KUALA LUMPUR: URBAN planners have come up with a conceptual plan for a “Central Park” on a 134ha golf course in the city centre, which Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan believes is suitable for a public park.
Rahman described the idea in a recent interview with the New Straits Times as a “feature in my wish list”.
He said the idea would inculcate a park-going culture among Kuala Lumpur urbanites, instead of them hanging out at shopping malls or food stalls.
With him was Town and Country Planning director-general Dr Dahlia Rosly, who also said it would be a perfect plan for the city.
Dahlia said Kuala Lumpur suffered from a deficit of green zones and parks, which made it a “near-recreational desert”. Parks, on the other hand, contributed to a nation’s prosperity, she said.
“Parks are a social investment as they promote the people’s wellbeing, which cannot be monetised. What is most important is that parks also create a cohesive urban society. They are places where people can meet and interact.
“Besides that, it can also be called ‘social urbanism’, which means investing in social infrastructure, such as public spaces, to create sustainable communities.”
Dahlia said parks could enhance the value of properties because of their attractive views, variety of amenities and recreational opportunities.
One example which she referred to was the Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC).
Dahlia said the RSGC could conceptually be made a focal point for all existing green areas, which would be an effective way of connecting the city’s parks by creating bicycle and walking routes to promote a healthy and cohesive community.
The privately-owned golf course would be the focal point of cycling and walking paths to six other parks, namely the Ampang Hilir Park, Taman Titiwangsa, Tasik Perdana, Pudu Ulu Recreational Park, Kuala Lumpur City Centre and KL Tower with its nearby Bukit Nanas forest reserve.
“People will be able to walk between one and three kilometres, while cycling paths are available up to 9.7km.
“This will reduce traffic congestion if people choose to cycle to work, promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage interaction.
“The public will not have to endure parking problems as well.”
Dahlia said the investment — to finance the acquisition of land — would be massive but these would be money well spent.
She said developed countries were still spending millions to acquire more land in their cities to turn them into parks.
For example, the Bristol City Council in the United Kingdom , over the next five years, planned to spend £16 (RM87.63) per head of its population per year on improving cycling provision.
The city will be investing £35 million to increase the number of people cycling to work from its current level of eight per cent, to 20 per cent in 2020.
Bristol mayor George Ferguson, in a report, was quoted as saying that cycling was good for the economy.
He said a healthy workforce, which arrived to work less stressed and on time, was better for productivity and good health.
Dahlia said the RSGC had been designated as a private park in the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan, but
since the plan had not yet been gazetted, there was still a chance to propose for it to be turned into a public park.
She said there was definitely a priority by the government to invest in parks and green space.
“The fact that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he wanted to know the status of the gazettment of open spaces proves the importance of recreational areas.”
The National Urbanisation Policy No. 9 under the National Physical Plan stated that open spaces and recreational areas should be adequately provided to meet the requirements of the population, she said.
“There are a lot of measures in line to ensure that recreational areas are provided in accordance with the hierarchy and guidelines, as well as standards.
“There are also measures to provide adequate public open spaces by the adoption of a standard ratio of two hectares to 1,000 urban population, for sports facilities and to gazette recreational areas and monitor the implementation of their development.”
She was aware that the idea would require a substantial investment, which she believed was justifiable.
“A nation will have to inevitably pour money into major infrastructure projects and in improving recreational facilities,” she said.