The Vanishing Streets in the Malaysian Urbanscape

Abstract

Until its recent financial crisis Malaysia had maintained high economic growth for two decades. However, the same period of prosperity also witnessed the erosion of public spaces, streets in particular, in modernized urban areas. The subject of streets has only recently caught planners' and architects' interest. 1 How could this happen and what can one do about it? This chapter will review the practice of street design and the role of the street in the new urban Malaysia. It will analyze, reflect and question the prevailing trend in the design and planning of urban renewal projects in Malaysia. The discussion is divided into four sections. We will start with certain theoretical concepts of the street, which will serve as our premise. This is followed by the issue of the "vanishing streets" in newly developed orredeveloped towns and cities of Malaysia. The factors contributing to this phenomenon will be examined in the third section. A discussion on the future development and design of streets in Malaysia provides the conclusion.