When it comes to taking national pride in our capital city, there are plenty of facets to Kuala Lumpur that make it a wonderful place to live: for starters, its sparkling skyline, impressively wide-ranging variety of multicultural cuisines, and the warmth, humour, and friendliness of Malaysian people. At the same time, it is patently obvious that this city is not without its flaws. How often have we grumbled to each other about the time we’ve spent waiting in traffic, the floods or landslides in our neighbourhood, or the apparition of yet another mall or condominium close to those that already exist?
The Concrete Jungle
In his 2010 publication Cities for People, Danish architect and urban design consultant Jan Gehl—who has been credited with helping to transform Copenhagen into one of the world’s most liveable cities—wrote, “First we shape cities, then they shape us.” Consider that against the backdrop of our collective frustrations with Kuala Lumpur, such as the ever-growing issue of sinkholes appearing around the city, and what impact those anxieties must have on us.
Even before the Jalan Masjid India sinkhole incident in August last year (during which a tourist lost her life after falling into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole that suddenly opened up above a broken sewerage pipe), there were already questions revolving around the limestone karst terrain beneath Kuala Lumpur, and whether an excess of underground construction work might cause further erosion and more sinkholes. It’s another factor in a long line of issues that puts our collective relationship with Kuala Lumpur—as its citizens—on shaky ground.
Above ground, residing in Kuala Lumpur can also take its toll, chipping away at our precious time, and equally precious mental and physical health. Dutch geolocation technology specialist TomTom ranked Kuala Lumpur 169th out of 387 cities in its 2023 Traffic Index, estimating that the average car driver with a daily 10-kilometre commute spent an annual total of 166 hours on the road, with 81 hours taken up by traffic congestion. But as anyone who’s ever stepped off the LRT or MRT onto a pavement that soon disappears into the tarmac, or nearly been mowed down while trying to cross a road knows, using public transport and walking have never been the easiest options in Kuala Lumpur.
That may well be why researchers at Stanford University identified Malaysia as the world’s third-laziest country during a study conducted in 2017, in which the average Malaysian citizen was found to take only 3,963 steps per day—well under the recommended 10,000 steps for an active lifestyle. A notoriously pedestrian-unfriendly city like Kuala Lumpur can make it so difficult for residents to benefit from the simple but significant act of walking from one point to the next. It presents such a contrast to cities with truly sustainable urban planning and infrastructure, that a fully connected transport system and flat, unencumbered pavements seem like enormous luxuries.
But that’s the problem: they aren’t luxuries, and they shouldn’t be.
Building Blocks
“Kuala Lumpur’s most urgent issues arise from its urban development and infrastructure design,” says the eloquent anonymous commentator behind Urbanist Kuala Lumpur—an Instagram account created to raise awareness about the city’s transport and urban planning challenges. “A significant problem is urban sprawl, leading to a sprawling Klang Valley where public services and amenities are widely dispersed, making it difficult for people to access necessities without relying on cars or motorbikes. This is exacerbated by the perception of cars as a status symbol, reinforcing reliance on personal vehicles.
“This car-centric planning has resulted in overly wide roads, even in dense urban areas, while neglecting walking and cycling infrastructure, limiting mobility for those who don’t drive, such as the elderly, children, the disabled, or the poor.” Besides advocating for better urban planning and public transport from local authorities, the Urbanist KL draws people’s attention to the city’s features that many of us have come to blithely accept here, along with their consequences: numerous highways that lead to frequent crashes when coupled with poor road safety; weak enforcement against illegal parking causing congestion and further frustration; and a lack of truly public spaces that makes it difficult for people meet, relax, and socialise without paying.
“These issues affect everyone daily, and this platform helps make sense of them,” the Urbanist KL explains, emphasising the importance of intelligent and effective urban planning. “One may wonder: why does it take me 1.5 hours to get to work? Did I consider the long commute when I chose to live in a distant suburb? Are there local shops I can walk or cycle to, or do I always have to drive? Even when I drive, it’s often congested with no parking, because everyone faces the same problem. Or maybe it’s nearby, but the walking route is unsafe, with no pedestrian crossings or sidewalks. These are the everyday issues we highlight.”
An unflinching look at the challenges to Kuala Lumpur’s liveability also generates questions about the barriers standing in the way of changing our city for the better. Two major points, according to the Urbanist KL, are an absence of coordination in urban planning and the community’s indifference towards public spaces: “Various ministries and departments operate in isolation, with conflicting priorities. While some aim to create a greener, more liveable city, others focus on expanding infrastructure for cars, such as building more highways and carparks. This lack of cohesive vision leads to conflicting objectives and hinders progress towards a truly sustainable urban environment.”
With that in mind, there’s a pressing need for citizens who care enough about their city to demand policies and planning decisions that align with the needs and well-being of Kuala Lumpur’s residents. “Living in sprawling suburbs has cultivated a culture of indifference toward public spaces and community needs,” the Urbanist KL points out. “It’s a classic chicken-and-egg scenario: does the unattractive public environment breed apathy, or is it the widespread indifference that makes these spaces uninviting?
“Many, especially those who can afford it, prioritise personal comfort and convenience by settling in segregated, gated communities and embracing car-centric lifestyles. This detachment from the broader urban fabric often results in a lack of empathy, manifesting in behaviours like littering, idling engines, and inconsiderate parking.”
Walking on a Dream
It’s understandably tempting to be cynical about the direction that urban planning can lead our capital city towards in the future, despite the introduction of guidelines for the implementation of the Healthy Walkable City (IGHWC) in 2016 and the unveiling of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur’s Pedestrian and Cycling Masterplan, which aims to develop networks of walking and bicycle paths over 2019 to 2028. A more engaging way of encouraging Kuala Lumpur’s residents to vocalise their desire for a liveable city might be to gaze beyond existing public policy, using our own imaginations—unrestricted by budgetary limitations or practical constraints—to envision a radically different version of our capital.
“My reimagined KL would serve as a model of sustainability, inclusivity, and human-centred design, where technology, green spaces, and heritage seamlessly coexist to create a city that prioritises its people over private corporations, developing an environment where all can thrive,” the Urbanist KL remarks thoughtfully. As might be expected, the improvement of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure would play a prominent role, with a well-planned, interconnected network of walking and cycling paths throughout Kuala Lumpur, making every area easily accessible on foot or by bicycle and promoting healthier transport choices by reducing car reliance.
“In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, we would transform central areas like Downtown KL, Bukit Bintang, Brickfields, and Chow Kit into pedestrian-only zones, fostering a thriving environment for local businesses and enhancing the overall walkability of the city. Inspired by Barcelona’s superblocks, this design creates car-free zones within city blocks to reduce pollution, noise, and traffic, while fostering community and green spaces.” (The Urbanist KL goes as far as to suggest the introduction of congestion pricing in high-traffic areas, to reduce numbers during peak hours and improve Kuala Lumpur’s air quality.)
One strategy to counter Malaysian developers’ penchants for demolishing existing buildings (and sadly, heritage properties) in favour of constructing new ones might be to offer incentives for property owners to renovate and refurbish older buildings before leasing them to businesses or residents. “This would revitalise underutilised properties, boost commerce, and strengthen the city’s community. Plaza Rakyat, currently an abandoned eyesore, has the potential to be a vibrant cultural district,” the Urbanist KL cites as one example. “Relocating cultural institutions like Istana Budaya and Balai Seni Negara to this site could transform it into a thriving cultural hub.
“Instead of more shopping malls that no one visits, vacant plots and open-air car parks would be revitalised with medium-density, walkable shophouse neighbourhoods. These would resemble the charm and character of historic cities like Melaka and Georgetown, promoting small local businesses and offering spaces for community interaction. Around these areas, five- to eight-storey residential buildings would be developed with no car parking, prioritising green spaces, and creating a car-free living environment.”
Kuala Lumpur’s cultural and culinary arts have a place at the table too, through an initiative that the Urbanist KL posits will drive tourism, benefit Malaysia’s economy, and help preserve the heritage of its cuisine. “The city’s rich cultural institutions—museums, theatres, and galleries—would be concentrated in the heart of the city, making cultural exploration easily accessible for residents and visitors. Numerous hawker centres would create economic opportunities by generating jobs for local food vendors, suppliers, and support staff, boosting demand for fresh ingredients from local farmers and strengthening surrounding businesses.”
Breathing Space
Reclaiming Kuala Lumpur for its people takes top priority in the context of the Urbanist KL’s designs for a refreshingly different capital city, with ideas that extend past the city centre, right through to its roads, rivers, and outlying districts. “Large roads, flyovers and highways that currently divide the city would be replaced with human-centred, tree-lined streets, featuring dedicated bus lanes for easy public transport access,” they suggest, with the goal of making buses a more reliable and attractive alternative to driving.
“The city’s rivers, once overlooked, would be transformed into riverside parks, breathing new life into these waterways,” says the Urbanist KL, adding that they would like to see the ‘River of Life’ project completing its transformation under a clearer plan. “The Royal Selangor Golf Club will become a massive public park, akin to New York’s Central Park, providing a vast green space for recreation and relaxation. Smaller parks would be scattered across the city, offering residents accessible spots to unwind, while under-utilised land on the fringes of Kuala Lumpur can be turned into high-tech urban farms to reduce our reliance on imported food and nurture a sustainable local food system.”
Similar sweeping changes would take place in Kuala Lumpur’s suburbs, according to the Urbanist KL’s preferences: “A complete rethinking of urban mobility would be essential to improving the quality of life. The mobility pyramid would be flipped, prioritising pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport over cars. The concept of ‘15-minute neighbourhoods’ would be fully realised, where every essential service—shops, eateries, markets, schools, clinics, public transport stations, community centres, and places of worship—would be within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride from any home. This would reduce the need for long commutes and create a stronger sense of community.”
Is it too much of a stretch of the imagination to will into reality—this vivid picture of a Kuala Lumpur in which people in walking and cycling lanes are given the safety and respect they deserve, tree planting and maintenance are the norm rather than the occasional pleasant surprise, and car ownership becomes optional instead of a necessity? If we’re already yearning for a city we can all enjoy living, breathing, and walking in as Kuala Lumpur evolves, perhaps we all should try to dream a little bigger.
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