Transit Oriented Developments The Way Forward

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From John TanIn the 1980s, whenever my parents told me to get ready to go to the city for an outing, either for shopping or eating at a restaurant, it used to get me all excited as it gave me a reason to dress up.
In those days, residential properties, commercial areas and offices were usually built distinctively apart. People drove from their homes to commercial areas to shop and to their offices for work.
What were the consequences of this?
There were a huge number of cars on the road, releasing fumes and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. That did not augur well for the environment.
When cars burn fossil fuels like petrol and diesel, they release several gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide (CO2), which is produced when fuel is burned during combustion, and methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are greenhouse gases.
With the Klang Valley population estimated to exceed 8.8 million in 2024 and with an average annual increase of 2.25%, the population could hit 9.8 million by 2030, as mentioned by federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
Taking into consideration this population boom, there is an urgent need to provide sufficient and efficient public transportation for the people.
This will help remove cars from the road, prevent congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Along with the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, there is also a need to provide sufficient housing within the city to reduce the need to drive and encourage the use of public transportation and physical activities, such as cycling or walking.
Providing rail lines to connect towns and outskirt areas to the main city is not cost-effective as there is insufficient ridership.
Providing efficient public transportation within the city and suburban areas will be more cost-effective and serves a wider ridership.
Hence, the emergence of transit-oriented development or TOD in short. TOD is often termed as a project centred around the public transportation system.
Besides having covered walkways or linked overhead bridges connected to the MRT/LRT, other key components will include offices, a shopping mall, retail shops and possibly a hotel.
TOD resonates well with the ESG theme and also provides higher number of homes on smaller pieces of land to cater to the housing needs of the masses. Although the apartment sizes are usually smaller in size, it is still suitable for urban families.
The following are the positive aspects of TOD:
1. With fewer cars on the road, TOD ensures lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced traffic congestion and sustainable urban development. It will also increase the use of public transportation.
2. It creates an environment for people to live, work and play within the mix-used development. People can meet their daily needs without having to travel far by car. It also fosters a sustainable community atmosphere.
3. With corporate offices located within the development itself, residents can even opt to walk to work, contributing to better physical health. There usually is a shopping mall located just below the residential units, which facilitates shopping convenience.
4. TOD in the golden triangle encourages residents to stay within the city where more job opportunities are available.
5. TOD projects usually attract a higher plot ratio. So, this enables the developer to build high-density development projects and this can help to provide sufficient housing needs for the increased population in Kuala Lumpur.
ConclusionThe TOD projects are usually characterised by high-density service apartments, shopping conveniences, nearby offices and direct access to public transportation.
Dilapidated old buildings in the city could potentially become brownfield projects for redevelopment to a TOD and could help sustainable living by encouraging more people to stay within the city itself.
As Malaysia progresses to a developed nation, ESG initiatives and the live, work and play concept within the mix-used development, become a pivotal focus for the convenience it offers.
TOD projects are aptly the way forward. - FMT
John Tan is an FMT reader.The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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