Definition of Urban Renewal

Recently I attended a briefing and workshop on the proposed urban renewal plan for Section 51, 51A, 52, Section 8, 7 and 14 of Petaling Jaya. About 200 people comprising representatives from the residents groups, individual, land owners, developers, agencies, MBPJ's councillors and staff attended the briefing done by appointed consultants by the State Government. The consultant supposed to present the preliminary findings about the study as well as letting people know the definition and meaning about urban renewal. It was told that urban renewal can be in the form of redevelopment and or rehabilitation and or regeneration. It is multiple approaches of reviving the life of a city or inner city which is experiencing the degradation of quality of services and life. It can be an industrial area which has been out lived its function or a residential area without proper infrastructure and facilities. It can be abandoned area with no economic activities forthcoming. It is not about redevelopment alone or to tear down the low rise building and to replace with the high density and high rise buildings. It is wrong interpretation and definitely not the intention of this exercise.

However, immediately after the briefing, the participants have voiced out their comments in which implied explicitly that they have misunderstood the planning is for redevelopment. They do not want to see their houses being acquired and do not like to have different landuses or activities within the vicinity of their neighbourhood. No matter how tireless the consultants trying to explain, they do not accept the explaination and insist on non further study. At the end, the session became a complaint dialogue and discussion.

I felt sorry about the level of understanding of residents towards planning. I also felt that MBPJ has not done much to educate the public on reading plan holistically. I think while planning is important, planning without the full support and constructive input from the residents and stakeholders will be a planning to failure. I reckon much need to be done. Perhaps focus group discussion, role play and even solving the daily services problem facing the residents will be of help.