to better-off urban environment.
SEISMIC MICROZONATION FOR BANDA ACEH CITY PLANNING
Authors: Johar Foziah , Majid M. Rafee , Jaffar Abdul Razak , Yahya Adi Safyan
Published: November 2021

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.
LAND COVER CHANGE DETECTION ANALYSIS ON URBAN GREEN AREA LOSS USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES
Authors: Mohd Noor Noorzailawati , Abdullah Alias , Manzahani Mohd Nasrul Hanis
Published: November 2021

The loss of green area has been rising all over the world particularly in big cities. For a number of decades, urban sprawl and developments have changed the natural landscapes of urban areas where areas with green areas have been converted into built up developments and other land uses. Thus this research intends to study the changes of green areas in Kuala Lumpur based on land use detection analysis approach where 3 series of remote sensing images namely SPOT2, SPOT4 and IKONOS for year 1990, 2001 and 2010 have been used to acquire the data on the green area changes aided by ERDAS IMAGINE 2011 and ARGIS 9.2. The finding of the study shows that there is a decrease in the size of green area in Kuala Lumpur from year 1990-2010 due to pressure of urban developments. Two significant factors which contribute to the changes of green area in Kuala Lumpur have been identified in the study, which are the increase in built up areas and sprawl development pattern.
WHAT BRINGS YOUTH TO RECREATIONAL PARKS?
Authors: Zainol Rosilawati , Peng Au-Yong Cheong
Published: November 2021

Locations of recreational parks are said to have a direct influence on youth physical activities. However, there is still a lack of studies on youth activities at recreational parks. Thus, this study examines the relationship between reasons and habit of youth going to recreational parks through a questionnaire survey. Variables that are measured include enjoying the outdoors, use a particular facility at the park, play sports, picnic and general activities, walk or ride a bicycle for exercise and meeting friends. Logistic regression analysis reveals youths are most likely to visit the park for playing sports, walking or riding a bicycle, provided the facilities and amenities are available. Hence, planning, implementation and maintenance of recreational park play a significant role in promoting outdoor activities and active lifestyle among the youth.
IDENTIFYING FACTORS INFLUENCING URBAN SPATIAL GROWTH FOR THE GEORGE TOWN CONURBATION
Authors: Mahamud Mohd Amirul , Samat Narimah , Mohd Noor Noorzailawati
Published: November 2021

Urban growth, which caused spatial land use and land cover changes has affected various physical environment, social, and economic activities. Thus, in order to understand the dynamic process of urban spatial growth, researchers throughout the world have implemented diverse approaches, where spatial models have been developed to predict and simulate future urban growth. Those models were developed based on the driving forces that stimulate urban spatial growth. Therefore, in ensuring reliable models to be developed will be able to forecast future changes and their potential environmental effects, the driving forces must be identified. The objective of this paper is to identify possible driving forces that promote urban spatial growth of the George Town Conurbation. The study was conducted based on reviewing recent publications in journals and an on-line survey. An on-line survey was generated and distributed to academicians and urban planners to identify factors influencing urban spatial growth and their weights. The findings indicated that distance to public amenities, cheap housing price, and distance to the workplace are among factors that are important determinants of urban development. The results provide valuable insights in modelling urban growth in future research.
SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT THROUGH URBAN CONSOLIDATION POLICY IN SHIRAZ, IRAN
Authors: Samzadeh Mozhgan , Abdullah Zunaibi , Omar Saari , Abdul Aziz Aniza
Published: November 2021

In the past few decades, cities from various parts of the world have faced with unplanned and uncontrolled physical expansion due to inappropriate policies. Among different solutions against urban sprawl, the dominant sustainable cure is the so-called 'Urban Consolidation' (UC). This paper aims to explore urban sprawl characteristics and present its cause and effect on the sustainability criteria of Shiraz city, Iran. It is confined to an exploration of population growth and physical expansion of the city. The data has been collected from governmental organizations and documents. This paper examines UC policy implementation in the inner city of Shiraz to control low-density urban sprawl. As the result, this paper discovers that the policy emphasizes on the higher density housing development in existing urban areas considering the capacity of infrastructures and facilitiesâ€™ availability prior to calculate housing targets to decrease the demand for Greenfield development. It concludes with a brief discussion on the challenges to achieve sustainable urban development goals in the city through UC strategies.
ELDERLY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Zainol Rosilawati , Pettit Christopher J.
Published: November 2021

The trend of ageing at home which is preferred option by the elderly in Australia is to be supported with good community facilities such as community health care facilities. The proximity of these facilities to their homes plays a significant role in their everyday life activity. Thus, this study examines the spatial relationship between elderlyâ€™s population distribution and also the spatial distribution of community health care. Digital boundaries and population census 2011 data were retrieved from the Australian Bureau Statistics (ABS). Data on community health care facilities, on the other hand, were obtained from the National Health Services Directory (NHSD). Both data were analysed using Local Indicator Spatial Association technique (LISA). Results show there is a mismatch between the placement of community health care facilities and where the elderly reside. This mismatch will later create accessibility problems to the elderly if not tackle properly. They may be required to travel quite a distance to receive treatment and medications. Facilities are to be provided with projections of elderly population distribution in mind. This condition would minimize accessibility issue in the future.
THE CHALLENGE OF LABOUR SHORTAGE FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Mohd Rahim Faizul Azli , Mohd Yusoff Nurul Safwah , Chen Wang , Zainon Nurshuhada , Yusoff Sumiani , Deraman Rafikullah
Published: November 2021

In line with the principle of sustainable development, construction projects ought to be developed to bring benefits across all aspects, namely economic, social, and environmental. One the other hand, being a complex, fragmented and schedule driven industry, construction projects are frequently subject to problems that constrain their execution. Since construction is a labour intensive industry, the shortage of labour has become the crucial risks that hindering the construction project in achieving sustainability. This paper, in reviewing the concept of sustainable construction, also addresses the influential factors concerning the labour shortages in the construction industry and discusses how these challenges can be managed in producing sustainable construction labours.
INCORPORATING WALKING IN TRAVEL TO WORK: THE MEANING OF COMMUTING FOR KUALA LUMPUR COMMUNITY
Authors: Adam Mastura , Abu Bakar Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Progressive increase in the influx of privately owned vehicles and a decrease in the modal share of public transport over the years become a city-based phenomenon. Over-dependence on cars encouraged a sedentary lifestyle, an obesity epidemic, social exclusion and increased carbon footprint. Deficiencies in urban planning have created a spatial separation between employment centres and residential areas. The research focused on investigating how people construct the meaning attributed to commuting mode of travel to work. Using multiple embedded case study research approach, this research focuses on 19 semistructured interviews with employees from two neighbouring but contrasting case study areas of Kuala Lumpur. Synthesis of the employeesâ€™ experiences on their travel behaviour exposed replication logic on the way they perceived walking as part of the transportation mode of travelling to work. The implicit understanding of the walking to work includes; definition of walking to work by the communities, specific walking stages and itsâ€™ characteristic during am-pm rush hours, the travel pattern and modes of transportation from the origin point (home) to the office, and the understanding of walking benefits to their economy, environment, health and social. These results provide possibility of understanding the needs of people and to promote walking to work as part of transportation mode for commuting in order to overcome the current urban challenges.
CAMPUS WALKABILITY IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: A CASE-STUDY OF UNIVERSITI MALAYA
Authors: Keat Liow Ken , Mohd Yaacob Naziaty , Hashim Nor Rasidah
Published: November 2021

Universities are important innovation hubs for sustainable development. As universities worldwide are striving to provide conducive living and learning environments for their students and staff, the mobility of campus users is one of the challenges that have to be overcome immediately. In order to understand the issues of campus mobility, this study was conducted to evaluate a component of mobility, i.e. its walkability features and potential. The location of this study was in Universiti Malaya. We divided the study in two stages: 1. Studentsâ€™ surveys to find out their perceptions on the features, potential and policy on walkability. 2. Direct observations and measurements of the existing walkability conditions (vehicular and pedestrian circulation and the street elements that constitute a walkable environment). The main findings were as follows: Most students perceived the overall walkability environment at UM did not give them a positive walking experience on campus. Street elements that are user-friendly were found to be lacking although there existed some positive ones, e.g. traffic calming devices especially at pedestrian crossing area. Although this is a case study of UM, we feel that the issues are of general interest to other university campuses, especially those located in major cities and having the same organizational structure. We would therefore recommend university management to conduct periodical campus walkability evaluation and to take the userâ€™s perceptions seriously so as to provide better adaptation solutions to their campus sustainability projects.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FOR EXISTING TYPICAL CAMPUS BUILDINGS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA
Authors: Ismail Muhammad Azzam , M. Al-Obaidi Karam , Sulaiman Raha
Published: November 2021

A very large component of the maintenance cost of any real estate property is the electricity consumption cost. The electricity consumption cost of a 700-acre university campus in Malaysia would reach an overall yearly operating expenditure of nearly RM 1 billion. Knowing this fact, the University of Malayaâ€™s (UM) top management has conducted many projects at various scales to address energy efficiency (EE), including the replacement of old and inefficient mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment and the installation of new EE technologies around the campus. In enhancing the overall EE effort, an energy management system is required to ensure that a calculated EE plan can be implemented and audited after it is completed to improve the overall sustainability of UM. Therefore, this study presents the formulation of an Energy Management System (EMS) for UM based on the ASEAN Energy Management Scheme (AEMAS) methodology. Results show that with the full support of the top management of the university, the EMS can be implemented with at least a 5% electricity consumption reduction per year. The formalization of the EMS is the most important step in ensuring any marked reduction in electricity consumption campus-wide.
PREFERENCES OF STUDENT RESIDENTS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE CONCEPT OF BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN
Authors: Jamaludin Adi Ainurzaman , Hussein Hazreena , Keumala Nila , Mohd Ariffin Ati Rosemary
Published: November 2021

A satisfaction and perception survey was carried out at a residential college building in Kuala Lumpur. It was acknowledged as an energy efficient building due to the most considerate implementation of bioclimatic design concept. Currently, there is no specific preference studies were done in this type of building in the equatorial climate region. 266 respondents were received, relying on 95% confidence level and Â±5% margin of error from the overall population. The satisfaction and perception levels of residents are found to be positive with the concept of bioclimatic design. A majority of them are at a comfort level in all performance indicators including the internal courtyard, thermal comfort and indoor air quality, day lighting and landscape features, which contributed to the increased work productivity. Indirectly, it shows that the bioclimatic design concept at an old residential building is still appropriate to meet the needs of contemporary life while increasing the efficiency of electricity usage. Nevertheless, the positions of the rooms should be highly considered in implementing the improvement measures for increasing the comfort level of the room when this aspect, rather than the gender aspect, considerably influences the satisfaction and perception levels of respondents.
SYNTHESISING AN EFFECTIVE INCENTIVES SYSTEM IN SAFEGUARDING THE HERITAGE VILLAGE OF MELAKA AND GEORGE TOWN
Authors: Mat Radzuan Indera Syahrul , Ahmad Yahaya
Published: November 2021

This paper summarizes the main findings derived from the field study held in three heritage villages located in the proximity of Melaka and George Town city. This study has employed a mixed method approach by using a questionnaire survey on the residents and interviews involving officials and local village leaders of the Morten Village and the Chitty Village in Melaka as well as the Clan Jetty Village in George Town. This study was conducted to address an overarching question, which is whether incentives programme that have been formulated for the community are suitable for their aspirations and needs. This paper analyses the residentsâ€™ perception on the effectiveness of the current incentives policy by using Bennettâ€™s programme evaluation method. It evaluates the findings in relation to the present policy framework for understanding and managing the cultural heritage incentives programme in order to establish the sustainable community in the heritage village. As observed, this study has identified some constraints such as low quality of the conservation works and lack of incentives provision from the viewpoints of the local residents. In dealing with the efficiency of the current incentives programme, this study has taken the stance that a policy formulation for the incentives programme should visually reflect the â€˜realâ€™ needs of the local communities.
STREET DESIGN AND WOMEN’S SAFETY PERCEPTION
Authors: Abdul Rashid Suhaila , Wahab Mohammad Hussaini , Wan Mohd Rani Wan Nurul Mardiah
Published: November 2021

Urbanization is a process that creates many opportunities as well as threats. It is a process that will keep on continuing as population rate, migration, economic and social pattern are changing. Along with urbanization, demand for sustainable development and public space is crucial. Streets are important public space in a city. It is a network for many kind of activities. Design of streets affects the way people use it as well as their perception on safety. As a public space, safety is an important factor to consider. A safe public space will create a liveable environment. Feeling safe is important for human being due to the fact the built environment does affect our perception. Gender plays a role in safety perception where women perceive their environment differently. This study focuses on the importance of street as public space in contributing towards safety perception. In order to evaluate the phenomenon, a mixed method approach was adopted. Four streets in the city centre which are important public space with trading activities, connected to educational institution, offices and other economic activities were chosen. 120 questionnaire were distributed and direct observation were conducted in order to evaluate the phenomenon. Findings revealed that physical elements in the street do affect safety perception.
PERCEIVED FAIRNESS IN ISLAMIC HOME FINANCING: COMPARISON BETWEEN AL-BAY’BITHAMANAJIL AND MUSHARAKAH MUTANAQISAH PARTNERSHIP CONTRACTS
Authors: Mohamed Imtiyaz Mohamed Noordeen , Kassim Salina , Harun Nor Zalina
Published: November 2021

While many see housing sector as a commodity, there are still many people in Malaysia who fail to own homes and many are forced to rent or stay away from urban areas. This paper aims to provide information and disclosure of available loan opportunities for house purchases in Malaysia. Apart from the importance among buyers, it is also seen as important from the perspective of property valuers and professionals involved in housing industry. This study compares the perceive fairness between three types of home financing that are available in Malaysia, namely conventional home loan, al-bay’ bithaman ajil, and musharakah mutanaqisah partnership (MMP) contracts among the customers in Malaysia. The study conducts a survey among 100 respondents to examine the relationship between customer intentions to use Islamic home financing based of MMP. The study concludes that the MMP has several advantages and cheaper over the BBA for the customer. Apart from being unanimity Shari’ah-compliant, it can be made to keep away from interest completely by means of practicing rental or house price index at the same time as reducing the cost of homes and the duration of financing. This paper concludes by suggesting recommendations for the appropriate actions to address the issues and challenges facing the MMP home finance products and deregulate BBA in Malaysia.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON TRAFFIC POLLUTION IN FEDERAL TERRITORY OF KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Authors: Mohd Shafie Siti Haslina , Mahmud Mastura
Published: November 2021

Increasing pollutant emission from vehicles and traffic jams is a serious environmental problem in major cities. This study is focused on the level of public perception and awareness on traffic pollution in the capital city of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Analytical tools such as descriptive analysis were applied to investigate the percentage of public perception and awareness towards traffic pollution and identify factors that influence this problem. Results showed that almost all respondents (99%) were very sensitive and were aware on traffic pollution regarding the physical, nonphysical factors and the health effect. Most respondents indicated that emissions from exhaust after switching on was the major contributor of air pollution. In terms of health, respondents perceived that traffic pollution impacted health and a cause of illness. Most respondents agreed with initiatives that provide incentives for public transport usage so that emission from vehicles can be reduced significantly.
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE 4 : 2017
Authors: Mohammed Osman Mariana , Rabe Noor Suzilawati
Published: November 2021

This issue of Planning Malaysia Journal includes a mixture of articles addressing various issues in contemporary urban planning. Article 1 raises the question of whether green initiatives in educational institutions, especially universities, were successful in producing green graduates. A survey among green and non-green universities students showed that there is no significant difference in the level of perception, attitude and responsible environmental behaviour between green and non-green universities graduates. Thus, it suggests that students’ involvement in universities’ green initiatives should be increased.Article 2 discusses the impacts of street urban design on the perceived safety by women respondents. As women’s role in the cities becoming more pronounced, the authors suggest that streets and urban design should consider the safety of women so that street can become a safe and highly utilised public space. Article 3 looks at the factors affecting house prices in Malaysia in order to determine the alternative benchmark for Islamic home financing scheme. It shows that house price index are influenced by economic growth, demand for housing loan and construction materials. Article 4, in the meantime, compares the Islamic home financing schemes on offer in Malaysia nowadays, and suggest that there is a need for banks to move on from the Al-Bay Bithaman Ajil to Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership housing financing scheme.Article 5 looks how innovative management of natural resources leads to increased participation of the local community and improved revenue for rural businesses. These, in turn, motivates local stakeholders to continue preserving the resources. Article 6 examines the practices regarding food waste management in hotels in Langkawi. It found that there was a lack of emphasis from the hotels on their policy related to wastage of food and unsustainable food consumption pattern by their guests. This reflects on the lack of practices towards sustainable food waste management by the hotel sector.Article 7 identifies changes and threats to Malay landscape preservation in traditional Malays houses in Melaka and Kelantan. It concludes that threats to such preservation include inappropriate use of garden space, problems regarding house ownership, inadequate fund for maintenance, and current development trend that leads to traditional Malay garden setting being replaced by modern setting.Article 8 discusses the use of agroforestry approach to improve sustainability of oil palm smallholdings. Rapid development and expansion of natural forest into oil palm land has decreased the agricultural sustainability of Malaysian oil palm production. However, the article shows that sustainability of oil palm smallholdings can be improved through agroforestry, which at the same time was found to also improve income of the smallholders.
ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICES OF PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT IN IRAQ
Authors: Al-Mayahi Hala Taleb , Ismail Syuhaida , Wahab Mohammad Hussaini , Wan Mohd Rani Wan Nurul Mardiah , Che Amat Rohayah
Published: November 2021

Architects are significant initiators for the built environment projects, while architecture is all about communicating effectively with clients. Yet, some problems occur in regard to the mutual transfer of project information between those two parties. Thus, it is essential to enrol a proper system for managing project communication through communication management. Communication management is a notable part of the project management body of knowledge that coordinates and manages the process of exchanging information of the designing projects. However, studies confirmed that practices of communication management are often underestimated and overlooked. This article discusses communication management from architects’ perspectives with the objectives of determining the current practice in Iraq and examining the required communication competencies to improve it. An online questionnaire survey was administered via surveymonkey.com to 100 architects working in private firms in Basra City, south of Iraq. The collected data were analysed with Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The analyses for the two objectives showed that Iraqi architects have little information and knowledge in project communication management, where standards and methodologies are not followed. The results also indicated the top-rated competencies to be obtained. Thus, this article concludes that there is a need to introduce communication management as an evolving knowledge area to the architects in Iraq, and develop its implementation through communication competencies that attempt to fulfil clients’ requirement and aspirations regarding the architectural design.
MALAYSIA RESILIENT INITIATIVES: CASE STUDY OF MELAKA INTO RESILIENT CITY
Authors: Jamaliidin Intan Syafinar , Sulaiman Noralfishah
Published: November 2021

Asia experienced 70% of all the disasters in the world and there is no indication that this will decline in the future. The disaster experienced by a city is mostly caused by the combination and collision of climate change, urbanization, social-economic instability, terrorism, natural disaster, cyber-attack, poverty, and endemic outbreak. The crisis fallen upon a city has captured attention of many audiences, thus in order to conquer the issues, city needs to be resilient in order to face and overcome the situation. Melaka was declared as a world heritage site and the government are taking serious efforts in order to maintain its heritage site by making it a resilient city. This article discusses the policy related initiatives taken by Melaka in preparing the city into resilient state. This is done by using literature and document analysis method on relevant reports, policies and literatures. The output of the research would be beneficial to the state of Melaka in the context of local authorities preparing strategic directions and managing urban development in order to become a resilient city.
SOCIAL CAPITAL AMONG AGEING RESIDENTS OF HOUSING COMPLEXES IN SUBURBAN TOKYO: THE CASE OF HARAICHI-DANCHI AND OYAMADAI-DANCHI IN AGEO CITY
Authors: Nordin Nadhirah , Nakamura Hitoshi
Published: November 2021

Globally, developed nations such as Japan are currently facing an ageing population. The health and social care system in the living environment for the elderly population in Japan must engender strong social ties and social networks that can connect the elderly people and promote active ageing. This research aims to identify the extent of social capital among the ageing population in Haraichi-danchi and Oyamadai-danchi, which are housing complexes located in Ageo City, a suburb of Tokyo. This article focuses on residents in the 60s and 70s age groups. A questionnaire survey was conducted and was divided into three parts which include the basic attributes of the residents, the elements of bonding social capital and bridging social capital. Then, cross-tabulations were done between the age groups and both the social capital categories. Next, chi-square and further post-hoc analyses were conducted to determine the strongest association between the variables. The results show a significant association between the 60s and 70s age groups for both bonding and bridging social capital. The variation of results may be influenced by the physical environment of the housing complexes in which they are currently living.
COMFORT CHARACTER OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES OF TRADITIONAL STREETS IN AMMAN, JORDAN
Authors: Alamoush Saja Jamil , Jaafar Nor Haslina , Mohd Husini Elina , Wan Ismail Wan Norisma
Published: November 2021

Fast expanding of urban development changes the street function and gives priority for vehicles, which effects the urban fabric and cultural life of the city. It makes walking in the street difficult and uncomfortable. Hence, this research aims to explore the influence of landscape features towards comfort character of traditional streets in Amman, Jordan. The case study was Rainbow Street in Amman, the capital city in Jordan. Mixed-method approach was used in this study, which involved direct observation (visual and behavioural) and user perception (survey and in-depth interviews) techniques. The data was analysed through thematic analyses for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. The results show that landscape features that contribute towards comfort character could be divided into two main categories, namely, pedestrian amenities and sidewalk. This should be taken into consideration in the design of the existing and future streets in Jordan.
THE VIABILITY OF AN INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN DESIGN AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Authors: T.F. Poon Stephen
Published: November 2021

Environmental justice is an increasingly problematic proposition, as the clash of political, economic, social and community interests invariably occur. The purpose of this research is to examine the viability of an integrated framework that establishes environmental justice from economic, social and cultural development perspectives in Malaysia. Case studies analysing Iskandar Low Carbon Blueprint (LCB) 2025 and the River of Life Project (ROL) are presented. Findings suggest that clear national policies on urban transformation is an increasingly important environmental justice issue in Malaysia, but sustaining liveability is a challenge in the face of more critical decisions on infrastructural and resource management and energy use, resulting in a lack of attitudinal and behavioural change in urban planning programmes. This suggests that meaningful stakeholder engagements and collaborations contribute in planning economically and ecologically viable solutions and initiatives for liveable and resilient cities.
THE IMPACT OF ROAD GRADIENT AND TRUCK COMPOSITION ON THE TOLL ROAD TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE
Authors: Yusuf Nahry , Sudrajat Dwi Setiyadi
Published: November 2021

Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) is a toll road system that circles the outskirts of Jakarta, where the purpose of this road is to reduce congestion on the streets in Jakarta city centre. However, the high composition of trucks in JORR resulted in congestion of the road, which is hypothesized as attributed by the gradient of this road. This study aims to evaluate the impact of road gradient on truck and the overall traffic performance. Using data obtained from 24-hour traffic recording on selected JORR section, a VISSIM model was constructed to simulate traffic performance on some combinations of traffic and gradient conditions. In terms of macroscopic view point of traffic stream, the simulations showed that road gradient alone insignificantly affected truck speed, as well as the overall traffic speed. Instead, truck composition had more effect on the traffic speed rather than the gradient. In a particular composition of trucks different gradients did not significantly affect traffic speed differently. This implies that any policy to restrict truck access to toll road should depend mainly on the composition of truck itself, not the gradient of the road.
THE POWER OF ACCESSIBILITY TO LAND PRICE IN SEMARANG URBAN CORRIDORS, INDONESIA
Authors: Rakhmatulloh Anita Ratnasari , Buchori Imam , Pradoto Wisnu , Riyanto Bambang
Published: November 2021

Urban land demand tends to keep increasing as a result of economic and population growths. The high intensity of activity will bring changes to land value. The corridors of Semarang - Ungaran and Semarang - Mranggen have significant differences in land values despite being at relatively the same distance to city centre. Similarly, the rate of land price change in these two corridors are also different. The study aims to examine and prove the effect of distance to city centre toward land price in downtown areas by employing statistical correlation analysis and accessibility calculation. The result reveals that distance to city centre has no longer effect land prices. It was found that the farther from the city centre the land prices decreases gradually but increases at road nodes that connect to the trip generation points such as toll road gate, residential area and commercial area or shopping centre.
AGEING IN PLACE FRAMEWORK AS REFERENCE GUIDE FOR HOUSING IN MALAYSIA: LANDED PROPERTY
Authors: Mohd Tobi Siti Uzairiah , Fathi Mohamad Syazli , Amaratunga Dilanthi
Published: November 2021

The increasing ageing population due to improved quality of life from better healthcare services and lifestyle as well as development in technology calls for better support in the ageing process. Even though the aged population dramatically increases globally, surprisingly the construction sector and the housing system seem slow in adapting to the changing needs of the ageing population. Increasing evidence show that population ageing is a pervasive and unparalleled global phenomenon which presents many challenges towards social and economic growth. Therefore, this research focuses on the provision of better support services and facilities of landed property, as well as the creation of sustainable environment that is age-friendly and safe. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and document reviews. Findings from cross sectional content analysis and cognitive mapping could enhance the standard of living for senior citizens in Malaysia in the context of ageing in place. A foundation for developing a comprehensive guideline for elderly, particularly in the urban areas, is proposed to improve the health and welfare of senior citizens in Malaysia through the provision of better services, facilities and development in landed properties.
SEGREGATED LAND USE SPRAWL: TOD APPROACH FOR MIXEDUSE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN KUALA LUMPUR
Authors: Rosni Nur Aulia , Ponrahono Zakiah , Mohd Noor Noorzailawati
Published: November 2021

Spatial analysis of current land use provides useful insight on urban development trend specifically in measuring sprawl growth. Remote sensing and GIS technologies were applied in this research to measure the phases of segregated urban sprawl growth, focusing on the aspect of mixed land use planning. The findings proved that Kuala Lumpur is currently facing segregated land use sprawl based on the measurement derived from one of LUGI component. This type of sprawl transpired within the residential zone in Kuala Lumpur city, demoting mixed-use development by unravelling different classes of land uses into singleuses, thus promoting high dependency on motorised vehicle and discouraging public and pedestrian modes of transportation. The transit-oriented development is one of necessary approaches to control segregated sprawl and promotes mixed-use development in housing areas within the city.
REVEALING URBAN MARKETPLACE IDENTITY: PUDU
Authors: Ibrahim Mohamad Asri , Wahab Mohammad Hussaini , Mohmad Shukri Sharyzee
Published: November 2021

The process of regenerating existing urban marketplaces should consider the components that make them special, as not to lose the delicate characters that give each marketplace distinctive identity and sense of place. This study focuses on identifying and evaluating urban marketplace by reviewing the definitions and concept of physical characters, and the experiential qualities of urban marketplace in Kuala Lumpur that contribute to the identity of a place. This study discovered that the marketplace physical surrounding and the activities that are happening are two of the elements which are associated with the place’s identity. This study concludes that urban marketplace physical and experiential quality can be regenerated to reveal an identity with strong sense of place.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE WILLINGNESS TO WALK TO THE BUS STOPS IN PENANG ISLAND
Authors: Abdul Sukor Nur Sabahiah , Muhammad Fisal Siti Fadhlina
Published: November 2021

This study, investigates pedestrians’ ‘willingness to walk’ to Rapid Penang bus stops in Penang Island. Parameters, such as socio-demographics, walking distance and walking time, were examined to determine factors that influence ‘willingness to walk’. Questionnaire surveys were used to collect the data from 400 participants. The data was analysed using multiple regression analysis through the ‘Statistical Package for the Social Sciences’ (SPSS). Analysis of determinant factors was split into two dependent variables. Firstly, the willingness to walk based on current condition, and secondly, the willingness to walk, if improvements to environment and infrastructure were made to the bus stops. The results showed that socio-demographic factors, such as walking distance, walking time and trip purpose would likely to influence the pedestrians’ ‘willingness to walk’. This study also identified the maximum, minimum, and average distances walked by a pedestrian to reach the bus stops (as well as the willingness travel time.) The outcome of this study will contribute to better planning of transportation system in Penang Island especially on the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) projects.
INHERITING THE CITY: HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPE OF GEORGE TOWN UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Authors: Che Amat Rohayah
Published: November 2021

This research presents the value of historic urban landscape (HUL) elements in influencing the character of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS), Penang, Malaysia. The values were perceived by the local community of different social-cultural groups that occupied the study area. The historic urban landscape elements constitute towards the protection of its townscape. The identification of the heritage elements influenced by the community interaction with their environment. This study also helps to define the character of a place, as well as reflecting its historical significance. The study adopted four techniques to gather both qualitative and quantitative data, including questionnaire survey, in-depth interview, visual survey and content analysis. In general, the local community has the capability in valuing the historic urban landscape values. The outcomes of their perceptions became the statement of the historic urban landscape values, which are expected to lead to the development of the areas. The community evaluation and perception can be expanded in implementing any development of the historic urban area by the authority.
MEASURING THE SWAY OF IMPERCEPTIBLE FACTORS IN SHAPING THE DISTINCT CHARACTER OF ANCIENT INDIAN ARCHITECTURE AND CITY PLANNING
Authors: Kelly Tamara
Published: November 2021

In India, great obey to nature is evident in architecture, and the essence of life is fairly apparent in city planning. Human kind reflects his perception of life in architecture by locating the spaces within the dwelling in particular order to ensure great harmony with positive and negative forces of the cosmos. Modern architecture shaped by political and economic factors resulted in sameness among most of contemporary capitals or developments, ignoring farming and human needs that has caused decays in urban fabric, and resulting in high level of gas emissions in mega cities. By contrast, ancient architecture in India connects the occupants with surrounding environment and ensure harmony between humans and nature through many aspects, and scale is a great element being considered in space and city planning leading into the Mandala graph. In Indian philosophy, disproportion and detachment of mankind from nature and surrounding environment lead to disaster. Hence, the Mandala diagram addresses all the existence taking into account farming, human scale and needs. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of intangible factors such as traditional beliefs and religions in shaping the astonishing character of Indian architecture. Furthermore, it delves ino many metaphysic theories to test their influences on evolving the Mandala diagram and the logic behind the distribution of functions within its parts.