Comparative analysis essay

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM [ARC61303]
PROJECT 2: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY
NAME: CLEMENT CHEN KIT SEONG
ID: 0319574
TUTOR: MR NICHOLAS NG

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 COMPARISIONAND ANALYSIS
2.1 SOCIAL ACTIVITY
2.2 CONTACT POINT TYPE
2.3 CONTACT INTENSITY
2.4 LIFE BETWEENBUILDINGS
3.0 CONCLUSION
4.0 REFERENCES

3. 1.0 Introduction
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a busy textile district located in the heart of Kuala
Lumpur named after Malaysia’s first Agong is renowned for its rich history consisting of
pre-war buildings and different cultural activities such as the night market. Jalan TAR is
known for selling textile, clothing, and fabric goods that are sold in bulk and in affordable
prices together with accessories for fashion and food in the street markets. Today,
many tourists are attracted to this district due to its strategic location located just a few
minutes away from Masjid Jamek LRT station, Dataran Merdeka, and the iconic
Panggung Bandaraya City Theatre. Besides that, narrow alleys between the shops offer
a different kind of street shopping from the night markets during the weekend, providing
a fantastic range of clothing material at bargain prices.
On the other hand, micro site analysis on Colaba, Mumbai was carried out in and
around Apollo Bandar which is located on the southern part of Mumbai, overlooking the
splendid Arabian sea. Settlers for Bombay (known as Mumbai today) have been landing
since Portuguese days and long before. Today, it houses the location of a few
landmarks such as the famed grand archway the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal
Palace Hotel, ultimately attracting the presence of Locals and Tourists alike.
Furthermore, Colaba causeway market, located along the busy Shahid Bhagat Singh
Rd is flooded with street markets selling a wide variety of Indian garments and
accessories at affordable prices, just like Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur.

4. 2.0 Comparisonand Analysis
2.1 Social Activity
Colaba Causeway is a street market that runs along Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd in
southern Mumbai and consists of many different forms of social activity, which are not
just localised to just shopping activities that one may associate with a street market.
This street also consists of food vendors and an old school cinema, Regal cinema at the
entrance of this street, promoting different social activities other than just shopping.
Furthermore, adjacent to the street of Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd is the Strand
Promenade, which provides breath-taking views of the sunset, leading up to the
Gateway of India, a wide-open space which serves as a major node to tourists and
locals who schedule their meet-ups at the famous landmark.
Jalan TAR and its surroundings, by comparison, is mainly a textile district with night
markets happening every weekend and is famous among locals to buy affordable
textile, fashion accessories and street food. Besides that, Coliseum Theatre, a cinema
located along Jalan TAR caters to the local community near Jalan TAR which provide a
different variety of activity other than trade. Tourists and locals who come to this area
largely depend on walking and public transport as Jalan TAR is located just minutes
away from the street, leading up to major nodes such as Dataran Merdeka.
Overall, the social activities that precise Colaba Causeway and Jalan TAR are similar in
contrast. Based on the observations in figure 2.1, shops and vendors in Colaba
Causeway operate their businesses in shop lots similar to figure 2.2 which shows shops
along Jalan TAR. The interactions towards the site is more focused on getting one’s
goal done such as buying textiles, eating and walking around with friends and tourists
visits.

5. Figure 2.1: View of Colaba Causeway in Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd
Figure 2.2: View of Jalan TAR

6. Figure 2.3: Regal Cinema, Colaba
Figure 2.4: Coliseum Theatre, Jalan TAR

7. 2.2 Contact Point Type
Mumbai, is known for its rich history and also for being the most populous city in
India. Therefore, the city relies heavily on Public transport the most due to its density,
conditions of road and traffic. This makes pedestrian crossings and streets less
important due to their conditions and sometimes undetermined street markings.
Instead, the contact points around the city are more destination based, in that the
location of the destination itself becomes the contact point as users are dropped off to
their destination via public transport.
By comparison, Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur relies on pedestrian based contact
points due to its connectivity and convenience of walking to a destination. Zebra
crossings, wide walkways, back alleys, and traffic stops become contact points of the
area due to large amounts of users brought in to the area by their needs. Sidewalks and
shops along the street become more prominent as more people will ‘pass-by’ them
when using the streets to get to their destination. Besides that, in places such as Sogo,
staircases form an unintentional seating for people who await their company and form
passive and chance contact with the passers-by, making pedestrians under a high
priority hierarchy.
As such, the contact point types between Mumbai and Jalan TAR is very
different, mainly due to the types of social activity and mode of transportation that is
implemented by both societies. The usage of public transport in Mumbai can also be
attributed to their climatic conditions and population density whereas in Jalan TAR,
Kuala Lumpur in contrast has a dedicated walkway pavement, zebra crossings, side
alleys and back alleys interconnecting the adjacent and nearby streets makes it ever
more convenient to get around faster.

8. Figure 2.2.1: Jalan TAR
Jalan TAR Contact points are
more scattered, in between
buildings, back alleys, plaza, and
intersections and has more
interaction with the shops and
street markets around it
Figure 2.2.2: Colaba Causeway
Colaba Causeway contact points
are more focused such as in
market places, public
transportation hubs and
intersections

9. Figure 2.2.3: Regal Circle intersection, Mumbai (transport based)
Figure 2.2.4: Jalan TAR intersection (pedestrian based)

10. 2.3 ContactIntensity
Contact intensity is directly correlated to the types of contact points that is present on
the site. Therefore, in Jalan TAR with the contact points being pedestrian based, the
contact intensity is significantly less BUT occurs in many more areas and more
frequently. For example, in a single journey from point A to point B, the pedestrian that
walks from his origin point to his destination would experience a multitude of contact
points as he crosses each street such as from Jalan TAR to Lorong TAR and Jalan
Masjid India.
In comparison, Mumbai contact points is destination based as mentioned before, the
user would experience far less contact intensity based on our Jalan TAR, but the
intensity of the contact point when experienced would be on a greater magnitude. For
example, due to many tourists and locals visiting the famed Gateway of India, many of
them will be dropped off directly at the landmark rather than the streets and
intersections around it, contact intensity would occur at a much higher scale as
everyone converges to meet at the same area.
In conclusion, the contact intensity between Jalan TAR, Kuala Lumpur and Colaba
Causeway, Mumbai can be said as being the polar opposites of each other due to their
nature of their contact point types. This cultural mindset of contact point intensities also
translates to a much larger scale, whereby large malls such as Sogo in Jalan TAR are
popular and abundant in Malaysia where everything is under a roof as compared to
Mumbai where shops are located along the streets outdoors.

11. Figure 2.3.1 Jalan
Tar Contact
Intensity & Points
Figure 2.3.2 Colaba
Contact Intensity &
Points
Sogo
Regal Circle
Colaba Causeway
Gateway of India
Masjid India

12. 2.4 Life Between Buildings
In this study of Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur, the linkage and comparisons of these cities
and their respective points elaborated above is to be linked with Jan Gehl’s work on
“Life Between Buildings” (1987). In this study, two chapters, Chapter 2 and Chapter 4
will be used as explanations and comparisons towards the two cities. Chapter 2,
“Prerequisites for Planning” is written based on the planning and construct of buildings
and facilitate that correlate to the senses of the users, the writer states that the
communication factor that is to be achieved from the cultural and societal makes of the
city as well as the dimensions of not only the confinements, but also the dimensions of
the people in relation to the site, buildings, and context.
As Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur is focused heavily towards walking as their main mode
of transport around the city, the dimensions of the location can be seen to be geared
heavily towards human scale. This is evident throughout the area for example, the
intersection at Sogo which emphasises on human interaction with stairs that act as
seating places for people who are waiting for their company. There is also a human-
determined bus stop along the street, creating an interweaving of human activity.
Besides that, street peddlers set up stalls at these areas with large crowd, selling small
goods to further interact with the pedestrians. Along the street, wide pavements with
seating at the side and barriers that prevent jay-walking enhance the walking
experience beyond the five footways of the shops as seen in figure 2.4.1.
In comparison, Colaba Causeway and its surroundings have no proper pavements and
seating on the street. Therefore, people tend to walk dangerously on the street road
where heavy traffic prevails. This is the result of reliance on vehicles and public
transport to get around. In Chapter 4, or “Spaces for Walking, Places for Staying”, Jan
Gehl (1987) writes on about how spaces for essential human activity is necessary in
relation to the context of the site. It is emphasized that different and distinct locations for
walking, standing, seeing, hearing, and interacting must be present to achieve a sense
of a pleasant place in regard to every respect to the context.

13. With this, Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur consistently shows once again that all these
points are greatly implemented in and around the city. As a result, this creates soft
edges around sites and distinct areas, zones, nodes, and landmarks which create a
pleasant journey for locals and tourists as stated by Jan Gehl repeatedly in his
literature. This in turn, helps to create a sense of belonging in the community such as
the textiles and street community of Jalan TAR. In contrast, Colaba Causeway in
Mumbai implements these spaces with no consideration of another aspect or any
thought to the context as it can be seen throughout the site in figure 2.4.2 that the
spaces for walking, staying, and standing bear no resemblance or correlate to one
another. Thus, this reflects the lack of sense of community and individualist social
behaviour of Mumbai where it is home to some of Asia’s worst slums while being the
wealthiest city in India.
All in all, reading through Jan Gehl’s text, the comparisons of both sites are clear which
reflect the maturity and critical thought that many developed countries possess over
countries that are less developed.

14. Figure 2.4.1: Jalan TAR Street, Kuala Lumpur (people walking on dedicated pavement)
Figure 2.4.2: Colaba Street, Mumbai (people walking on the road)

15. 3.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, the work of Jan Gehl, “Life Between buildings” (1987) proved a point that
has already been found out from the start, in which the contrast in all forms of urbanistic
rules and associations that is seen from Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur. Where our home
Kuala Lumpur is seen as the model city in urban development and human
implementation whereas Mumbai in contrast despite having a higher gross domestic
product (GDP) is seen as a region where it houses the largest and poorest “informal
settlement”, slums, and also being one of the most polluted due to it’s impoverished,
over-populated area. However, with extremely different mindsets, both these systems
have flourished in their respective areas and would not be present today had it just been
implemented for the sake of it. In Mumbai, other than the street marketplaces, slums
nearby are ecosystems buzzing with activity in their community, allowing for the messy
economic and social activities. In Kuala Lumpur, ecosystems are more developed on
larger scale, providing space for other social interactions and activities which are
gauged towards human and pedestrian importance. Besides that, this is why we
humans would learn to adapt and assimilate into a context and bring it to our own in due
time. This, contrary to what should be “right” or “wrong” in the studies of urban planning,
is ultimately what makes the world so interesting and diverse with different cultures
thriving under different conditions sporting different ways of living. That is what a city
should have, reflecting its own identity.
(2055 words)

16. 4.0 References
1. “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space”, Jahn Gehl, (1986)
2. Colaba Causeway. (2017, July 01). Retrieved July 04, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colaba_Causeway
3. Mumbai. (n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2017, from http://www.mapsofindia.com/mumbai/
4. Written by Rosamond Hutt, Formative Content. (n.d.). These are the world's five
biggest slums. Retrieved July 04, 2017, from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/these-are-the-worlds-five-biggest-slums/
5. Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman & Masjid India. (n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2017, from
http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/index.php?r=column%2Fcthree&id=112&place_id=97
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