Dynamic Changes of Urban Village Settlement of Kuala

Dynamic Changes of Urban Village Settlement of Kuala Terengganu

I.M. S. Usman, S.S.Low,M.M.Thahir, M.F.Irfan , N.M.Tawil,

Architecture Department, Faculty of Engineering,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

ismar @vlsi.eng.ukm.my

Abstract: - Cities, especially those in the third world countries, were previously villages that were upgraded

and expanded their boundaries to comply with the urban needs. More and more people are moving into the city

and the existing settlement areas within the urban center do not sufficiently able to accommodate them. As

most of the third world countries have their limitations in providing adequate housing facilities for the

immigrants, these newcomers started out to build their own dwellings as one of their basic survival needs.

These slums actually pose as a challenge for the local authority as well as the stake-holders. The “anti-slums”

policy imposed by the local authority maybe one of the way of solving the problem by relocating these

immigrants to new strata-type or low cost housing schemes. As for the stake-holders and developers, these

illegal squatters which inhibit in their privately owned land may act as a gain for their future plans in

developing their properties. Or perhaps these slums may also act as an opportunity for them?

Key-Words: settlements,’anty-slum’ policy,strata type, illegal squatters

1 Dynamic Changes of Urban

Morphology Isomorphic forms that reflect institutional regime in

the built fabric, these occur at Kampung Cina &

Kampung Tanjung. Those kampongs are isomorphic

form since pre-war. Looking closely into one of the

earliest settlements in Kuala Terengganu, Kampung

Cina is in the declining mode in terms of land value

and financial character of the place. During its

formation in pre-war periods, Kampung Cina is well

known for its character as the main and financial

street for Kuala Terengganu, with the erections of on

stilts residential along the waterfront which leads the

economic growth of the city. Besides, it also serves

as the transportation hub which links between city

for migrating and business purposes. From land to

water transports, it boasts the city growth in the later

days. As the city grows bigger, the main character of

the Kampung Cina as the financial street and

transportation hub gradually disappear. This is cause

by the growing of human population and demands

for the city. The financial street shifted to Jalan

Sultan Ismail with better facilities and space for the

city growth. The centralize land transportation

system at Jalan Masjid also serves as the main

transportation hub for the city nowadays. As the

functions of Kampung Cina nowadays gradually

changing, so most of the young generations has

migrate out of Kampung Cina asking for better job

opportunities and facilities in the city. Kampung

Tanjung, also among the earliest settlement in Kuala

Terengganu is the settlement area gazette for royal

family. With the growing of the city, older

generation still living inside while young

generations having moving out for better life.

Kampung Ladang has existing malay settlement

with not much changes during its early days and

now. It is mainly traditionally activities oriented

village where some works as fisherman and

producing traditional handicrafts for living. With the

city grow larger, limited of residential for the

migrants into the city, so the existing phenomena is

tenement blocks and individual dwellings are

divided up again and again with informal

settlements built without proper planning. Kampung

Tiong which is located just beside Kampung Cina,

whose earlier development very much influence by

the functions of Kampung Cina. It serves as the

supporting residential for the earlier financial street

in Kampung Cina. With the growth of the city,

causing the shifting of earlier function of Kampung

Cina, and introduction of Jalan Banggol separating

the urban settlements in Kampung Tiong into two

separated part worsen the conditions of urban

settlements in Kampung Tiong. The pollution and

sanitation problem in Kampung Tiong since it is

erected on wetlands with minimum maintenance of

the existing building making it unhealthy for living

purpose. This ends up with most of the wealthy

residents moving out from Kampung Tiong opting

for better life quality.

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT and LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

ISSN: 1790-5095 274 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0

Fig. 1, Morphology studies of

Kuala Terengganu

Pre-war; Post-war – 1980s


Kuala Terengganu

; Post-war – 1980s

Fig.3, Morphology studies of Kuala

Terengganu

(1980s – 2000s)


Kuala Terengganu

(2000s – Now)


ISSN: 1790-5095 275 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0

Fig. 5; Morphology studies of

activities of Kuala Terengganu

2 The Negative Aspects Of Urban

Village Settlement

City seems do offer a better life. But for many new

comer dwellers with low income, unemployed,

squalor of a squatter camp is uncertain start for

them. Lack of sanitation, unclean water, air

pollution, and poor job prospects are the reality for

millions of people.

2.1 Over Density Problem Over Density is a vital future problem of most major

world cities today. This problem often becomes

more significant in inner cities, for example

Kampung Ladang in Kuala Terengganu, largely

because it is vital for the urban poor to live as near

as possible to source of work. So migrants gravitate

to world city centers and put pressure on any

available accommodation there. Tenement blocks

and individual dwellings are divided up again and

again. Informal settlements built on the urban

periphery far away from any employment are often

the poorest places. Ironically, these crowded

conditions also create close-knit mutual support

networks between villagers.

2.2 Improper Planning of Settlement Most of the residents are lack of adequate services;

with no clean water, sanitation, drainage, or

electricity. This causing the quality of life inside

urban village settlements is in poor condition and

unhealthy. They are often built on areas unfit for

human habitation such as close to rubbish dumps,

steep hillsides, area prone to subsidence of flooding,

or on polluted land.

2.3 The Hidden Problem

The history of urban village settlements is a story of

confrontations; between illegal and legal residents

and governments and urban authorities and private

landlords. Authorities tend to consider illegal

settlements to be unsightly and challenges to the

authority since there are often built on land

earmarked for development. It is important for

continual communication among various party,

because of the intrinsically architecture urban factor

and those residents are the permanent dwelling for

the settlement. So it is reasonable to all citizens

without exception given the opportunity to give a

opinion, aspiration, and expectation. And their vote

if really heard and considered to represent

inspiration source which will never run dry to

concept formulation, policy, plan, and the exact

program.

2.4 Expropriation Development It is the mission for the governments of the city to

eradicate the poor by increase the quality of their

live. Sequence of governmental program to poor

society for example:

• Creating comfortable sentiment to live in their

house.

• Service of clean water and electricity

• Realizing of good life environment

It maybe a problem posed to local authorities, but

they do represent a self-help solution to housing that

can benefit city authorities. Urban village residents

have displayed a great deal of resourcefulness, and

by housing them, provide a low-cost housing option

for illegal resident and upgrading the existence of

traditional urban village. It is now widely accepted

that upgrading settlements is the only way of solving

urban housing and urban settlements problems.

3 Conclusion Urban housing settlement in Kuala Terengganu area

is a good example as a model of urban living

settlement, because basically it implemented a good

influence of traditional concept of settlement that

preserve the identity within the urban and modern

context, community and environment, and a balance

between natural and human made. The upgrading

within its context is necessary in order to maintain

the whole concept of Heritage city for Kuala


ISSN: 1790-5095 276 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0

Terengganu, of course within comfortable living

environment, to be more sustainable and its own

social-cultural context.

References:

[1] Roy, P and Gupta, S.D Ed, Urbanisation and

Slums, International Development Research

Centre and Norwegian Agency for Develoment

Cooperation New Delhi, Har-Anand

Publications,Chirag Delhi,New Delhi,1995.

[2] Gugler,J, The urbanization of The Third

World,Oxford University Press,Walton

Street,Oxford, 1988.

[3] Girardet,H, The Gaia Atlas of Cities-New

Direction for Sustainable uraban living, Chapter

3: The expanding city,sick Cities,sick

World,Gaia Books Ltd,20 High

Street,Strout,1992.

[4] Glos. Wood, L..derline New York, New York:

Wien,1999.

[5] Hall,P and Pfeifer, U, Urban Future 21; Global

Agenda for Twenty-First Century Cities, New

York, NY;E &FN Spoon.,2000


ISSN: 1790-5095 277 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0

Documents

Dynamic Changes of Urban Village Settlement of Kuala