Author(s)

R. Ab. Rahman, Y. Rahman

Abstract

This paper is an extension of ‘The Midas Touch in a Digital Glove’ project undertaken in 2009 to investigate the public’s viewpoints of welcomed architectural and urban design elements in the development of Putrajaya. Eight proposed street scenes of the Boulevard presented as digital animations were compared to its then existing street quality. This ‘before-after’ comparative study was carried out through a survey. The statistical analysis offered the level of acceptance and perception of the Boulevard’s street quality and walkability among the public. The findings from the survey indicated that the public preferred green-oriented development for the area. Several years have passed and the Boulevard has undergone many changes. Many more buildings are completed along its 2km stretch. The second author has developed an architectural scheme for vertical farming entitled ‘SuperFarm’ as her M.Arch. Design thesis. This scheme has been used in a survey using digital animation to test the public’s receptivity of it as a form of green development within Putrajaya. The findings from ‘The Midas Touch in a Digital Glove’ project served as the base-line comparison. The results from the current survey will validate or modify the findings from ‘The Midas Touch in a Digital Glove’ project and elucidate the appropriateness of this vertical farm for Putrajaya. The research outcomes have provided new insights of what would be publicpreferred developments for the future. This will be beneficial for the masterdeveloper of the city, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, (PJH), to generate projects that will be people-responsive in Putrajaya. The 3D digital animation and simulated street-scene survey-approach could also be a facilitating participative mechanism for PJH and consultants in designing towards sustainable cities.

Keywords

urban design, vertical farm, digital animation, public receptivity, sustainable development