098 - ….Latest comment : PANDANGAN DARI KACA MATA PENGAMAL PERANCANGAN BANDAR DI PIHAK BERKUASA TEMPATAN.

Pandangan dari kaca mata seorang pengamal perancangan bandar di Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan yang berdepan dengan pelbagai karenah pelanggan dalam memartabatkan hal ehwal Perancangan Bandar – Semoga dapat membantu pelajar menghayati isu-isu perancangan dan memahami realiti tugas seorang Perancang Bandar.

(See related post : 085 - Data Survey on Urban Sprawl Impact in Malaysian Cities)
http://dranuarjb.blogspot.com/2010/10/085-data-survey-on-urban-sprawl-impact.html

Assalamualaikum Dr,

Today as I casually browsed through your blog, this forum caught my attention (actually I was looking for your article on motivasi diri). So, saya mohon izin untuk memberi pandangan di sini dari kaca mata seorang pengamal perancangan bandar di Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan yang saban hari berdepan dengan pelbagai karenah pelanggan dalam memartabatkan hal ehwal perancangan bandar. No doubt we have so many plans and guidelines and planning standards to abide by, which if followed, will ideally contribute to the formation of dream cities, cities that we definitely choose to live in - beautiful homes amidst lush greenery with shaded avenues segregated from the motor vehicle highways and biways, where we can dwell healthily and safely, all within walking distances to the sufficiently provided for neighbourhood centres, and very accessible to our workplaces via efficient and reliable public transportation. That is quite in line with Ebenezer Howard's aspirations decades ago. Yes, we are taught to practise and impose these planning ideals through impartial use of many planning tools so thoughtfully prepared, thanks to planning experts. But in this real life, real chaotic world, things are not as easy... Although we always look at urban sprawl in the negative lights, we at the Local Authorities find that urban sprawl is inevitable, otherwise our towns and cities become very stagnant. An increasing population demands for an equally increasing housing, work place, and facilities. Logical isn't it? To me, it is not the urban sprawl that impose the threats to the well-beings of the community, it is the extent to which we are capable of enforcing control on the development within the sprawl. In that matter, are we capable of handling the situation? It is very normal that we at the local authorities are accused by the Government for not practising "proper" planning... but ironically, many a times the local authorities are also condemned for this so-called "proper planning" for various appalling reasons, many being these plannings don't concur with the aspirations of certain quarters and because of political interventions. Greenfields in the agricultural zones are turned into extensive and intensive mixed developments because "the ministers want their constituencies to have a new township" during their office. And because of this "heroic" acts we at the local authorities finally succumb to their yearning for support during the PRU, whilst deep in our hearts we know that these are wrong planning-wise. So, should anyone of you ladies and gentlemen of the future planners somehow become political leaders, please heed our cries... Let us do our jobs as implementors and you do your parts as the decision makers... Secara peribadi, saya tidaklah melihat penularan bandar sebagai suatu fenomena yang buruk. Ia perlu untuk menampung keperluan penduduk bandar yang semakin bertambah dan untuk menyelesaikan beberapa isu perbandaran yang meruncing seperti pemindahan kelas guna tanah industri ke kawasan pinggir bandar atau pembinaan jalan lingkaran bandar untuk mengelakkan kesesakan lalu lintas dalam bandar. Pembukaan jalan-jalan lingkaran atau jalan pintas ini pula kelak akan mendorong pembukaan kawasan-kawasan baru yang mengambil peluang dari kesediaan aksessibiliti ke kawasan pinggirannya. It's a viscious cycle. Walau bagaimanapun, there must be an equal concern on the preservation and conservation of environmentally sensitive areas (KSAS). But i think if an urban sprawl comes together with higher technologies of "green living" (e.g. carbon free zones etc.), then why not?

NORMAH BINTI KECHUT
Majlis Perbandaran Muar
January 7, 2011 1:21 AM




dranuarjb said...
Normah..I'm very happy to have you in this forum. Terima kasih kerana memberikan pandangan yang amat bernas especially to young planners and the academicians. Kita telah banyak merancang..isu-isu perlaksanaan menjadi semakin penting untuk ditangani..For further discussion, I hope you dont mind if I put your comment to my post so the student can benefited more on this issue. Terima kasih kerana sudi berkongsi idea.