Urbanism, Comparative essay

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM [ARC 61303]

PROJECT 2: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY NAME: AIMUNI KHALIDAH BINITI A BAKAR STUDENT ID: 0326074 TUTOR: MR. NICHOLAS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.O INTRODUCTION

03

2.0 CONTACT POINTS

07

1.1 Macro Site; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1.2 Macro Site; Phnom Penh, Cambodia 1.3 Micro Site; Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur 1.4. Micro Site; Preah Ang Eng (St. 13), Phnom Penh

2.1 Contact points of Medan Pasar 2.2. Contact points of Preah Ang Eng

3.0 ANALYSIS

15

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY

16

5.0 CONCLUSION

22

6.0 REFERENCES

23

4.1. Necessary activities 4.2. Optional activities 4.3. Resultant activities

2

INTRODUCTION

1.0. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Macro Site; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Figure 1.1.1. The heart of Malaysia, KL

The word Kuala Lumpur literally means 'Muddy Confluence’ is the capital city of Malaysia.

Over the years Kuala Lumpur grew into an important Asian city. Also known as KL , this city is seen as the center of the country; where; 'it happens all' in KL. Kuala Lumpur boasted up in tin-mining industry back in early 19th century before the industry started to decline reaching the 20th century. Today, the city became a home of 1.8 million people, which is clearly noticeable by the huge and vast amounts of traffic that goes into the city every morning, and slowly leaves the city in the evening. Being the heart of Malaysia, KL is a metropolis with big central business districts with many tall skyscrapers, has become one of the most advanced, lively and vibrant cities in Southeast Asia.

3

INTRODUCTION

1.0. INTRODUCTION

1.2 Macro Site; Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Figure 1.2.1. The wealthiest capital of Cambodia

Phnom Penh did not become the capital of Cambodia until in 1865 despite being founded in 1400AD. The majority of the population in Phnom Penh lived along the west bank of the Tonle Sap In bamboo and wood structures with hatched roofs. Established in 1863, the French constructed the new capital for Cambodia in attempt to modernize of a long process of urbanization by the French followed by the locals once sovereignly was achieved. Today, Phnom Penh is the biggest and wealthiest city in Cambodia that homes over one million people of Cambodia. As tourists may associate the city with its historical events and culture, Phnom Penh is one of the few countries that is able to tell the history and culture through its architectural style. Phnom Penh is slowly gaining high rise buildings, traffic lights, and Western style shopping malls, but overall remains one of the most undeveloped capitals in Asia.

4

INTRODUCTION

1.0. INTRODUCTION

1.3 Micro Site; Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur

Figure 1.3.1. The whole stretch of the site, starting from Kasturi walk ending at Medan Pasar.

Figure 1.3.2. The remarkable Tower Clock located at Medan Pasar.

Located along Jalan Hang Kasturi road, Medan Pasar was once the main hub of Kuala Lumpur back in 19th century headed by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy. The road was known as Macao Street or Hokkien Street by the old Chinese community. Previously known as Old Market Square, it was a place to be for the traders as there were facilities like banks, textile shops, grocers, and traditional medicinal halls, in fact, up until today, the purpose of Medan Pasar remains the same, a trading hub; now, run by the migrants. This stretch of road has a very distinctive facades that have been preserved and readapted to accommodate modern retailing businesses after Yap rebuilt the marketplace using proper construction materials after the marketplace was demolished by Frank Swettenham. Pasar Seni that offers local goods and “the clock tower� that was once a major landmark of Kuala Lumpur are also located along this stretch, which make it more remarkable among the locals and tourists who passed by along the street.

5

INTRODUCTION

1.0. INTRODUCTION

1.4. Micro Site; Preah Ang Eng (St. 13), Phnom Penh

Figure 1.4.1. The whole stretch of Preah Ang Eng

Figure 1.4.2. One of the landmark, National Museum of Cambodia

Preah Ang Eng or easier called as St. 13 is a street located along the North-West of Tonle Sap River is one of the busiest road of Phnom Penh. With its rich cultural and historical context, the National Museum of Cambodia and the Royal Palace are located along the street, making it among most visited street by the tourists. St. 13 intersects with the main road, Khemarak Phoumin Avenue (130), which makes it a street that is heavy with vehicular and pedestrian movement. With the high number of tourists passing by everyday, the locals’ biggest selling point of the street would be street food culture and the cheap shopping district. Not only that, local markets locating along the street also offers unique local goods and daily necessity.

6

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS

2.1 Contact points of Medan Pasar

1 2 3 4

5

6

7

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS

2.1.1. Food Trucks and vendors

Figure 2.1.1.1 Food vendors are set up at the Medan Pasar itself.

The contact intensity is low to moderate. The food trucks are usually operated at from 12 pm to 5pm everyday, with 1pm to 2 pm being the peak hour, the chance of interaction between the sellers and buyers are quite high. Meanwhile, the food vendors only operates on Friday afternoon.

2.1.2. Medan Pasar Plaza

Figure 2.1.2.1. People usually gather around the benches, and Caleb is kind of lost..

Displays low to high intensity through passive contact to close relationship between friends and families. As it is a plaza that allows pedestrian to pass by, passive interaction is bound to happen. This plaza also acts as a port for a certain user group which rate of interaction is high.

8

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS 2.1.3. The Clock Tower

Figure 2.1.3.1. The clock tower that used to be the landmark of KL..

Displays moderate intensity through passive contact and close relationship among the users. The evergreen design and the history behind the clock tower that attract people’s attention.

2.1.4. The Old Market Square Cafe

Figure 2.1.4.1. Old Market Square is also one of the localized landmark.

The area has high intensity as it is a point where people bring their family and friends to eat, the narrow space and the popularity minimize the users’ personal boundaries. Located at the side of Medan Pasar Plaza, makes it more inviting, thus the interaction will increase naturally.

9

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS 2.1.5. Pacific Express Hotel

Figure 2.1.5.1. Locate at the corner of the block, it is visually attractive enough to attract people.

The contact intensity at this area is moderate to high as it involves passive and close relationship among the users. The wide five foot walkway was transformed into a seating area which allow more interaction between the users.

2.1.6. Pasar Seni (Central Market)

Figure 2.1.6.1. A hub that sells variety of local goods.

Pasar Seni portrays low to high intensity as it involves passive contact and close relationship. People tend to go to Pasar Seni together with the families and friends to shop. There is also a high chance of interaction between the buyer and the sellers.

10

2.0 CONTACT POINTS

2.2. Contact points of Preah Ang Eng

1 2

3

4 5

6

11

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS 2.2.1. Cambodia Post

Figure 2.2.1.1. One of those building that was built during French colonization

The intensity of the Cambodia Post is rather low to moderate through passive and minimal interaction between the users within the building, compared to the cafes that are located opposite Cambodia Post, it is rather have high intensity where the interaction rates are higher.

2.2.2. Phnom Penh Night Market

Figure 2.1.6.1. A hub that sells variety of local goods.

Phnom Penh Night Market is famous for its night activities where it becomes a gathering point of families and friends. Thus the contact intensity can be said as low to high where passive interaction such as observation and hearing activity is involved, minimal interactions between the sellers and buyers might occur at all times.

12

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS

2.2.3. Khemarak Phoumin Avenue

Figure 2.2.3.1. Tuk tuk rider looking for visitors.

Located at the junction that intersects with the main road of Phnom Penh, the contact intensity of this point is rather low to moderate, where minimal interaction might occur. The chance of Tuk-tuk riders offering rides to the visitor is possible to happen.

2.2.4. Kandal Market

Figure 2.2.4.1. The everyday market scenario.

Most activities here require verbal communication be it for buying-selling purposes or ordering food. Kandal Market is a daily market that is famous among the local, thus the contact intensity of the users is slightly high as the chance of the users being acquaintances is also high.

13

CONTACT POINTS

2.0 CONTACT POINTS 2.2.5. Friends and Stuff

Figure 2.2.5.1. Most of the products sold are hand made by the locals.

This point is specially cater to tourists who want to get local goods and art craft.

That reason alone is able to determine the contact intensity of this point which is low to moderate where interaction may occur between the buyer and seller.

Passive contact such as as observing the goods would be the main activity.

2.2.6. Hiroshima Library

Figure 2.2.6.1. Hiroshima Library with its Brutalism design.

Being the only community library on the street, this library is cater to school kids who visit the library after school hours. The wide pavement in front of the library makes it a point with moderate to high intensity from a basic interaction between buyers and sellers to interaction between close friends.

14

ANALYSIS

3.0 ANALYSIS From the book Life Between Buildings written by Jan Gehl, there are three types of outdoor activities which are necessary activities, optional activities and social activities.

Extracted from the book itself, basically necessary activities are more or less compulsory, for example going to work, shopping , waiting for a bus - in other words, all activities in which those involved are to a greater or lesser degree required to participate. These activities will take place throughout the year, under nearly all conditions, and are more or less independent of the exterior environment. The participants have no choice.

Unlike necessary activities, optional activities is rather more flexible. This relationship is particularly important in connection with physical planning because most of the recreational activities that are especially pleasant to pursue outdoors are found precisely in this category of activities. These activities are especially dependent on exterior physical conditions.

Be it poor or good physical condition, necessary activities will be continued as usual. A wide range of optional activities will also occur during high quality of physical environment because place and situation now invite people to stop, sit, eat, play, and so on. In streets and city spaces of poor quality, only the bare minimum of activity takes place. People hurry home. In a good environment, a completely different, broad spectrum of human activities is possible.

Figure 3.1 shows how quality affects the activities.

As for resultant activities, it depends on the occurrence of other activities. They develop in connection with the other activities because people are in the same place, meet, pass by one another or merely within view.

Extracting again from Jan Gehl’s Life Between Buildings, It is difficult to pinpoint precisely what life between buildings means in relation to the need for contact. This outline shows that primarily the low-intensity contacts located at the bottom of the scale.

Figure 3.1 shows how quality affects the activities.

Compared with the other contact forms, these contacts appear insignificant, yet they are valuable both as independent contact forms and as prerequisites for other, more complex interactions.

15

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.1. Necessary activities

With Medan Pasar and Preah Ang Eng are put side by side, one major similarity that can be seen is that, both points are considered as commerce centre. One would never be hungry or thirsty while walking through the street of Preah Ang Eng as markets are placed side by side along the street. From this point, we can see how the local people depend on markets to generate their daily income in order to live. As for Medan Pasar, it is one of the most popular and oldest street in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, featuring convenience stores which focuses more on necessity such as clothes, luggage bags and health products.

Even though these two streets are known for the same purpose, there are still differences between them, one of it would be the walkability. The two contact points that are comparable will be the remarkable Pasar Seni and famous local Kandal Market. Though both points serve the same purpose, the setup of the vendors are totally different.

Figure 4.1.1 outdoor setup for vendors.

Figure 4.1.2. The road the divide Kandal Market and the opposite shoplots.

In Preah Ang Eng, they serve an outdoor market selling groceries and daily necessities, where the seller has to setup their small vendors every morning and pack up during the evening.

Small vendors are extended to the main roadside as it have a wide street. The wide street that separate Kandal market from a stretch of shoplots is a busy vehicular road. Public transportation such as Tuk Tuk can be spotted so easily during the day along the street as Tuk Tuk is one of specialty that could possibly attract people to go to the Market. Kandal Market is cater mainly for the local thus contact intensity is possibly high as the locals might be acquaintances and interactions are bound to happen. But that does not stop the tourists from coming over as the unique local goods sold there could be an attraction for them.

Diagram 4.1.1 shows the contact intensity of Kandal Market

16

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.1. Necessary activities

Unlike Kandal Market, Pasar Seni trading activities occur in an enclosed proper indoor area where the vendors are treated as a fixed booth and the tenant has to pay monthly to secure the booth. Outside Pasar Seni, a wide covered pedestrian pavement can be spotted where more booth are located in the middle of the pavement as an extension of the Pasar Seni itself. Just like the vehicular path at Kandal Market, this pavement also acts as the separation line between Pasar Seni and a stretch of shop lots located opposite the Pasar. The main purpose of Pasar Seni’s existence is to make that area as touristy area promoting local crafts, from tidbits to leather goods. The contact intensity of this point is rather low to moderate compared to Kandal Market, as the chance of contact only occur when there is a trading business. And most of the time, the point will be occupied by passive contact where observing goods are most likely to happen.

Figure 4.1.3. The pavement that also act the extension of Pasar Seni.

Figure 4.1.4. The inside of Pasar Seni

Diagram 4.1.2 shows the contact intensity at Pasar Seni

As both of the areas are identified as commerce hub, hence they are also considered as necessary activity. As referred from Jan Gehl’s Life Between Buildings, it is mentioned that everyday tasks belong to this group, among other activities, this group includes the great majority of those related to walking. These activities will take place throughout the year, under nearly all conditions. The participants have no choice.

17

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.2. Optional activities

In Life Between Buildings, Jan Gehl’s defined an optional activity as a participation if there is a wish to do so and if time and place make it possible. These activities only take place when exterior conditions are favourable, when weather and place invite them.

Figure 4.2.1 vendors are set up at the junctions

Figure 4.2.2 the road is more clearer compared to Kandal Market

The other similarity between this two road is the presence of an active cross junction.

Located at the intersection of Street 13 and Khemarak Phoumin Avenue (130) - one of the main road of Phnom Penh, this junction also is considered as one of the densest junction as it connects two nearby attractions of the city which are the Central Market and Riverside. People tend to run businesses there as it will attract many people to stop by and thus a chance of interaction might occur. Not only that, it also become a hub for the Tuk Tuk riders to look for their customers as Preah Ang Eng itself is such a long street to walk from one end to another.

With the benefit of the vegetation around the area, it gives people a choice whether to take shelter from the hot sun or not. As it is approaching the main road, the roadsides are rather clear compared to the Kandal Market where vendors are all arranged side by side. A dental clinic can also be spotted at on of the junction. That explains enough why it is one of the busiest junction of Preah Ang Eng , as it offers a broader range of businesses from street vendors to healthcare centre.

Diagram 4.2.1 shows the contact intensity of the junction

18

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.2. Optional activities

Comparing to Preah Ang Eng, the junction at Medan Pasar is more proper and sheltered.

Located below the Pacific Express Hotel, it has the advantage of having wide five foot walkway, more chairs and table are set there to allow passer by to chill or take a break before continuing their journey. A convenient store can also be spotted near the seating area which may attract more people to come by and thus increase the contact intensity. Passive contact also might occur when people tend to observe the movement of the pedestrian around that area while chilling down at the provided space. Having a shutter bus stop also may increase people to go stop over. The overhang roof also allow passers by to take shelter from the scorching hot sun or even heavy rain. Not only that, due to the sheltered wide pedestrian path, street buskers also tend to perform there, subconsciously become magnet to pull people to go there.

Figure 4.2.3 shuttle bus stop located in front of the junction

Figure 4.2.4

Diagram 3.1.1

Diagram 4.2.2 shows the contact intensity of this point

19

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.3. Resultant activities

According to Jan Gehl’s Life Between Building, resultant activities also known as social activities are all activities that depend on the presence of others in public spaces. They develop in connection with the other activities because people are in the same space, meet, pass by one another, or merely within view. It occurs spontaneously and it can also be said to support indirectly.

In this scenario, the two contact points that were chosen are a plaza that becomes the focal point of Medan Pasar and Phnom Penh Night Market Plaza. These two points are chosen as both only become active with the presence of others. Phnom Penh Night market has low to high contact intensity during the night especially around the plaza itself where lots of vendors and food stalls are all arranged side by side surrounding it. The empty plaza becomes a picnic area for close friends and families to gather. An open stage is also located around that point, which also becomes a point to attract people and thus create a chance of interaction between the performers and the audiences. Opposite to the nightlife, in broad the broad day light, the roadside of the point is rather quiet and has a very low intensity as the point only encourage optional activities through the existence of the necessary activity such as Tuk Tuk rides.

Figure 4.3.1 Phnom Penh Night Market during the night

Figure 4.3.2 in contrast of the nightlife, its rather quiet in the broad day light

Diagram 4.1.1 shows the section of the plaza with its contact intensity

20

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

4.0 COMPARATIVE ESSAY 4.3. Resultant activities

In this case, Medan Pasar Plaza is not as lively as Phnom Penh Night Market Plaza though it is actually a gathering point for all the migrants around Kuala Lumpur. The plaza is surrounded by shops that are owned by the migrants, which explains the high contact intensity of migrants around that point. As the plaza is surrounded by three to four storeys building height, it is well shaded, thus it also becomes a pedestrian path for tourists and the locals.

Activity such as food trucks and vendors that operate during lunch hour also create a chance of contact between the sellers and the buyers. Once in a fortnight, a social activity such as green market or Zumba is held in order to keep the plaza lively and to encourage youth to revive the joyful vibe of the plaza. Through this activity, high contact intensity may occur as people will come together with their families and close friends. With this kind of activity held at the plaza, subconsciously, it will become a stopping point for the passers by too. Not only that, it also may create a chance or interaction between different communities of the plaza.

Figure 4.3.3 One of the youth event held at Medan Pasar

Figure 4.3.4 Migrants chilling while waiting for their transportation

Diagram 4.3.2 Contact intensity of Medan Pasar

21

CONCLUSION

5.0 CONCLUSION From Jan Gehl’s Life Between Buildings, what he was trying to convey is that how outdoor conditions are able to affect one’s activity. Through this analysis of these two streets, we can see most of the activities occur under favourable condition, and how the development of a city plays a major role in determining the occurrence of an event of a place. Other than that, the cultural context of a place also has a role in setting the contact intensity of the place, for example if a place is cater for the local, subconsciously the contact intensity would be higher compared to a place that is cater to the tourist. All in all, the whole planning of both cities are able to affect and shape the daily life of all the users.

[2885 words]

22

REFERENCES

6.0 REFERENCES ● ● ●

●

Gehl, J., & Koch, J. (2011). Life between buildings: using public space. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Phnom Penh - Everything you Need to Know about Phnom Penh. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2017, from http://www.cambodia-hotels.com/phnom-penh/# Chan, D. (2007, March 02). Medan Pasar the hub of KL in the 19th century. Retrieved November 28, 2017, from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2007/03/03/medan-pasar-the-hub-of-kl-i n-the-19th-century/ John Macs Travel & Photography. with Keywords: scona, preah ang eng, cambodia. (n.d.).

Retrieved November 28, 2017, from http://www.johnmacstravelandphotography.com/keyword/scona;preah%20ang%20eng;c ambodia

23