URBAN AREALOW YAT PLAZA

INTRODUCTION TO URBAN AREA IN MALAYSIA

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations. Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization.

An urban area is the region that surrounding a city. Most inhabitants of urban areas have nonagricultural jobs. Urban areas are very developed, meaning there is a density of human structures such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways.

One type of urban area is a town. A town is generally larger than a village, but smaller than a city. Some geographers further define a town as having 2,500 to 25,000 residents.

Urban areas in Malaysia are usually laid out in a grid or radial pattern. Either street is laid in right angles to each other forming a grid, or the streets run toward the centre of the city and meet at a central point. The population in Malaysia is concentrated largely in urban areas.

KLCC is a part of urban area.

Map of Low Yat Plaza

Satellite view of Low Yat Plaza

INTRODUCTION TO JALAN BUKIT BINTANG

On the 17th of October 2013, we went to Low Yat Plaza, Bukit Bintang to do research on urban area context. Bukit Bintang, stylized as Bintang Walk or Starhill is the name of shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang and its immediate surrounding areas. The area has long been Kuala Lumpur’s landmark shopping centres, swanky bars, night markets, as well as hawker-type eateries. This area is popular among tourists and locals, especially for the young.

Bukit Bintang nestled within Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle, the Bukit Bintang district begin with Jalan Bukit Bintang which starts at Jalan Raja Chulan and ends at Pudu Road. The two other road that border the Bukit Bintang district of Jalan Sultan Ismail which interests it and Imbi Road at the south. These are the roads that are considered part of the entertainment district.

1. Jalan Walter Grenier2. Jalan Bulan3. Changkat Bukit Bintang4. Jalan Alor

Bukit Bintang is one of the city’s shopping districts. Many of the city’s major retail malls are located in this area, including Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Imbi Plaza, Fahrenheit 88, Low Yat Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10 and Pavilion KL.

Plaza Low Yat, is a shopping centre specializing in electronics and IT products in Malaysia. In year 2009, Plaza Low Yat was named “Malaysia Largest IT Lifestyle Mall” by the Malaysia Books of Records.

In terms of the access by road, Bukit Bintang may owe its responsibility high accessibility to its status as a popular destination among locals and tourists. There are three driving directions from Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus to Low Yat Plaza, we took the highly suggested routes that is by using Lebuhraya Shah Alam and Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya. It’s 21.5 kilometers away from campus and it took about 22 minutes to reach there. Besides that, the other two routes are by using Lebuhraya Pantai Baru and Lebuhraya Smart, and Lebuhraya Persekutuan. The time needed is approximately about 25 minutes to 30 minutes.

Other than that, we can take Klang Valley Integrated Rail System monorail line too. The monorail line is from Titiwangsa along to Chow Kit, Medan Tuanku, Bukit Nanas, Raja Chulan, Bukit Bintang, Imbi, Maharajalela and Tun Sambanthan. We can walk from Bukit Bintang station to Low Yat Plaza within five minutes. It’s only 350 meters away from the monorail station.

View of Low Yat Plaza from the outside.

The inside view of Low Yat Plaza from the top floor.

Buildings

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Front view of Pavilion.

At the heart of the trendy Bukit Bintang district lies the perfect reason to indulge in fashion, food and urban leisure. Pavilion is 1.37 mil sq ft retail haven with 500 outlets offering the finest fashion and home furnishing to entertainment and culinary delights. Let the endless appeal of Malaysia’s premier shopping destination awaken your senses the moment you arrive at its doorstep.

Witness the Pavilion Crystal Fountain, a new national landmark. It is the Tallest Liuli Crystal Fountain in Malaysia endorsed by The Malaysia Book of Records. Another first in Malaysia is Pavilion KL’s seven distinguished shopping precincts and a row of street-front duplexes housing flagship boutiques from the world over.

Pavilion provide services like concierge, dining concierge and valet services. The transportation here is very convenient too. There are few ways to get here, we can take by KL Monorail train, Rapid KL bus, taxi and car.

Sungei Wang Plaza

A view from outside Sungei Wang Plaza.

Sungei Wang Plaza is internationally known as “The River of Gold”. Sungei Wang Plaza offers visitors more than 800 retail outlets in one shopping haven complete with ample parking spaces, functional facilities and accessible public transportations.

Sungei Wang Plaza, being 36 years old, it still remain a 100%-occupancy mall with the highest visiting traffic in Malaysia, though visitors more towards the young crowd. It features mainly trend Asian-inspired fast-retailed fashion at bargain places.

It’s a place where a lot of artist or singer that came from overseas organizes their autograph session here. This is one of the main reason why the population in Sungei Wang Plaza remain high all the time.

Sungei Wang Plaza is just located beside Low Yat Plaza. So, it is very convenient that we just have to walk within three minutes from Low Yat Plaza to reach Sungei Wang Plaza.

Berjaya Times Square

View of Berjaya Times Square.

Berjaya Times Square is a 48-storey, 203 meters (666 ft) twin tower, hotel, condominium, indoor amusement park and shopping centre complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The development is currently the eighth largest building in the world. This building consists of shopping mall, business office and leisure centre with 1000 retail shops, 1200 luxury services suites, 65 food outlets and entertainment attractions such as Berjaya Times Square Theme Park and GSC MAXX 2D & 3D theatre.

From Low Yat Plaza to Berjaya Times Square, it’s just 1,400 meters away and it will just take you 5 minutes by driving car.

Transportation network

Light rail transit (LRT)

Photo of light rail transit (LRT).

Light rail transit (LRT) station can be found near Low Yat Plaza. Light rail transit is typically an urban form of public transport using steel-tracked fixed guide ways that operate primarily along exclusive rights of way and have vehicles capable of operating as a single train or as multiple units coupled together.

RapidKL Rail is a public rail network operated by RapidKL in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The RapidKL Rail network contains two Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines, comprising the Ampang and Kelana Jaya Lines, and the KL Monorail.

Light rail transit routes

An image of light rail transit routes from RapidKL.

Bus

RapidKL bus

A RapidKL bus goes around the city.

RapidKL bus is the largest bus operator in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. As of 2011, it operates 167 routes with 1,400 buses covering 980 residential areas with a ridership of about 400,000 per day.

RapidKL is however not the only bus operator in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. Other buses operators such as Metrobus, Len Seng Omnibus Co Ltd. and Selangor Omnibus Co. Ltd also serve the Klang Valley.

There are a lot of bus stations that we can find around the city. There will be one bus coming in 20 to 30 minutes. It’s very convenient to the user of RapidKL bus and using more public transportation helps to save the environment too.

Types of infrastructure

Public telephone booth

Public telephone booth nearby Low Yat Plaza.

Public telephone booth can be found just outside Low Yat Plaza. The user of the telephone booth pays for the call by inserting coins into a slot on the telephone. With some telephones the deposit is made before making the call, and the coins are returned if the call attempt is unsuccessful (busy, no answer, etc.).

Calls may be paid for by entering a payment code on the telephone’s keypad, by using a telephone card. All payphones require

dial-tone services, allowing coinless access to the emergency telephone number such as 999 to the police station.

Fire hose

A fire hose outside Low Yat Plaza.

There is a fire hose outside Low Yat Plaza. A fire hose is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. Fire hose is usually manufactured in a plant that specializes in providing hose products to municipal, industrial, and forestry fire departments.

Fire hose is water supply service that is need by our Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia. Our bomba team uses it when there is a fire.

Flora and Fauna

Photo of flora outside Low Yat Plaza.

This plant is just right outside of Low Yat Plaza. It softens out the hard landscape by giving its greenery.

Trees are planted everywhere around the city.

Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) who is in charge of taking care of all the trees and plants in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Type of space

A wall full of art near Low Yat Plaza.

The paint on the wall shows a dynamic effect and the same time gives a dynamic feel to the viewer. Besides that, the contrast of the colour gives the viewer a pleasant feeling.