Rethinking the Public Realm: Behaviour Settings in Malaysian Cities

Abstract

The most extraordinary and satisfying spaces in cities and towns throughout the world have often been created, not by city planners, urban-designers/architects and engineers, but by communities, working within a vernacular tradition. Since the mid-20th century academics, researchers and practitioners have been attempting to define, measure and replicate these many delightful urban spaces but in general, despite the plethora of academic papers and books on the subject, the public realm in many Asian cities is rapidly declining as they succumb to the dominance of the automobile. We know that cities are afflicted and the question arises ... how can professional designers of cities in the 21st century create a public realm that has uplifting qualities? The paper details a Literature Review as the first step in a research project that aims to create a framework for liveability/walkability in relation to Malaysian waterfront cities. The Royal Town of Klang is selected as a suitable case study.