Corporate Green Image on Ampang Road

Dr Sharifah Salwa Syed Mahdzar 1Amirul Hakim Jamil2,

1
Faculty Built Environment, Department of Architecture,
University Technology Malaysia, Skudai, 81310 Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia.

* Amirul Hakim (email: amijam33@hotmail.com)

Revised on 06 Jun 2015

Abstract

The trees around us are extremely important and have always been necessary for improving the human condition. The current
rapid growth of the population demand for a massive development hence it is an urge for us to conduct a sustainable
development while sustaining the ability of our natural ecosystems especially the habitat of our flora. The 1996 Environmental
Quality Report (DOE, Malaysia) notes that almost all aspects of the environment have been affected by development activities
ranging from deforestation to erosion, hazardous & toxic wastes to water & air pollution and creation of heat islands. Less
appreciation and low level of the awareness towards the green ecology can be seen as the main factor contributing to the air
pollution and environmental degradation in Kuala Lumpur. This paper addresses the necessity of reviving the green ecological
awareness through the concept of loving our trees coherently with some arguments on the green ecosystem especially at the
heart of Kuala Lumpur. The initial aim of establishing this study is to bring a society understand about environment pollution
and to drive an educated societies indirectly to senses of environmental concern (Comerio, 1984).

Keywords: urban, green, sustainable strategy, social interaction

1.0 INTRODUCTION

According to the history, Kuala Lumpur
was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the
Gombak River and Klang River, which now houses
the Kuala Lumpur Jamek Mosque. Ampang road in
Kuala Lumpur is well known portraying commercial
and corporate image of the Kuala Lumpur city itself.
Though observation, it can be found that most of the
high end hotel, huge corporate office and the
embassy building were planned to be situated along
the stretches of Ampang Road. Before the arrival of
the Chinese people for the tin mining purposes,
Kuala Lumpur was previously
occupied Javanese, Mandailings, Bugis and Rawa.
Raja Abdullah, who is also the representative of the
Sultan is the Klang Malay chieftain was opened the
tin mines, thus contributing to the development of
Kuala Lumpur. Ampang, the earliest areas in the
Klang Valley, opened for tin mining. Thus, a road
was built to connect Ampang to Kuala Lumpur
which formed Jalan Ampang until now.
The current massive development of Kuala
Lumpur has given rise to many common problems,
such as air pollution and haze problem. These issues
with adding up with high carbon emission somehow
contribute to the global warming and heat island in
the Kuala Lumpur environment. The destruction of
trees and green areas to accommodate urban
development gives such a high emotional pressure
towards the green area in the city. The increase of
industrial development and vehicle traffic has
resulted in higher levels of air pollution in this
metropolitan region. A study of pollution in Kuala
Lumpur recorded high levels of heavy metals in the
soils and in dust. It was higher than the acceptable
standards (Mohd and Badri, 1988). Due to all this
matter, the quality of the existing urban greenery
was questioned in terms of its structure and diversity
(Zakariy A and Jeffri, 1989).
Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting
airborne particles, decreasing heat, and absorbing air
pollutants. Trees remove this air pollution by
lowering air temperature, through respiration, and
by retaining particulate. Human breathes about 9.5
tonnes of air annually. However, oxygen only makes
up 23 percent of our breathable air and we only
extract a little over a third of the oxygen from each
inhalation (L. Villazon, 2012). Hence, that can be
sum up to a total of about 740kg of oxygen per year.
In other words, it is very roughly, seven or eight
trees are needed for every human per year.

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Urban Green Space and Biodiversity
There is a deep connection between green
spaces, mental and physical wellbeing and presence
of biodiversity. Rapidly increasing rates of
urbanization in developing countries has resulted in
reduction in green space of our city. This issues
somehow has caused a need for preservation and
protection of green spaces. Lack of proper guidance
and accountability from the government or lack of
expertise were the reasons for some of developing
countries have lost their natural resources,
vegetation and wildlife species. (Baharuddin et al.,
2009)
It is necessary to have urban green space
and biodiversity in developing sustainable cities
because these will solves social, economic and
environmental issues. Peoples are aware of the value
of green space and its potential to promote the social
integration, environmental protection and
community development (Swanwick et al., 2003;
Balram & Dragicevic, 2005; Chiesura, 2004). City
planners can address the problem of park shortages
by finding creatives solutions. These include green
roofs, green walls and pocket-parks. Some
unconventional solutions are emerging too. Parking
lots, former industrial sites and abandoned
infrastructure like mining area can converted into
green spaces.
2.2 Green Network Development of Kuala
Lumpur City.
It is important to have green network in
urban area in order to link the open spaces together
by means of a network of smaller open spaces along
with river and spaces in the city. Since last time, the
city of Kuala Lumpur has also implemented a
programme of tree planting along major roads in
addition to provide more green open spaces.
Greenways can be said as a land containing linear
planned elements designed or managed for multiple
purposes. It should be including ecological,
recreational, cultural and other purposes compatible
with the related matter. (Ahern 1995). Platt (1999)
has suggested that a green network is an essential
element for the latest sustainable city of the 21st that
sensitive to people. Green networks might connect
the schools, playground, forests, rivers business area
and neighbourhoods. Green networks may
depending on the landscape and peoples
preferences. The features may include such as
climbing, cycling and trails, streams and rivers,
abandoned factory or railroad, scenic roads and
easements. For example, in American cities, green
networks have been designed for green ecology and
human movement (Flink and Searns, 1993).
Furthermore, green networks for green spaces and
Community Park at the neighbourhood have been
realized in our neighbour country, Singapore (Foo,
2001).
2.3 Public Awareness
Our societies do concern about the current
green environmental pollution such as the
destruction trees and others. However, our public
did not react or contribute to reduce the
environmental problem efficiently. This is because
of our societies had already change their current
lifestyles and as a result, it has been such an
increased demand for resources (Khorshid 2003),
but ironically, when the resources started to deplete
and pollute by themselves, the societies will feel
anxiety.
Discussing on the communitys matter,
they should not focus on one of particular problem
for environmental issue. It should be more on wider
global scale and the government had already played
their role in setting up laws and regulation to address
this issue. However, the cause of the major pollution
can summarise due to the public mutuality and it
happened when they are facing the same particular
situation, (Shilu T., Yasmin E., & Tippawan P.,
2000). It was resulted that only 26 percent of
respondents are aware about environmental
condition, these results are from Asian Affairs
(Nasnin I. 2008). In many countries there is little
awareness about conservation of environment and
biodiversity (Niemel, 1999; Miller & McGee,
2000) and there is little agreement of this concept
among built environment professionals (Brown &
Grant, 2005).
This is due to our educational systems that
too rigged and our community need a new approach
to educate our societies on the environmental
awareness.
2.4 Green Sustainable Cities
A sustainable city can be defined as a city
designed to consider the environmental impact and
coherently dedicated to reduce the inputs of energy,
water and food, and waste output. (R. Richard,
1987). Example, in Hammarby City, there shall be a
total of 25 to 30 meter square of spaces with park
area and at least 15 meter square of courtyard space
for every apartment. It is stated that the courtyard
space shall be sunlit for at least 4 hours during the
season of spring and autumn. These give a liveable
and sociable within the compound of high density of
residential area. In order to give benefit to the
biological diversity in some area in the city, the
development of the abandon green public spaces
shall be in the sense of biotopes.
Figure 1: Hammarby City with greenery.
The individual social planning of Byker
Wall in England upkeep by extending the existing
landscape to their own private area. Ralph Eskine,
the urban designer of this city create a link block to
bring down the insignificant scale from tall housing.
The housing designer design such an independent
garden that act as a semi private space for the house.
There are also public green space designed to cater
social needs of the Byker Wall. The tree canopy area
was 39 acres, equals to the 35 percent of the site area
to reduce heat island effect.
Figure 2: Greenery public space of Byker Wall
2.5 The Case of Singapore
Singapore has been well known of its green
approach when designing and developing its own
city. The main strategies of urban greening include
of having more parks and gardens including
gardens in the sky, safeguarding the natural
heritage and making the parks and gardens more
accessible. The first objectives are to maintain green
spaces and reduce the reliance on private car
transportation for a good livable home. Next, their
challenges are to create a green economy and
increase the domestic recycling for a sustainable
city, and greater community engagement (Singapore
Sustainable Blueprint 2015).
Figure 3: Aerial view of Singapores Urban Fabric
Since 2005, over 1,650 buildings in
Singapore have been made environmentally
friendly, and the government is set to do more. Its
Sustainable Development Blueprint outlines a
number of green targets for 2030 including a
recycling rate of 70 percent; a 35 percent
improvement in energy efficiency; and 80 percent of
buildings to be certified green.
Singapore has set at 50 hectares by 2030 in
the 2009 blueprint for sky rise greenery or rooftop
gardens. Today, they have 61 hectares in 2013 and
it was a huge significantly increment towards time.
The pressure of urbanization has provided impetus
for intense urban concentrations and the skyscraper
to be the most ubiquitous development type (Wong
and Yeh, 1992 and Perry et al., 1997). In Singapore,
accessibility is a prime consideration and every of
their planners have put for a greener Singapore with
a greater variety of green spaces in their vision to
create a dynamic, distinctive and delightful world
class city in the next coming century (Urban
Redevelopment Authority, 2001).
3.0 METHODOLOGY 4.0 Findings and Results

The research is using close-ended

4.1 Demographic characteristics of
questionnaire, literature studies and some the respondents.
observation to collect some information data about
the awareness, perception among public towards the
environment of Ampang road. On 27th February to
1st March 2015, a survey of Ampang road was done
and managed to collect a total of 100 respondents
during the time frame of 8.00am to 11.00am,
12.00pm to 3.00pm and 4.00pm to 7.00pm. Besides
that, this survey also done during the weekdays on
Friday and Monday while weekends on Saturday
and Sunday.

3.1 Literature
The study on Kuala Lumpur history and
Ampang road has been conducted in the beginning
of time, way before the particular topic has been
selected. It is important to understand holistically on
the particular concern study area to be closer to the
past. On this research, it is vital to understand the
culture and the current urban future planning along
the Ampang road before conducting any related
study or research. Finally, after understanding every
aspect of the concern site area, it is important to
evoke or point out the right question and arguments
particularly in producing good philosophical taught
for the researchers as well for the related community
of Ampang road.
3.2 Statically Analysis
The analysis study has been conducted
using qualitative and quantitative data. Collected
result will be coherently be compared with
observation data in order to get wider and diverse
interpretation particularly towards the Ampang
road.
Pie Chart 1: Genders of the respondents.
Analysis: From 100 respondents there are 67% of
male while another 33% are female.
Synthesis: Clearly shown that male is the highest to
volunteered answering the survey questions because
most of them can be found at the first nodes at
KLCC, Wisma Selangor and etc while they are
loitering and smoking nearby. Besides that, male can
also be found at the second and third nodes while
they are walking along the Jalan Ampang for
working purposes. Female is the lowest rate to
answer the survey questions because majority of
female can be found at the first and second nodes
only. Besides that, the reasons they would not
answer the survey is because as the precaution step
to avoid strangers.

3.3 Limitation

One of the limitation on this study is due to

the focus of only small numbers of respondent and
duration of every sessions during the process of
question and answer (Q&A). One of the possible
reason is the engagement of public toward the
importance of green environment is uninteresting
and clich. In addition, time were too limited time
has be one of the reason in constructing such a
pragmatic, short and simple session for every
conducted survey.
Pie Chart 2: Races of the respondents.
Analysis: According to the survey, the graph shows
that from 100 respondents there are 40% of young
adults which age range from 25-34, 36% of
teenagers age from 18-24 while another 14% and
10% are from adults age from 35-44 and senior
citizens from 45 and above.
Synthesis: It is clearly shown that young adults were
the highest in this survey because most of them are
employed and using Jalan Ampang as their main
accessibility to work. Teenagers are the second
highest in this survey because most of them also
used Jalan Ampang as their accessibility to work and
shopping while adults and senior citizens used Jalan
Ampang as some of them are tourists and also still a
suit.
Pie Chart 3: Occupations of the respondents.
Analysis: 58% of the race is conquered with Malay
while both indian and others such as Iranian,
Australian and etc. shared 15% each. Chinese with
the least of 12%.
Synthesis: Lots of Malay can be found along Jalan
Ampang as most of them used the public
transportations provided at KLCC, Dang Wangi and
Bukit Nenas for working. Most of the Indian in this
survey is taxi drivers and minority of them used
public transportations while others can be found
along Jalan Ampang and near the Pakistan Embassy.
Chinese are the minority because most of them used
Jalan Ampang by personal vehicles.
Pie Chart 4: Ages of the respondents.
Analysis: According to the survey, the graph shows
that from 100 respondents there are 71% of them are
employed and 15% are students. On the other hand,
other data shows that only 10% and 4% of the
respondents are tourist and unemployed.
Synthesis: 71% of the respondents are employed as
Jalan Ampang is one of the busiest and main road
for the suits for working purposes. Another 15% of
the respondents are students which they are mainly
from colleges and universities who using Jalan
Ampang as personal purposes such as shopping or
vacation. There are only minority of the tourists and
unemployed were found along Jalan Ampang. This
is because tourist only attracted to use Jalan Ampang
at the first node which is the landmark of Kuala
Lumpur, KLCC.
4.2 Perceptual studies toward
Ampang road.
Pie Chart 5: General opinions towards Ampang
Road.
Majority of the respondents agreed that
Jalan Ampang is the busiest road because during
peak hour on weekdays this route will be jammed
starting in the early morning as workers with cars
going to work. Jalan Ampang also known as the
connecters that connect other road such as Jalan
Sultan Ismail and Jalan P.Ramlee which local
usually work there. Hence, to reduce the jammed
rate in Jalan Ampang rather that enlarge the road
width, it is positively suggested that we need to
encourage people used more public transportation,
carpooling and cycling which also bring health to
them. Proposed design cycling track which may
reduce this problem, in addition encourage citizen
with a healthy life style. Cycling activity has a huge
impact on health which is even greater than the
impact of road safety or pollution.

Pie Chart 6: Dissatisfactions of the respondents.
From the data collected, we can synthesize that the
respondents of Jalan Ampang both agreed that in
Jalan Ampang the parking rate is high and there are
no covered walkway. This question is related to the
respondents opinion of Jalan Ampang where most
of them agreed that Jalan Ampang is the busiest
road. The relation of the finding of this data is that
the higher the car used, the higher the parking rate
as the parking area are limited and the parking
owners are compete with each other to gain profit.
On the other hand, uncovered walkway is one of the
major issue that need to consider of as public who
used to walking along Jalan Ampang is not been
provided with proper crossing elements that can help
them shade from rain and hot climate.
Furthermore, with trees on sideways, it can
screen unattractive views and soften the harsh
outline of masonry, metal, asphalt, steel and glass.
People can walk on a shady streets, which
encourages interaction with neighbors and improves
the sense of community. Trees on walkway area may
absorb and block sound, reducing noise pollution
from the busy road of Ampang
Hence, designing a proper crossing
element to the public is an appropriate idea to be
taken and also more greenery or landscaping for
shaded area should be emphasize which not only
beautify the street but also help to reduce carbon
footprints
Pie Chart 7: Association of respondents to places.
Jalan Ampang mainly used by the public
for working purposes as it is also known as the
corporate road which link other road such as Jalan
Sultan Ismail with offices area. Besides that, Jalan
Ampang also is used for social attraction which lead
to the Kuala Lumpur landmark, KLCC. Hence, it
can be clearly said that the reason Jalan Ampang
always have heavy traffic congestion during peak
hour on weekdays is because there are lots of
commercial buildings. However, there are ways to
enhance Jalan Ampang rather than just used it to be
mainly for working purposes. Therefore, the
proposal is to enhance Jalan Ampang from the first
node (KLCC junction) to third node (Jalan Munshi
Abdullah junction) by proposed a socialize
buildings such as educational center, sports center,
gallery and etc which allow the interaction between
human with human.
Pie Chart 8: Meaningful places at Jalan Ampang.
Jalan Ampang have lots of meaningful and
heritage building that can be preserve. Besides that,
the data collected from the respondents clearly
stated that Jalan Ampang can be the tourism center.
Although there are MATIC provided for the tourists
but Jalan Ampang is lack of public place for the
public to relax and enjoy. From observation, it can
be seen that, the Tourism Centre (MATIC) has the
most shaded green public area compare to other
spaces and building in Jalan Ampang. The shaded
green area provide cold and calm feeling for the
visitor.
Hence, in the future we can proposed parks
with public facilities and nature surroundings in
order to enhance the interaction between human
with environment. This may also encourage public
to appreciate environment more by being part of
green ecology system. Not only human, any kind of
wildlife could participate in this healthy green
ecological system.
4.3 Urban Greenery Space Mapping Pattern
The idea of a continuous green network in Kuala
Lumpur was designed in the Kuala Lumpur
Structure Plan 1984. This structural plan,
formulated some polices related to townscape,
conservation and landscape. Later, it has been
prepared for the newer version to Kuala Lumpur
Structure Plan 2020 (KLSP 2020) in addressing
more towards social and environmental needs of the
people. However, it has been argued that there were
no proper local plan and urban design guidelines
plan as a follow-up instrument to implement the
current stated policies (S. Maruthaveeran, M.Adnan,
2004). The same researchers also argue that green
spaces and park available in Kuala Lumpur for the
public are not properly linked.
4.4 Public Participations
The draft of the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan
applied the methods of public exhibition and
public hearing for the public to participate after the
draft KLSP was prepared. However the public
participation programme failed to deliver good
sufficient information to the majority of the
participants. From the research done by some
researchers, Dasimah Omar and Oliver Ling from
Univiersiti Teknology MARA Shah Alam (2009) it
was found that organising series of workshops was
an effective method of public participation for
development plan. Through the two-way
communication kind of workshop, it could create a
dialogue session that provides feedback, established
trust and credibility in the community and to ensure
the planning authority to fulfil their obligations on
the needs of the public, in particular the participants.
In addition, it could let the public to be involved in
the earlier process, receive feedback and address
them before making any decisions.
5.0 CONCLUSIONS
It is really important and vital to have green spaces
and of course shaded tropical trees in Kuala Lumpur.
Green spaces in city can be use recreational
activities. It can be also used for social, research and
conservation purposes. However, in deeper thoughts
and argument, these green spaces somehow bring
inner peace and serenity for people. There are also
lack of information towards the vegetation thus it
creates difficulties in the green space management.
Based on the perceptions result mentioned, people
do aware of the threatened of green area and
environmental problem. However, based on the
observation, it is such a contrast when there are low
level in terms of the practice of preserving trees and
planting more trees in our public urban area. More
studies should be conducted in order to revise the
relevant of green spaces towards the surrounding
context so that it will not abandoned or misused. It
is an urge to organise campaign on environmental
awareness with a lot more creative, gimmick and
physical connections to the public.
The interaction between the authority and local
inhabitants is not a common practice in many city
administrations. Therefore, it is essential to create a
cooperation between local authorities, professional
consultants, scientic advisors and the public.
Finally, putting green spaces issues into practice
remains a major challenge. That is why, some
national urban policy documents in Europe show
that the Urban Sustainability subject has at least
made it onto the political agenda. (German Federal
Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs,
GreenKeys Project 2008). It has to be promoted by
the higher people that have the credibility and power
to change the current image of the Kuala Lumpur
city.
Plant more trees, save our trees, love our trees.
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