KL Mayor: No more homeless by year-end

KL Mayor evaluating three proposals to reduce the impact of the homeless issue in the city.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib has received three proposals to house the city’s homeless to reduce the negative impact on the nation’s capital.

Speaking at a press conference at the launch of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) initiative Urban Design Guidelines for Kuala Lumpur City Centre (UDGKL) today, he said: “We have three proposals so far to convert the area in front of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, a hotel in the Chow Kit area and a space near Jalan Raja Laut.

“These proposals are currently being evaluated. They contain plans for shelters to be built and completed as soon as possible based on the call made by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for the issue to be dealt with by the end of 2014,” said the mayor.

Meanwhile, the UDGKL was launched today to create a more liveable, connected and attractive location for local city dwellers and visitors alike.

Ahmad Phesal said: “The comprehensive urban guidelines will be implemented in phases” going by separate precincts, then each area divided into smaller divisions described as enclaves.

Ahmad Phesal stressed that it is important for designers, developers and architectural firms, and the community to use these guidelines as a manual or a “checklist when considering development applications in Kuala Lumpur City Centre”.

“The guidelines do not limit creativity; rather they provide a platform where people will want to live, work and visit,” he further clarified.

Ahmad Phesal said that these guidelines will, in time, “eradicate existing issues and enhance the quality of urban design in KL City Centre by allocating spaces for trams, walkable zones, pedestrianised streets, green walkways and congestion charges zones.”

“These guidelines will transform KL city into a more pedestrian friendly, more livable city with the enhancement of public transportation network,” said the mayor.

The main precincts within the guidelines are KLCC Precinct, Chow Kit Precinct, Pudu Precinct, Botani Precinct, Kampung Attap Precinct, Civic Precinct and Bukit Bintang Precinct, done in such a manner to create a distinct identity for each area.

The KLCC Precinct covers the areas of the Petronas Twin Towers, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Renaissance Hotel, Jalan Stonor, Jalan Conlay, Jalan Imbi and the Tun Razak Exchange project.

The Chow Kit Precinct covers areas around Jalan Chow Kit and Medan Tuanku, while the Pudu Precinct covers Pudu, Dataran Merdeka, Kenanga, Pudu Downtown and Seri Alam.

The Botany Precinct cover the areas surrounding the National Monument and the Titiwangsa Lake Gardens. while the Kampung Attap Precinct covers areas arround Kampung Attap and Kwang Tung.

The Civic Precinct covers the administrative centres and the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, while the Bukit Bintang Precinct involves areas around Bukit Nanas, Jalan P. Ramlee, Bukit Ceylon, Jalan Alor, Pudu Uptown and Bukit Bintang.

In a press conference after the launch, the mayor commented on the potential challenges in implementing the UDGKL and achieving the dream of being “one of the top 20 cities by the year 2020”.

He said that developers without enough land to provide the required parking space as per the guideline, or communal space between buildings can be a challenge but the city council will consider their difficulties and find a way to reach a middle ground that is not too far off from the urban plan.