Sustainable Planning

I have a chit-chat with a friend from Singapore recently over the issue of landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa and its' impact on the future challenges for planning. We agreed that with this climate change era, planning within the carrying capacity of environment is inevitable. Environment, and not solely the economic gain should be the bottom line for designing the quantum of a development. Disaster is there to happen if development is over built or goes against the nature.


Sustainable planning is looking beyond creating the houses, but home building. It is about community cohesion rather than physical neighbourhood area. It is about interaction between human and the nature. Human value and scale should be incorporated in the structure and the structure should have been built according to the form of the natural environment.


Some might argue that with technological advancement, any changes is possible. They are of the opinion that technologies can help in restoring the damages, in changing the soil form and structure and filling up the uneven soil form. While it is possible to have a solid state of development for an individual project with much engineering care, it is a challenge of getting coordinated efforts amongst different project proponents. Many of the time, project proponent is only interested to study and propose measures for their project or within the vicinity. For example, to project traffic and trip generation for a particular project without considering other contributing factors from nearby development projects. The coordinating efforts are put on the shoulder of the authorities.

While it is not wrong for the project proponents to build and sell their properties and let go any saleable space they have, it is their social responsibility to ensure the future prospect as well as risks. It is not ethical to wash entire hands after selling off the properties without considering the risks associated to it, or the maintenance part. While local authorities is entrusted to look after the built environment and the inhabitants, i believe the project proponents can still play some role. For example, project proponents for high rise development can contribute to a fund similar to the sinking fund for strata properties for the monitoring and up keeping of sloped projects.


Planners have to move beyond the ordinary land use and layout planning. It is not sufficient to justify a good layout plan by looking at cost effectiveness and economic return only, but meeting the needs for sustainable development, namely social justice and cohesion, economic vibrancy and environmental sustainability. Planning for a city that is vibrant, energetic, harmonious, friendly, efficient, connected, accessible, caring and importantly sustainable. A fine city does not necessary reflection of sustainability. For example, a zero littering city due to the efficiency of waste collection and cleaning service but not because of the 3R habit of the residents, to me is not the sustainability that we are looking forward. For that to happen, planners have to plan the follow through by incorporating mankind's habit, maintenance culture and practices, climate change, technological advancement into the design. Physical design to prevent crime, to encourage sustainable and healthy lifestyle, to reduce travelling and consumption, to promote neighbourliness and to protect the environment.

Planners have to be braved enough facing the stakeholders, not the client or other fellow consultants only. They have to talk to stakeholders and convince them about the concept and principles. We have to learn to market our plan and design in which engaging the stakeholders at the earliest stage is essential. The time for briefing the stakeholders on what you intend to plan is long gone. The stakeholders demand to be involved in the planning process, not to the mere comment after design has been finalised. Towards that, planners have to polish their skills on negotiation, presentation, constructive discourse, public relationship, marketing and selling and above all competency level.

To me all these are essential if planners are to be entrusted to lead other professional for a development consortium or to earn the respect from the community.