1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
PROJECT 2: COMPARATIVE ESSAY
NAME: ALAN KOO KA LOK
STUDENT ID: 0318757
TUTOR: MR.NICHOLAS NG
3. 1.0 INTRODUCTION
This paper focus on an in-depth analytical research study on similarities and dissimilarities
based on the patterns of social activities, types of âcontact pointsâ and the varying degrees
of contact intensity between our case study from project 1, Roppongi in Tokyo and our local
site research, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur.
4. 1.1 ROPPONGI, TOKYO
Roppongi is a culturally enriched hub of entertainment, art and retails along with traditional
old Japanese neighbourhood in the Minato district of Tokyo, Japan. The bloom of the
vicinity started since Edo era and housed the Imperial Japanese Army Base until WWII,when
the United States and Allied Government occupied the space and thus introducing foreign
culture in the land of Rising Sun, such as restaurants, bars and clubs. This resulted in a blend
of Western and the authentic Japanese culture, which the influences are still evidently
shown today.
How people interact and enjoy their daily life is deeply connected with the way the city is
being sculpted and presented itself in terms of the sense of place and situation to the
dwellers. In good condition, people spends more time outdoor, having a various activities,
whereas in bad condition, they just hurried away from one destination to another, without
much interaction.
5. 1.2 JALAN TUANKU ABDUL RAHMAN, KUALA LUMPUR
In the past, Chinese migrants move in for the tin trade and it was the first social diffusion
occurs as Chinese takes over the place and Malays move to upstream of the Klang River.
Later in time, due to the traffic congestions caused by people constantly move in and settle
behind the shophouses and population rise, government implemented that a part of the
settlements move back towards the water front (1980s). After replanning, fine urban grain
becomes more distinct and more in-depth experience. Building facades are encouraged
toface river and pathways were built to improve pedestrian flow. This is where the urban
start to grow and develop.
Morphology of Jalan TAR.
Instead of a well organized grid form as Roppongi in Tokyo, the urban grid of Jalan TAR in
Kuala Lumpur is of deformed grid. This is very much related to the history where the
infrastructure development are built along the railway track near the Klang River. These
days, Jalan TAR is famous as a business district, surrounded with many symbolic high rised
office buildings.
6. 2.0 ANALYSIS/ COMPARATIVE ESSAY
Contact points in urban space can be simply described as an area related to multi-
centric municipalities forming as a whole where most people meet, communicate and have
a certain relationship with the spaces. It is where most people concentrate and forming
robustness of the street. In this essay, contact points discussed are mainly the external
space between buildings in a town, having a hierarchy from public, semi-public to private
spaces. Street, in urban design, acts as an important elements that contributes to the vitality
in an urban context. It does not only function as a space where public and social activities
take place, but also acts as a medium of movement that creates interactions among all
groups.
Contact points shown in Roppongi, Tokyo.
In Roppongi, Tokyo, being walkable is one of the aims in urban planning because slower
pace would bring more sensory experience when one passes through a public area where
social activities take place. Not to mention people in Tokyo walks faster in pace compared to
people in Kuala Lumpur although walkability in Tokyo is better. Surrounded with high rised
buildings in Roppongi, the linearity of the street encourage pedestrian movements as it
gives clear direction and ease navigation. Neighbourhoods in Roppongi has smaller and
narrower accessibility for example in Izumo Shrine. By having narrow street, it actually
increase the efficiency of residents getting to the contact points in Tokyo.
7. In Kuala Lumpur, the deformed urban grid is very much related to the history from the
past. The infrastructure development were built along the railway station. Due to the types
of transportation used in the past which are horse and carriage, the street between
buildings are normally very narrow. In addition to the heavy usage of automobile these
days, it results in congestion every day during peak hour, causing air as well as sound
pollution issue in the city.
Linking back to the framework proposed by Jan Gehl in âLife Between Buildings: Using
Public Spaceâ, the outdoor activities can be categorized under necessary activity, optional
activity, and social activity. Necessary activity are carried out on daily basis regardless of
environment changes. In both cities, necessary activities happen when community attend to
school or to work. Public transit station in this case act as a contact point that allow public
interaction at the modest level. Passive contacts that happened among regular passengers
taking public transportation for necessary activities allow low intensity contact which helps
to form other more complex and high intensity contact. This will then give an explanation
on the importance of low intensity contact in an urban space. Passive contact, which could
merely seeing or hearing other people, is the minimal and the primary driving force of life
between buildings.
Here shows a similarity in Tokyo as well as in Kuala Lumpur, on how a necessary activity
act as a point where interaction among community starts. In Roppongi, most of the public
transport stations are located underground due to space efficiency. Necessary activities take
place constantly around the underground station for local and office buildings sprouted
around, thus commuters and workers hurried by daily. Public transport in this case acts as a
transit node that provides chances of contact as people will gather underground station
while waiting for their ride. âPeople attracts peopleâ can then best described when public
starts to gather around the same spot, or even start sitting at some unintendedly
designated seating area because they tend to follow the crowds.
Whereas in Jalan TAR, working and shopping are the necessary activities to be carried
out. The main bus station which is Sogo bus station is located on the T-junction of two paths
of Jalan TAR and Jalan Dang Wangi, this allows user alight and depart at the contact point of
Sogo shopping mall due to its wide setbacks from the road which formed a plaza-liked front
8. with stringers and courses. It spontaneously become prospect point for users to linger and
also slowly becomes a node which is strengthened with the legibility of Sogo shopping mall
as a street land mark. Due to high dependence on public transportation, the constantly
moving public add vitality to the site. Similar to the stations in Roppongi, these contact point
act as an essential prerequisite to the formation of social activity. Letâs imagine a place
where thereâs no necessary activities that contribute to public flows, a desolated transit
station without much users, wouldnât that create a sense of deserted and insecurity and
cause failure in place making?
Moreover, optional activity as oppose to necessary activity are very much depends on
the physical environment in order to maximize the interaction among community. Roppongi
located in Tokyo,Japan has four seasons with annual high temperature of 25 degree celcius
and low temperature of 5 degree celcius. It is actually way colder and has more breeze
compared to Malaysia. Eventhough it is cold in Roppongi, people in Tokyo still feel the city
very walkable without the needs of any shelter at side walk, but with condition of wearing
thicker and more clothes.
One of the example of optional activity identified is the Tullyâs Coffee located by the
roadside of Metropolitan Highway Shibuya Street No.3, it attracts pedestrian who strolls
along the shopping street. It offers social interactions, including meeting people and sharing
experiences which offers opportunity to maintain already established contact. Primary
seatings includes chairs and tables were set up under the awnings at the shop front
overlooking the street, with chairs orientated towards active areas nearby which promotes
prospect view of human activities while providing sense of security at the back. This actually
promote optional and social activites in that area. Although this informal activity is carried
out in the middle of the street, it does not cause much obstruction to the pedestrian due to
the wide pavements specially designed for pedestrian movement. Thus, in a way, it also acts
as a contact point when regular passer-by visits or purchases drinks daily and slowly build up
a relationship with the shop owner or workers.
9. Jalan TAR, Kuala Lumpur located in Southeast Asia just north of the equator,
unfortunately has an annual high temperature of 86âF and annual low temperature of 68âF
(Malaysia World Travel Guide, 2016) which is very warm and results in a reduction of the
walkability in the city. When there are lesser exploration of public in the city, the contact
chance will also decreases. Thus if we were to compare the contact points constributed by
optional activities, the contact points in Jalan TAR will definitely lesser than of Roppongi in
Tokyo. However thereâs still optional activity to be carried out in Jalan TAR. For example, in
the morning, the street is calmer and breezier due to the moderate intensity of sound in
morning working hour as the area primarily consists of textile shops, occasionally blarred
with music and with greens fringing the path. Good thermal comfort formed due to the
shades flanked by the tall shophouses and air ventilation before the sun gets too strong.
In Southeast Asia, retail business are mostly carried out in the ground floor of
shophouses while accommodation space are on the upper level. Five foot walkway in front
of the shophouses function as a trade area and it allows pedestrian movements to be
separated from the busy traffic. In Jalan TAR, the local community often visit the
shophouses to buy some traditional and unique things such as fabrics, textiles, traditional
foods etc. These are the optional activities that occur when the community needs
something that can only be found in that street. The five foot walkway provides a shading
shelter and comfortable physical environment therefore allowing optional activities to be
carried on. The frequent meetings in connection with daily activities thus increase chances
of developing contact with neighbor, as suggested by Jan Gehl. This provide them an
opportunity to maintain an already established relationship and have a high intensity of
contact in the neighbourhoods.
Social activity occurs spontaneously when people meets and interact in a public space.
Gehl mentioned in the text that people like to watch each other, be with the crowd, and
sitting in proximity to others, with comfortable soft boundaries that give comfort and sense
of secure. Other than the necessary activity and optional activity, visiual interaction also
plays an important role to enhance the life between buildings in an urban space. In
Roppongi, some of the buildings with glass façade allow public to perceive the human
activity beyond edge of the building. This kind of design needs to be incorporate with the
physical environment of the city as warmer country will leads to very hot interior with the
use of fully glass as façade. Roppongiâs building contributes to the passive contact and
10. interaction between indoor and outdoor area with glass façade, also constantly having seats
along the street to create social interaction. The complexity and visual richness of a building
façade would also capture attention of the passer-by, leading to passive contact to the
people that stay or linger around the same area.
For example in Fujifilm square, the street fringed by tall highrises which forms an
enclosed perimeter,open towards the street of Gain Higashi Dori, the place offers a sense of
transparent protection while maintaining good connection and accessibility to the
pedestrian and vehicular flow. A variety of primary and secondary seatings offers a diverse
range of preferences for the users. String courses give protection at the back while allowing
user to view the world from a lower standpoint, more intimacy. The activities are a blend of
three, which in Necessary, white collars passby to enter the offices; Optional, pedestrians
stopby occasionally in front of the shopping windows and enjoy a sip of coffee while Social,
people mingles to enjoy the temporary art exhibition at the front piazza.
While in Jalan TAR, social activity occurs mostly in front of shoplots, shopping complex,
junction and apartments. Privatization of public area becomes a fenomenon of how the user
use the public spaces to create their activities. For example, some shopâs owner take chance
to extend their business at the five foot way in front of the shoplots to increase the
sociability with the passerby. Some mobile food stalls were also notable at high pedestrian
density area such as shopping complex, junction and apartments. Backlane being occupied
11. by food trucks and stalls as there is lesser vehicular flow thus high opportunities for
pedestrian to stop. Other than business community, homeless people can also be found
sitting or lying on the five foot ways which are broader and less pedestrian flow where it
affects the movement pattern of the users. This is also one of the social activity happening
within their own group.
As a conclusion, I think that social interaction, perception, and sensory experience are
very important to improve the life between buildings. Contact point in Roppongi is very
much based on the building elements, infrastructure and facilities prepared or designed for
public uses therefore results in dense distribution of the contact points along Tokyo street.
In my point of view, the concept of Jan Gehl is more clearly seen in Jalan TAR as the
formation of crowd are more clearly seen and more effectively contribute in social activities
in the city. Nevertheless, I think that the urban planning in Jalan TAR, Kuala Lumpur should
be more thoughtful in order to enhance the walkability on site in combat to warm climate.
Perhaps when people are exploring and experiencing Jalan TAR in a slower pace, they would
slowly discover the value of the local culture in KL and learn to appreciate this treasure
trove of site even more.
