ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

Better Livable Town

SENAIRA

LIEW JIN | 0318449

FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

Content:

1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………

2. A Investigation on Better Township or Town or City Guidelines and Issues……

3. Investigation & Data Collection: Ancient and old cities…………………………

4. Investigation & Data Collection: The present towns/cities ………………………….

5. Investigation & Data Collection: The future and better township ………………

6. The New “X” Town ………………………………………………………………………

7. The conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………

8. References list ……………………………………………………………………………..

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

1. Introduction

People live, work, and have fun together in many different kinds of

communities. A city is a large community, home to many people; a town is a

small community; a suburb is a community located outside of a city; and a

neighbourhood is a small community that consists of the people and buildings

near home. The relationship between the city, town, suburb and

neighbourhood is greatly interrelated. Cities need lungs for breathing,

basically well-maintained open, green, public spaces. The city as a physical

composition involves interaction between these man-made and natural

components. Basically, a city consists of spaces for human activities and

interactions. It creates identity to a certain city.

According to the project brief proposed, which is “The X Town” project, we

are all required to create and understand what makes a better town. In this

project, we would need to understand the ‘built environment’ and what are

the suitable elements that can build a better and livable town for the

residents in that area.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

2. The City

A city is a relatively large and permanent human settlement. Although there is no

agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English

language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or

historical status based on local law.

Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing,

and transportation. The concentration of development greatly facilitates

interaction between people and businesses, benefiting both parties in the

process, but it also presents challenges to managing urban growth. A big city or

metropolis usually has associated suburbs and exurbs. Such cities are usually

associated with metropolitan areas and urban areas, creating numerous

business commuters traveling to urban centers for employment.

A city formed as central places of trade for the benefit of the members living in

close proximity to others facilitates interaction of all kinds. These interactions

generate both positive and negative externalities between others' actions.

Benefits include reduced transport costs, exchange of ideas, sharing of natural

resources, large local markets, and later in their development, amenities such

as running water and sewage disposal. Possible costs would include higher rate

of crime, higher mortality rates, higher cost of living, worse pollution, traffic and

high commuting times. Cities grow when the benefits of proximity between

people and firms are higher than the cost.

HISTORY

Early cities developed in a number of regions of the ancient world. Uruk is the

world's first city. After Mesopotamia, this culture arose in Syria and Anatolia, as

shown by the city of Çatalhöyük (7500–5700BC). It is the largest Neolithic site

found to date. Although it has sometimes been claimed. that

ancient Egypt lacked urbanism, several types of urban settlements were found

in ancient times.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

During the Middle Ages, a town was as much a political entity as a collection of

houses. City residence brought freedom from customary rural obligations to

lord and community: "Stadtluft macht frei" ("City air makes you free") was a

saying in Germany. In Continental Europe cities with a legislature of their own

were not unheard of, the laws for towns as a rule other than for the countryside,

the lord of a town often being another than for surrounding land. In the Holy

Roman Empire, some cities had no other lord than the emperor. In

Italy medieval communes had quite a state like power. In exceptional cases

like Venice, Genoa or Lübeck, cities themselves became powerful states,

sometimes taking surrounding areas under their control or establishing extensive

maritime empires. Similar phenomena existed elsewhere, as in the case of Sakai,

which enjoyed a considerable autonomy in late medieval Japan.

During the early modern stage, Most towns remained far smaller, so that in 1500

only some two dozen places in the world contained more than 100,000

inhabitants. As late as 1700, there were fewer than forty, a figure that rose to

300 in 1900. A small city of the early modern period might contain as few as

10,000 inhabitants, a town far fewer.

The growth of modern industry from the late 18th century onward led to

massive urbanization and the rise of new great cities, first in Europe and then in

other regions, as new opportunities brought huge numbers of migrants from

rural communities into urban areas. In the United States from 1860 to 1910, the

invention of railroads reduced transportation costs, and large manufacturing

centers began to emerge, thus allowing migration from rural to city areas.

However, cities during those periods of time were deadly places to live in, due

to health problems resulting from contaminated water and air, and

communicable diseases. In the Great Depression of the 1930s cities were hard

hit by unemployment, especially those with a base in heavy industry. In the U.S.

urbanization rate increased forty to eighty percent during 1900–1990. Today the

world's population is slightly over half urban, with millions still streaming annually

into the growing cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

There are a few elements that makes a town. For example, the recreational

area. This area allows residents and tourists to have fun while relaxing and

having a good time. Examples of recreational areas are urban parks, pocket

parks, playgrounds, and beaches. Besides, there’s the education area. In

order to prevent the residents from migrating to other countries or places

because of education purposes, there should be sufficient or good education

areas in the town. The government sector is also compulsory to keep the town

running smoothly. Commercial areas such as plazas and shopping malls

could be keep a town’s economy and traffic alive. Hospitality areas such as

hotels could also improve the town’s tourism. A town should also have

hospitals and fire departments to keep the residents of the town feeling safe.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOWN?

In a good town, the transportation system must be well planned. For example,

the roads, pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes and others. It should be flexible

ad convenient for the residents and tourists to move around town easily.

Secondly, Nature’s priority is also important to keep a town’s greenery which

could provide fresh air and keep the town looking livelier. Drainage system

must be well planned and systematic. Besides, the facilities provided in the

town and its location should also be convenient for the residents of the town.

Places of amusement for entertainment and tourist attraction could also

improve the town in economy.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

3. Investigation & Data Collection:

PRESENT TOWN

ABOUT THE TOWN

Oia, is a town located in Santorini island, Greece. Oia is pronounced "EE-ah"

with alternate name as "Pano Meria". Oia is a small town and

former community in the South Aegean on the islands of Thira (Santorini)

and Therasia, in the Cyclades, Greece. Since the 2011 local government

reform it has been part of the municipality of Santorini, of which it is a

municipal unit. It covers the whole island of Therasia and the north western

most part of Santorini, which it shares with the municipal unit of Santorini. The

main street is named Nikolaou Nomikou. The population was 3376 inhabitants

at the 2001 census, and the land area is 19.449 km.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION

Oia is known as a mariner’s town that flourished as a result of seaborne trade

throughout the Mediterranean ocean. Oia was also great in wine production

in 1890. Oia was also known as a tourism area even since the ancient days

because of its architecture which are the white and blue domed houses, also

known as cave houses. The colour of the buildings gives the village an

effective white perspective and elegance. And also, the houses are painted

in white lime water so that the rainwater which falls over it runs down and can

be collected. Preservation and restoration of their Greek architecture have

highly increased the rate of tourism until now.

CONCLUSION - WHAT I’VE LEARNT

Preservation of nature’s architecture might be very useful. For example, such

as caves and cliffs could be carved and turned into buildings. Using white

lime water to paint on buildings is also very useful as to collect rainwater and

reusing it for gardening purposes or also washing the cars. Oia have been

critically damaged by an earthquake in 1956 and was also redeveloped

again, but the economic prosperity was never improved since then. From

what I’ve learnt, I think a town on an island must be very stable and safe

especially from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis and must

have good planning before these disasters strikes.

HYDRAULIC LIME

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

4. Investigation & Data Collection:

The Future Town

ABOUT THE TOWN

Singapore officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign city-state and island

country in Southeast Asia. It lies off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and is 137

kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. The country's territory consists of the lozenge-

shaped main island, commonly referred to as Singapore Island in English and Pulau

Ujong in Malay, and more than 60 significantly smaller islets. Singapore is separated

from Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north, and

from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to the south. The country is

highly urbanised, and little of the original vegetation remains. The country's territory

has consistently expanded through land reclamation.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION

Since Singapore is a small island with a high population density, the number of

private cars on the road is restricted so as to curb pollution and congestion. Car

buyers must pay for duties one-and-a-half times the vehicle's market value, and bid

for a Singaporean Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which allows the car to run on

the road for a decade. The cost of the Singaporean certificate of entitlement alone

would buy a Porsche Boxster in the United States. Car prices are generally

significantly higher in Singapore than in other English-speaking countries and thus

only one in 10 residents owns a car. As with most Commonwealth countries, vehicles

on the road and people walking on the streets keep to the left.

Furthermore, What made Singapore a significant town is its green concept in

architecture. Singapore is not just the greatest city, but also the greenest city. The

development of Singapore as a Garden City was a vision put forward to integrate

the environment with urban development and soften the effects of a concrete

jungle. Now, there are trees along every road and parks in every estate. And also,

with the aim of creating a continuous ring of greenery, with the three different

gardens wrapping around the Marina Bay area. Called "Gardens by the Bay," the

project will stretch over 54 hectares, approximately the size of 72 soccer fields when

it's completed in 2010, and it will boast enormous super trees that provide the

gardens with shade, shelter and a steady source of rain water as well as a cluster of

green conservatories.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

CONCLUSION – WHAT I’VE LEARNT

Cities are humanity's future. Addressing the challenges that people will face in

hyper-urban environments could not be more important, especially as it is far easier

to implement the right solutions from the start than to fix a flawed system later.

Singapore faced these challenges from the beginning and continues to address

them through urban innovation. Developing world cities can learn from Singapore's

experience and take green challenges seriously.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

5. Investigation & Data Collection:

ANCIENT TOWN

ABOUT THE TOWN

Ponza, Latina, Italy. Ponza was named after Pontius Pilate. The island became

part of the Kingdom of Italy in the mid-19th century and it is now part of the

Republic of Italy. The island's isolation destined it to serve as a penal colony by

various regimes. During the two decades of fascism, Ponza and

nearby Ventotene served as a prison for political opponents of Benito

Mussolini's regime. The Ethiopian emperor Ras Immiru, who was captured by

the Italian Army in 1936, was imprisoned in a house in Santa Maria. Mussolini

himself was imprisoned on the island for several weeks after being overthrown

and arrested in 1943. A few years ago engineers working on an ancient

Roman tunnel that connected the harbour part of Ponza to the

neighborhood of Santa Maria, used explosives to dig a conduit nearby —

they were supposed to use a chisel. The explosive shock shattered and

destroyed this 2,100 year old Roman Gallery Tunnel. The Tunnel that connects

Ponza with Santa Maria is now repaired, but many residents complain that it

does not look like it used to, with steel reinforced concrete in place of Roman

Bricks.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION

Its biggest industry is tourism followed by boatbuilding, boat repair and fishing.

Mining was also huge in improving the town’s economy. The mines

produced Kaolinite medicine and the Bentonite is to manufacture porcelain.

This mine was then closed down because the mining operation was

destroying the wildlife and flora, which are Endangered species.

The island is famed for its Blue Grottoes, which were created by the Etruscans.

A Roman tunnel that connects the town of Ponza to the (now closed) large

sandy beach called Chiaia di Luna on the west side. The island has

many archeological ruins visible everywhere, including Egyptian, Canaanite,

Greek, and Phoenician necropoli ruins in the middle of the island. There

are Etruscan ruins on parts of the island jumbled with Roman ruins. A large

statue called Il Mamozio ("The Mummy") or Il Mitreo, meaning miter or priest's

hat, is a 3,000 year old marble statue and was found in the harbor. Depicting

a local Etrurian consul, it is now displayed in a museum in Napoli behind

protective plastic, where it was reunited with its head. It is the oldest known

Etruscan statue of its kind and extremely rare.

CONCLUSION – WHAT I’VE LEARN

We should preserve the wildlife and also nature to prevent and reduce the

extinction of plants and also animals from becoming an endangered species.

We should conserve land and use it wisely and not being greedy by using the

whole land.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

6. The New “X” Town

SENAIRA

ABOUT THE TOWN

Senaira is an island which an area of 500 hectares. This island is located in the west

of Peninsular Malaysia in between Penang and Langkawi. The grid used in this island

is square grid. The aim of this island is to research about the glowing underwater

forest surrounding this island, To improve this island by tourism which tourist usually

from cold countries would be looking for tropical islands to spend their holidays,

especially in the summer and also to inspire in green architecture and green

concept in an island. Senaira provides a better lifestyle, a greener eco town and a

more sustainable lifestyle.

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION

Senaira is an island with glowing underwater sea filled with lighted coral reefs and

undiscovered gemstones. Unlimited organic and fertile land from

the island itself which creates an overgrowing forest and different species of trees

which were undiscovered especially in Asia. Besides that, there are a few green

approaches which are applied into this island. For example,

1. Conversion of sewage sludge to biogas for transportation fuel

2. Using more solar energy (photovoltaic cell) and wind energy (wind turbines)

3. Green roofs on buildings

4. More passive landscape ( using trees as shades )

5. More trees along walkways

The transportations in this island is by bicycles, double decker public buses, cars and

also by walking. Cars can only be rented within a limited period of time by one

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

person. Cars are also sold but at a very high price. Besides that, bicycles can either

be bought of rented at a cheap price so it’s affordable and to encourage residents

and tourist from renting or buying one to travel around the small island. There will

only be 2-3 double decker buses which brings tourist or also residents to travel only to

hotels and tourist attraction areas. Pedestrian walkways will basically be everywhere

around the island to make sure it is flexible and convenient for the residents and also

tourist to move around town.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

MASTER PLAN

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ZONING

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TRANSPORTATION LINKS

ROAD BICYCLE LANES PEDESTRIAN

WALKWAYS

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

PERSPECTIVES

KAIR YACHT RESORT & CLUB / PARK TOWN HALL & GOVERNMENT AREA

FOREST & MARINE RESEARCH HUB UNDERWATER MARINE RESEARCH HUB

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

KAIR YACHT CLUB KAIR GARDEN DOME

EDUCATION AREA HOTELS

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

7. Conclusion

After all the research I’ve done and discussions I’ve went through, I think urban

planning either in a town or city is very important. It is the greenery that keeps a city

or a town lively and attractive.

Preserving and conserving historical areas, architectures and monuments is also

important to keep it until future uses. And also not forgetting, the sustainability of a

town or a city is the number one to priority in developing a town or city in this

modern era. How do you develop a sustainable city you might ask? A sustainable

city includes esthetic, function and also urban green space. It should benefit to the

environment, the economy and also social in a community.

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

LIEW JIN | 0318449 | MR CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University

8. Reference Links

1) http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/usinglime.html

2) http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/02/26/singapore-living-laboratory-

sustainability

3) http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/none/12-reasons-why-singapore-greenest-

city-914640

4) http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/instant-home

5) http://www.italian-islands.com/html/ponza.html

6) Chen, Y. (). Tropical Urban Heat Islands. : .

7) Wheeler, S. (2004). The sustainable urban development reader. London:

Routledge.