A NEWS report in a Malay daily (Berita Harian) last Friday clearly proves that Malaysia has fully embraced transit-oriented development (TOD) in a big way. I had then just returned from Kuala Lumpur where I met an old colleague (a town planner) and we had spent some considerable time talking about the same subject.
The report quoted PR1MA chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Mutalib Alias, who said that PR1MA had embarked on several TOD projects in the Klang Valley at various locations — including Cempaka, Pandan Indah, Pandan Jaya, Titiwangsa, Bandar Baru Sentul, Jelatek, Kinrara and Bandar Puteri.
The essential element of all these TODs is their proximity to the place of employment, schools, health services and public transport (such as the Light Rail Transit [LRT] and Mass Rapid Transit [MRT]), thereby enhancing mobility and productivity of the urban population.
