LOCATION MAP
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Kampung Baru started as a Malay agricultural settlement by British in 1900. Agricultural activities are carried out by the Malays. They have been living from that time until now. After years of settlement, the place was converted from agricultural to residential. According to the first census which was done in 1928, there were 544 houses and 2,600 villagers in Kampung Baru. Until now, Kampung Baru is still maintain ing their village living style. IN ADAPTATION | THIN CITIES
CALVINO’S PERSPECTIVE Thin cities Italo Calvino represented the human’s mental fragility through physical characteristics of the city the people inhabits. For instance, every thin cities shows a certain form of weakness in mind thinking where the people are usually getting used to living with inferno. With tall thin structures that supports huge big buildings and small lines or ropes that are hanging their homes and houses, they put their lives on uncertain structures. Through his perspective, we should be able to find weakness and issues of the place by looking into buildings and surrounding that reflects the people’s mind.
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DEVELOPMENT ‘One of the half-cities is permanent, the other is temporary, and when the period of its sojourn is over, they uproot it, dismantle it……’ Calvino divides Sophronia City into two, half of the city that made up of functional structure is constantly changing, and the other half that resembles fantasy land remains permanent. He sees the city in two aspects, the reality (bank, factories, school, etc) and the imaginary (ferris wheel, trapezes, carousels, etc). The reality is undergoing the rapid development hence it keeps on changing, in the end the only thing that remains constant is the people’s imagination. Located next to the busy commercial area of Kuala Lumpur, the simplicity of Kampung Baru creates huge contrast in various aspects, the city skyline, the traffic, the development etc. Due to its location being next to the city centre, the rustic village is experiencing threats from development. In fact, there are several projects such as the Kampung Baru City Centre (KBCC) being planned currently that would bring drastic changes to the village. In years, there would be towers in the village as modernity taking over heritage.
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CULTURE ‘No one remembers what need or command or desire drove Zenobia’s founders to give their city this form, and so there is no telling whether it was satisfied by the city we see it today. ‘ - Italo Calvino
through time. Kampung Baru that is located in Kuala Lumpur, the villagers are slowly adapting a modern living style. Even if they maintain the malay house, they have already lost their cultural identity and culture essence.
“The Kampung baru has seven villages and each has a distinct character in line with the ancestral roots of the villagers. Minangkabau, Javanese, Rawa and Malaccan descendants. The different villages have their own identities and unique architecture, way of life, traditions and beliefs. In the past, the children were told not to mix with each other and inter-village marriages were frowned upon as the seniors wanted to preserve their identity. Now, the tradition is quite lost.”- Yip Yoke Teng, 2014 The history and culture is the one that gives the form of the Kampung Baru. Kampung Baru is considered as a heritage for malay culture. However, comparing to have vernacular malay house all around the village, new modern houses can be seen in the Kampung Baru. From the surface, the new generations already living a modern lifestyle and not maintaining the old culture and tradition of the place. Although they are still inhabiting the place, their cultural value is slowly loss IN ADAPTATION | THIN CITIES
LIVING “Isaura, city of the thousand wells, is said to rise over a deep, subterranean lake. On all sides, wherever the inhabitants dig long vertical holes in the ground, they succeed in drawing up water, as far as the city extends, and no father.” - Italo Calvino Kampung Baru, located in the metropolis Kuala Lumpur, the cost of living can be considered as highest in Malaysia. However, in Kampung Baru, the villagers don’t usually have occupations with average to high income. Mostly of the villagers are hawkers that sell cheap food in front of their home. Some of the villagers can hardly support for their cost of living. This problem will worsen at times where the developments of KL are still going on. However, the villagers are usually keen to stay in Kampung Baru. They have no money to start a new life outside Kampung Baru. They are also feeling attached to the place because the other parts of KL are mostly concrete jungle that is very different from their village living style. They are not suitable to live outside Kampung Baru but the surrounded by it, the villagers are nowhere to go and no ways to survive.
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SAFETY ‘This is the foundation of the city: a net which serves as passage and as support….Suspended over the abyss, the life of Octavia's inhabitants is less uncertain than in other cities. They know the net will last only so long.’ - Italo Calvino Walking through Kampung Baru, different types of houses can be seen. Most of the houses are similar with the first picture shown, which is made of by various material such as zinc and wood. The improper way of construction greatly affects safety of inhabitants. Most of the houses in Kampung Baru do not have gate which allow people to go into the compound easily. However, villagers are insensitive about the danger that can be caused by this issue.
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LIST OF ISSUES Issue 1 – Lim Chin Yi: Development of Kampung Baru post threats to the traditional Malay settlement as they could be demolished in the future.
Issue 2 – Lau Wei Ling: The people in Kampung Baru are living a fragile life when living in the village is getting harder as time goes.
Issue 3 – Lai Chi Mun: Aware of their unsafe condition, people in kampung baru could not improve the enviroment of the village due to lack of resources.
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