Redevelopment in Urban Life

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1.0 Introduction
Redevelopment is described as the process of improving by renewing and restoring. When placed into the context of cities, redevelopment may be described as urban renewal. The redevelopment of cities is a crucial phenomenon that effects the fabric of communities socially, economically, politically and culturally. The need for an urban redevelopment usually arises when an area or district no longer functions nor cultivates its intended program. Unsuccessful existing and expired developments hinder its local community from progressing forward which causes a chain reaction of negativity (Tira M., Ivanička K., Špirková D., 2010). The declination of a district may occur because of various reasons. These reasons affect different districts in correspondence to the nature of the district. Issues such as segregation and alienation of site, lack of diversity, poor planning, decrease in value, poor maintenance, and security all contribute to the declination of a district (Christopher A.D.S., 2008). Therefore, the cause for redevelopment is not just to pacify these negative issues but rather it should be approached as a golden opportunity to look beyond that by creating added value.

This research is a study of the redevelopment of an industrial plot of land in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Petaling Jaya was born as the first satellite hub to support the rapid development of Kuala Lumpur. It was not till the early 1950s that Petaling Jaya began to grow and start housing the overflow of workforce in Kuala Lumpur. Petaling Jaya was then divided to various districts that were assigned different land uses. Section 13 was designated as an industrial district whereas, its immediate surrounding neighborhoods such as Secti...

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...mportant landmark that evoked a sense of identity.

It is evident that there are negative connotations that revolve around Section 13 as an industrial site that affect Petaling Jaya economically, socially, culturally and even sustainably. Negative issues aside, we have yet to address the positive implications in redeveloping Section 13. These implications will not merely satisfy the current demands of the local community but rather to go beyond that in adding an urban design value to Petaling Jaya. The void of a central commercial/ financial district in Petaling Jaya has never been this apparent. With the continuing growth of the economy and the increasing number of qualified graduates entering the workforce in PJ, the redevelopment of Section 13 into a commercial hub would be ideal. That however comes from a very economical stance, which is obligatory.

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