The powers that be announces it a gift. But what lurks in the shadow that has been taken?
Yes, it is a big blessing for Kuala Lumpur to expand and extent the reach of its mass railway transit. A walkable city is a liveable city. Added with strategies to discourage private vehicle entering central area (eg higher parking charges, congestion charges), Kuala Lumpur can become a lovely place to work and live. I personally support any effort to make KL a walkable city.
Walkable city also means urban planners has to delve deep on what kind of walking spaces they have to offer ?
During my less-than-stellar Architecture undergrad years, the lecturer made an example of me in front of the many course mates which left a permanent mark on my memory fabric. His words clearly reverberated until today 'Public space underneath an elevated structure is undesirable, its eerie, its gloomy and it’s a boon for crime'.
The 1950s marks a trend which architects began exploiting the plasticity (and affordability) of concrete en masse. Brutalist-style structure dotted major cities in the world albeit for housing human inhabitant or providing tracks for rapid moving locomotives. Leaders and architects professed the fusion as sign of progress, modernity and visions of things-to-come.
The 1950s marks a trend which architects began exploiting the plasticity (and affordability) of concrete en masse. Brutalist-style structure dotted major cities in the world albeit for housing human inhabitant or providing tracks for rapid moving locomotives. Leaders and architects professed the fusion as sign of progress, modernity and visions of things-to-come.
But bright visions of past decades overtime does loses its glimmer. While the elevated mass transport tells a story of fast moving progress of a city, underneath these shadow casting concrete plinth tells a different story. Homelessness, drug addiction or yard for unused furniture is the common picture. Attempts to soften the 'hard' concrete by introducing landscapes is met with little success.
Pedestrian walking are greeted with its own sets of surprises – the nasal offence of urine stench from last weekend, an exhaust fumes which hardly dissipate under the overpass meagre openings. The sight of dirt encrusted into the kerb from last year, barely washed out by rain that never reach whats underneath the overpass. Worst, pedestrian risks of becoming part of crime victim statistics hung over them.
Pedestrian walking are greeted with its own sets of surprises – the nasal offence of urine stench from last weekend, an exhaust fumes which hardly dissipate under the overpass meagre openings. The sight of dirt encrusted into the kerb from last year, barely washed out by rain that never reach whats underneath the overpass. Worst, pedestrian risks of becoming part of crime victim statistics hung over them.
Freeway Park in Seattle is an example of attempt to enliven the dead cold atmosphere of underpass. Nestled between buildings and multi-lane underpass, Architect Lawrence Haprin designed something poetic to receptive mind – as I personally recalled Mindcraft-esque park. Unfortunately, not all minds are hermetically sealed properly. Homicide and rape marred the park image for years to come. The local council had to fork out hundreds of thousand to initiate projects to reimagine the park.
Kuala Lumpur for a while had its wave of rape and near rape cases and it occurred primarily in shadowy multistory parking lots. The parking lots operators have reacted by placing 'panic buttons' on strategic columns which ironically function to shoulder the weight of vast plinth that obstruct the reassuring sun rays itself.
Klang Valley with its undulating beautiful landscape is bolstered when the rail links are hidden from the sight. Let the liberating, warm, germ killing sunlight (and the cleansing torrential rain) soak the ground.
We have outlived the era of short-termism of 'asalkan ada' or 'sudah dibuat komplen, tak buat lagi komplen' mentality, leaders now speak about achieving 'world class' transportation system thus its necessary to think one step further. I'm confident that advisors to the extenstion of MRT can paint a vivid picture of how undesirable public spaces can be. What transpired during the meeting between project managers and planners during the conception of the project that sub-surface rail is discouraging for one word - cost.
Furthermore, what crosses the mind the mind of an unpopular prime minister – is to have something big, visible and quick. Having a mammoth light rail station elevated over multiple lanes of highways makes a good drone footage to signify 'in-your-face' progress in electioneering videos. The arterial outline sprouting out of Kuala Lumpur into Klang Valley looks impressive on Google Maps. But the ground which had cleared the path for progress had been degraded to second class and deprived from the nourishing sunlight.
Furthermore, what crosses the mind the mind of an unpopular prime minister – is to have something big, visible and quick. Having a mammoth light rail station elevated over multiple lanes of highways makes a good drone footage to signify 'in-your-face' progress in electioneering videos. The arterial outline sprouting out of Kuala Lumpur into Klang Valley looks impressive on Google Maps. But the ground which had cleared the path for progress had been degraded to second class and deprived from the nourishing sunlight.
Whether the present day government can afford all underground light rail to serve the city is a different discussion altogether.
Fait accompli
Fait accompli
The blight of Klang Valley urban landscape, which is the MRT criss crossing is fait accompli. Lets be level headed while the 'big leader' gloats about his gift to the nation. Give room for him to merit his achievement in his grandeur era of 'asalkan ada'.
Hence the opportunity to correct the wrong cannot be left to dissipate together with the acrid air of below overpass. Ahyeon overpass and Cheonggyecheon expressway displayed a leap taken by Seoul urban planners realizing the overarching advantage of keeping the skies visible from ground level. Both Korean overpasses are today immortalized as photos and reminded us the benefits of winning back the cities ground.
Monies to spent to dismantle mammoth overpasses might be used someplace else, but the realisation of higher ideals and ultimately - where would the monies best spent than to beautify the capital of home country itself?
Monies to spent to dismantle mammoth overpasses might be used someplace else, but the realisation of higher ideals and ultimately - where would the monies best spent than to beautify the capital of home country itself?
Rotterdam's Binnenrotte intercity rail safety tugged underground and even ducked under the mighty Nieuw Maas river. This steers the sky clear of any mammoth concrete station above the bustling Binnenrotte markt. A concious and smart effort made by planners to demolish the overpass railway in 1993 (considered a brag worthy effort for a country that exist meters below sea level, still managed to construct a sub surface rail)
For now I hope any crimes - petty or serious - occurred on the shadowy ground should be recorded in its own category. Every ringgit cost to keep these gloomy area safe, may it be surveillance camera, spotlights, police beat bases should be added to the overall costs of this hadiah project. So we can determine the 'actual' cost we bore.
