Author(s)

S. Shamsuddin & N. R. Abu Hassan

Abstract

Creating a liveable city is commonly a debated question. Over the last decade, the total population of people living in urban areas has increased rapidly and is expected to continue rising until 2020 where urban sprawl is anticipated. As a result, higher density has led to a high crime rate and environmental issues as a result of traffic congestion and inefficiency of the public transportation system as well as industrialization. The Malaysian Government has undertaken many initiatives such as Government Transformation Program to create a quality environment for the residents. This demonstrates that liveability is one of the main concerns towards current new development and stressing the importance of creating a liveable city that provides a safe, healthy and enjoyable place of living. This initiative is probably the reason why Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia is ranked 78th in the 2011 World Liveable City Ranking by the Economic Intelligence Units (EIU). The perception of the residents is the major contributing factor in creating a liveable place and environment because they are the real people who live, work and play in the city itself. So, it is essential to know the factors influencing the urban design quality of the city before implementing any guidelines or regulations regarding the liveability of a city. This paper discusses the policies regarding the liveability of Kuala Lumpur and how the happiness level of the urban design quality affects the liveability of the city itself. Keywords: liveable city, Kuala Lumpur city plan, national urban policy, government transformation program, liveable city ranking, urban design quality.

Keywords

Keywords: liveable city, Kuala Lumpur city plan, national urban policy, government transformation program, liveable city ranking, urban design quality.