Theories of Architecture and Urbanism final essay

1. 1
1.0 Introduction
Following the first part of the case study, the second part requires a comparison between the
findings from Nam Cheong Street at Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong and the local site which is Jalan
Mendaling at Kajang, Malaysia. The similarities and differences between the two places play an
important part in how the local communities determine a gathering area and how the areas are
used from a day to day basis. The outdoor activities and how the people move around the areas
are also affected by how the urban context is constructed at their respective streets and cities.
In Jan Gehl’s book, Life Between Buildings, he explains the many factors and variables which
causes change in the community and the activities concentrated in an area or at certain contact
points. These factors are greatly affected by the built environment around certain contact points
and its elements and design. This is mentioned in the section “the extent and character of
outdoor activities are greatly influenced by physical planning” (Gehl, 2011, p.31). The following
essay compares the differences and similarities between Nam Cheong Street in Sham Shui Po,
Hong Kong and Jalan Mendaling at Kajang, Malaysia and how the spaces and built
environments relate and how they intertwine to create contact points and used spaces.
Both Nam Cheong Street and Jalan Mendaling have rich historical backgrounds dating to when
the British were colonizing countries. These incidents have helped shape the current identity of
the respective places with the evolution of modern equipment and how the built environment
has evolved throughout the ages. This analysis will look into how these factors and certain
contact points affect the surroundings and their communities at their respective streets.

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2.0 Street Background
2.1 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po – Hong Kong
In the early 1900’s, Hong Kong fell prey to British colonization and were taken over for a period
of time but was given the gift of modernization during this time. The British started renting
territory on the North side of Hong Kong which later develops into modern day Sham Shui Po.
The Nam Cheong street was an important asset to the British as it was used for residential and
resupply purposes by the British army and administration. It started off in a very disorganized
manner but soon was organized in a grid layout which helped ease the circulation of military
transportation. Sham Shui Po was used mainly as a residential area as well as a business hub
as it was located by the coast which became known for its wet markets and textile shops.
Today, Sham Shui Po is still known for its textiles and markets where it would attract crowds as
well as many locals in the area due to the convenience of things being in walking distance from
each other for the residents which live in the apartments and flats above the shop lots which are
run and managed by the residents.
Nam Cheong street was named after its founder, Mr. Chan Nam Cheong, a prominent
businessman who bought land for development which included the current Nam Cheong street.
Later in the years, Nam Cheong street coined the name “Lace Street” due to the increasing
amount of lace and textile shops opening in the area. In the year 1953, a fire broke out at Shek
Kip Mei which caused many shop owners to move from their original spot to continue with their
business on a daily basis. Years later, businesses were expanding illegally where the one-story
buildings were converted into a two-story building where the upper floor was used as a
residential space which was not allowed at the time. Structural stability soon took a toll on the
residents and the buildings. The people were asked to vacate the buildings as they were
planned to be demolished for reconstruction of the buildings for further use.

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Diagram 1.1 Development of Nam Cheong street through figure grounds (Ong, 2019)
Figure 1.2 Present day Nam Cheong Street in the early hours of the day
(Foo, 2019)
Figure 1.1 Old photos of Nam Cheong street (yp.scmp.com, 2011)

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2.2 Jalan Mendaling, Kajang – Malaysia
Kajang is a place with history dating back to the early 1800’s where the early communities of
Kajang were comprised of tribes such as the Temuan and Mendailing which originated from
Rawa, Jawa and Sumatra which populated the area of early Kajang starting with small
settlements. The British would later stop at Kajang and open tin mines through agreements with
the local tribes and communities, this boosted the resources for the British which they needed
during the colonization era. Chinese immigrants were brought in by Towkay Chin Ah Chan to
work in the mines. These immigrants then went on to build the first batch of brick buildings in the
area which were used for administration and storage. This was the beginning of the widespread
of buildings made of brick throughout Kajang which happened not long after.
The 1900’s were the years where Kajang started to develop into an area which prioritized on
trade and business while also carrying out tin mining and rubber plantations which were the
main source of income at the time. In the mid 1900’s, the success of the tin mining had led to an
increase of population and the construction of railway lines which connected Kajang to various
places to transport the fruits of labour out of Kajang. The local community soon began to
migrate to the city for better job opportunities due to the failing traditional businesses which
were caused by the widespread of tin mining under the Chinese immigrant control.
Modern day Kajang has evolved into a place diverse in businesses, people and buildings. It has
also become a transitional town as it connects multiple places together and is a meeting point
for passerbys which leads to traffic congestions during peak hours of the day. It also has a
variety of public transportations branching out from the railway line from the past. Jalan
Mendaling in Kajang is the most congested street as it is one of the main roads taken to leave
the town. Jalan Mendailing also offers a variety of shops and businesses such as eateries,
textiles, wholesale and workshops which are managed and run by the older generation of the
local community as majority of the younger generations have left to the city for better job
opportunities.

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Diagram 1.2 Development of Kajang through figure ground (Ong, 2011)
Figure 1.3 Early tribes of Kajang (joshuaproject.net, 2011) Figure 1.4 Early Kajang (newera.edu.my, 2010)
Figure 1.5 Kajang in the present day (Wong, 2011)

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3.0 Contact Points
Jan Gehl emphasized heavily on how activities, the community and the built environment greatly
affect each other. He explores on the ideas of changing the setting of a place to suit the
community or pre-planning the area in certain ways to guarantee and audience by built form
alone. There are many factors which can be considered to achieve this goal which Jan Gehl
explains throughout the book, “Life between Buildings”.
In the very beginning of the book, Jan Gehl mentions the 3 types of outdoor activities which
categorizes and differentiates outdoor life and activities (Gehl, 2011, p.9). The first of the
activities are Necessary activities which are compulsory and done on a daily basis such as
taking transport to work, waiting for a bus and running errands. The second would be Optional
activities which only take place if exterior conditions are favorable to the user, encompassing
activities such as standing around, taking in fresh air and sunbathing. The last of the 3 activities
are Social activities which depend on the presence of other people at a certain area which will
allow the engagement of conversation and interaction between parties, these activities are such
as seeing and hearing people as well as conversations between one another.
Both Nam Cheong street and Jalan Mendaling have similar features such as the rich history, the
diversity in businesses and shops within their respective streets as well as the type of local
community in the area which are the older generations. Each street has their own strength and
weaknesses which can be built upon to further improve their effectiveness in communication
between people at areas within the streets and towns. The difference in culture also affects the
activity patterns and interactions between people in a certain contact point, bringing in different
results for each contact point of the different streets.

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Diagram 2.1 Contact points of Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong (Foo, 2019)
Diagram 2.2 Contact points of Jalan Mendaling, Malaysia (Foo, 2019)

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3.1 Contact Point 1 – Open Spaces at Jalan Mendaling (bus stop) & Pocket Parks at Nam
Cheong Street
The open space at the bus stop by Jalan Mendaling and the pocket parks by Nam Cheong
street are contact points which function as transition spaces as well as meeting spaces for
interaction between people. Both are spaces which intersect between circulation paths,
becoming a social node which varies in intensity depending on the amount of people present at
a certain time.
The open space by Jalan Mendaling’s bus stop is small and does not have a large overhead
shade or protection which makes the space exposed to harsh weather. The space however is
ever occupied with people from the early morning until the late evenings as it functions as a
transitional space and a stop for public transportation which covers the necessary activities in
the morning but slowly changes to fulfil the social activity criteria later in the day as people tend
to gather at the bus stop for shade and as a place to rest. People are usually gathered right by
the bus stop as it is the only source of shade, forcing everyone into a confined space within
close distance to one another. The demographic is comprised of mainly the working group in the
morning and the elderly in the later parts of the day which mingle with one another although not
very often.
The pocket parks at Nam Cheong street on the other hand attract more people due to it being
available along the entire street while also having trees and gazebos which shelter people from
the hot and rainy weather as well as an ample amount of seating in the parks. The residents
would come down from their apartments to socialize with one another, supporting Jan Gehl’s
theory that “people are attracted to other people” (Gehl, 2011, p.23) which then becomes a
node as is also used as a spot to wait for public transportation as you have a clear view of the
surroundings from the shaded structure. The pocket park covers all the types of activities such
as waiting for transportation to go to work, jogging for optional activities as the parks are
designed to look like a linear path as well as a place to socialize with others.

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Both sites are important nodes which are used as a place of socialization as well as a
transportation link which transports people in and out of the area. Both sites share a similarity of
having a high density of people and pedestrians which brings a sense of life to the town and
street. The open space at Jalan Mendaling however, could learn from the pocket parks in Hong
Kong where the presence of shading from the weather is a key factor to people to stop by not
just for a moment. The site at Jalan Mendaling has a lot of potential to become an attraction in
Kajang only if it is able to cater for prolonged usage or a higher amount of people rather than
being just a bus stop. The element of visual permeability at the pocket parks would also be a
disconnection between the site and the surrounding buildings. Jalan Mendaling would then
support the notion of “lengthy stay outdoors means lively residential areas and city spaces”
(Gehl, 2011, p.79).
Diagram 2.3 Jalan Mendaling's open space
Figure 2.1 Bus stop at Jalan Mendaling which has become one of the
reasons of activity (Foo, 2011)

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Diagram 2.4 The pocket parks are located between the
roads of Nam Cheong street (Ong, 2019)
Diagram 2.5 Visual permeability
from the park (Ong, 2019)
Figure 2.2 Pocket park (Foo, 2019) Figure 2.3 Pocket Park (Foo, 2019)
Figure 2.4 Pocket park (Foo, 2019) Figure 2.5 Pocket park (Foo, 2019)

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3.2 Sidewalks & Five-foot Walkways
The sidewalks and five-foot walkways of any place represents its circulation and connectivity to
the site’s surroundings. It brings a flow to the area, leading people from one building to another
in a seamless transition from space to space. A comparison is made between the sidewalks and
five-foot walkways along Jalan Mendaling and Nam Cheong street which are the primary
circulatory paths for pedestrians in their respective areas. These elements flow along the
building corridors which also separates the shop lots and buildings from the vehicular road.
Although the main use of the sidewalks and walkways are for pedestrian circulation, it has also
been used for other purposes such as an area to wait, motorcycle parking as well as a place
where goods are displayed in front of shops. The five-foot walkways tend to bleed into the shop
lots, blurring the separation of the shops from the main roads which has led to shop owners
bringing goods to the five-foot walkways to extend their usage of space. This eventually leads to
pedestrians to stop by the shops as the amount of space between the activity and the person
becomes very near.
The sidewalks and five-foot walkways at Jalan Mendaling have been around for a long time and
although still in use, they are not maintained well. The once flat walkways are no longer in good
condition and are of varying heights but are still used as a primary circulation path by
pedestrians. In Kajang, there exists 2 types of sidewalks and walkways, the covered and
uncovered paths where Jalan Mendaling only consists of covered walkways spanning from one
end of the street to the other. The walkability is rough as the varying heights of the walkway
tend to stagger movement if not paid attention to as well as the various types of materials used
for the walkways could cause slipping when raining. The walkways at Jalan Mendaling are also
lined with arches and columns which provides the feeling of a barrier although the walkways are
not fully covered by these arches along the path. The walkways are also covered by the building
which helped in protecting the pedestrians from the hot and rainy weather of Malaysia. They
also lack in physical movement barriers such as fences which currently allows people to cross
the road at any time without there being an obstacle in the way which allows for easier access
for those who travel on foot when the vehicles are at a standstill.

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Next, the sidewalks and five-foot walkways at Nam Cheong street at Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
are similar to those at Jalan Mendaling in Kajang with a few exceptions. The walkways remain
as the primary circulation around the blocks which extend extensively with multiple adjacent
blocks, creating a whole grid layout connected by sidewalks and walkways unlike the circulation
pattern at Kajang which paths are more dynamic in arrangement. Unlike Jalan Mendaling, the
walkways are well maintained and uniform without any breaks along the path. The walkways
have overhead cover just like those at Jalan Mendaling with the difference being that the
walkways of Nam Cheong street have vertical shading as well as signboards which help in
providing a barrier against the weather in Hong Kong which is similar to that of Malaysia. The
sidewalks as well as the empty shop lots along the street are also used as waiting spots for
public transportation such as buses and taxis.
Jan Gehl’s talks about how “life takes place on foot” (Gehl, 2011, p.72) and “the town that is a
street” (Gehl, 2011, p.87). The relationship between the sidewalks and shop lots are an intimate
one where it feels as if the shop lots are bleeding out onto the streets and you feel a pull
towards the shops to look around. This can only be experienced if one takes the initiative to
travel by foot along the street, taking in information about the street as it comes, the
environment and the overall feeling of the place. This becomes one of the biggest things being
lost to vehicular transportation as you lose the opportunity to experience the varying degrees of
culture, style and pull of the surrounding place.

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Figure 2.6 Five-foot walkway at Jalan
Mendaling (Foo, 2019)
Figure 2.7 Five-foot walkways being used by shop owners (Foo, 2019)
Figure 2.6 Sidewalks and vacant shop lot used as waiting area at Nam
Cheong street (Ong, 2019)
Figure 2.8 Additional shade at Nam Cheong
street walkways (Foo, 2019)
Diagram 2.7 Shaded walkway at Nam Cheong street (Ong, 2019)

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3.3 Hong Kong Lat Tong - Jalan Mendaling & Keung Kee Food Stall - Nam Cheong Street
Hong Kong Lat Tong at Jalan Mendaling, Kajang is one of the popular eateries aside from the
typical Kajang satay which is a special delicacy in the area. Along Nam Cheong street lies the
Keung Kee food stall which is a known and famous eatery which is open for long hours to
accommodate large crowds of people. The interesting thing about these 2 eateries is that they
are able to pull crowds into their shop without even facing the main road. These shops are
located in alleyway and a small street respectively and don’t have large building or grand façade
to attract attention but are yet very popular in their respective areas.
The Hong Kong Lat Tong at Jalan Mendaling, Kajang is located in a corner lot building facing
the alleyway which also happens to be the entrance. You would not be able to see the entirety
of the shop and its activity but what you do see is the constant flow of people walking along the
street and turning into this alleyway which brings a sense of curiosity and the need to find out
why which in turn bring in more people. This eatery has is known to a wide network of people as
there are those who come from other countries just to try the food at the stall which makes the
town livelier with the influx of people. This also supports the previous notion of “people are
attracted to other people“ (Gehl, 2011, p.23) which incites curiosity.
The Keung Kee food stall at Nam Cheong street is by the side of a street which utilizes the
sidewalk and five-foot walkway for its stalls as well as providing and overhead shade for the
customer’s comfort. The stall is run by the locals living in the apartments above the shops and
although small, is well known to both locals and foreigners alike. The food stall is an open food
stall which allows the sight and smell of the food to entice the surrounding pedestrians and pull
them to the stall for a meal. They are usually open from early to late hours of the day to cater to
different groups of people while maintaining a steady flow of traffic, attracting the attention of
more people.

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Both of these places have a sense of life and culture to them and you get to experience it as
you walk along the sidewalks and the corridor of the shop lots, engaging in the sense which are
a “necessary prerequisite” (Gehl, 2011, p.63) in understanding forms of communication and
perception. The sense of sight and smell play an important role in this as it attracts the attention
of people and with that, people will begin to attract other people. The role of the senses is also
present in the surrounding areas as the visual attraction of a place is important for first
impressions which are usually lasting and can determine how the area will perform in terms
density of people.
Figure 2.9 Lat Tong eatery at Jalan Mendaling (Foo, 2019) Figure 2.10 Keung Kee eatery at Nam Cheong street (Foo, 2019)
Diagram 2.8 Usage of walkway by Keung Kee eatery (Ong, 2019)

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3.4 Street intersections and crossings of Jalan Mendaling and Nam Cheong street
The street intersection and crossings of Jalan Mendaling and Nam Cheong street are different
in a number of aspects which affect the traffic and walkability in the area while traffic is moving
and when during a standstill. The street intersections are an important aspect of a town as it is
the meeting point of multiple connections from different places, a node in itself, bringing
everything to a single meeting point.
The street intersection and crossing referenced at Jalan Mendaling is the exit by the North side
of the street which connects to the other parts of Kajang. This intersection has moderate human
density and is usually packed with cars which are using Kajang as a transitional town by
passing by. This causes congestion along Jalan Mendaling which is good for the pedestrians as
this enables them to cross to the other side of the road with ease as it is only a 2-lane street.
The intersection itself does not have proper crossings which is dangerous for when for
pedestrians when they cross the roads during times of high vehicular traffic.
Inversely, the street intersections of Nam Cheong street have proper zebra crossings to ensure
the safety and convenience of the pedestrians. The intersection crossing is also much larger
than that of Jalan Mendaling as it is 6 lanes wide while also having a space in between the 6
lanes for the pocket parks. This creates a large distance and gap between either ends of the
street, creating a slight disconnection between the 2 although the pocket parks do cement both
streets together into a larger piece. The human density in by the crossings are high and the
vehicular traffic is low due to the high number of entrances and exits at Nam Cheong street.
Jalan Mendaling’s intersection is aligned with Jan Gehl’s phrase, “slow traffic means lively
cities” (Gehl, 2011, p.77) which is due to the vehicular congestion experienced in the town
although they are yet to implement proper crossings to benefit those who travel on foot. On the
other hand, Nam Cheong street places importance on pedestrian safety as they have allocated
numerous traffic light as well as zebra crossings by the intersections along the street. Jan gehl’s
study of “planning dimensions” (Gehl, 2011, p.31) and “small and large dimensions” (Gehl,
2011, p.69) are applicable to the urban context of the said streets.

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Figure 2.11 Intersection and main exit from Jalan Mendaling (Foo, 2019)
Figure 2.12 Intersection and crossing at Nam Cheong street (Foo, 2019) Diagram 2.9 Dimensions and space

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3.5 Art Installation at Jalan Mendaling and Signages along Nam Cheong Street
Placemaking is an important aspect of a town as it gives an area an identity of its own. Be it a
permanent installation or a temporary one, some would say that a place maker is as important
than a building itself in an urban context as it becomes a landmark for those who are and are
not familiar with a certain area. Signages are as equally as important as they help with
wayfinding which is important for people to get from one place to another.
The place maker found at Jalan Mendaling is a permanent art installation which is supposed to
be a landmark in the area while giving Jalan Mendaling its own character which is the metal
works which was one of the highlights on Kajang in the past with all the workshops and tin
mining which have now disappeared and come to pass. It is located by the Kajang heritage
building which aims to remind locals and visitors about the Kajang’s past and how it has
developed to what it is now. This bright red art installation contrasts the dull faded colours of old
Kajang, attracting attention from passerbys and onlookers.
The signages by Nam Cheong street are permanently installed however are scattered all over
the streets, appearing by the corridors as well as hanging off the building’s façade. These
signages have grown to be a part of Hong Kong’s identity which is now widely known around
the world. The signages like at Jalan Mendaling help with wayfinding for those unfamiliar with
the place but in recent days have before less helpful than they were before due to the
overwhelming number of signages being added. This will cause visual clutter if the addition of
signages continues to go uncontrolled and will one day lose its original purpose of wayfinding.
Figure 2.13 Art installation at Jalan Mendaling (Kejang
Heritage Centre, 2018)
Figure 2.14 Signages at Nam Cheong street (Foo, 2019)

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4.0 Conclusion
To conclude this comparative analysis essay, Jalan Mendaling at Kajang, Malaysia and Nam
Cheong street at Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong has had their characteristics and identity shaped
and developed by the changing built environments. Social patterns, human interactions,
circulation have all been greatly affected by this and has changed throughout the years. Both
streets have their differences with one another either being a weakness or a strength but there
is still potential to improve their urban context through the built environments as they can learn
from each other and share the benefits of their strengths while turning away the weaknesses.
This would attract more people to the sites to increase and improve the social interactions
between people which is losing its way in the modern era of technology.

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5.0 References
Khoo, E. (2018, December 11). Cover Story: Preserving the old while embracing the new. Retrieved from
https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/cover-story-preserving-old-while-embracing-new
MOhd Nasir Abdul Rashid. (2016, April 16). Kajang Town. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from
http://kajangtown.blogspot.com/2008/04/kajang-town.html
Ng, C. (2014, February 18). Kajang: What makes it famous? Retrieved June 26, 2019, from
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/kajang-what-makes-it-famous-30296
Yip Yoke Teng Low Lay Phon. (2015, October 17). Digging up on a bygone era. Retrieved from
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/focus/2015/03/31/digging-up-on-a-bygone-era-students-and-
volunteers-eager-to-preserve-kajangs-history-and-heritage/
Huluhk.org. (2019). HULU Culture - HAD. [online] Available at:
http://www.huluhk.org/SSP/heritage.php?lang=en&id=ssph [Accessed 2 May 2019].
Project-see.net. (2019). [online] Available at: http://project-see.net/wp-content/uploads/ssp2010_004.pdf
[Accessed 2 May 2019].
Gehl, J, & Koch, J. (2011) Life between buildings: Using public space. Washington, DC:Island Press.

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School or Architecture, Building and Design
Theories of Architecture and Urbanism (ARC 61303)
Part 2: Comparative Analysis Essay
Jalan Mendaling, Kajang, Malaysia/
Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Foo Ming-Wei, Fabien
0327869
Mr. Prince Favis Isip

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Table of Contents
1.0Introduction 1
2.0Street background
2.1Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po - Hong Kong 2
2.2Jalan Mendaling, Kajang – Malaysia 4
3.0Contact Points 6
3.1Open Spaces at Jalan Mendaling (bus stop) & Pocket Parks at
Nam Cheong Street 8
3.2Sidewalks & Five-foot Walkways 10
3.3Hong Kong Lat Tong - Jalan Mendaling & Keung Kee Food Stall –
Nam Cheong Street 14
3.4Street intersections and crossings of Jalan Mendaling and Nam
Cheong street 16
3.5Art Installation at Jalan Mendaling and Signages along Nam Cheong
Street 18
4.0Conclusion 19
5.0 References 20