Comparative analysis essay Medan Pasar & Bugis Street

1. THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM
[ARC61303]
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY
LAI TZEXIUAN
0318056
TUTOR MR. PRINCE

2. TABLE OF CONTENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO BUGIS STREET
1.2 INTRODUCTION TO MEDAN PASAR
2.0 ANALYSIS
2.1 COMPARATIVE ESSAY
2.1.1 URBAN FORMS
2.1.2 CONTACT POINTS
3.0 CONCLUSION
4.0 REFERENCES

3. 1.0 INTRODUCTION
This project requires writing a comparative analysis essay of two cities,
Bugis Street and Medan Pasar. The content of the essay is about analysis
comparison of different patterns of human activities, types of contact
points, social and cultural context and different contact intensity levels of
the two cities. The main purpose of this project is to analysis and compare
in terms of the similarities and differencesof Bugis Street and Medan Pasar.

4. 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO BUGIS STREET
Bugis Street view
Bugis Street is an infamous shopping and eatery destination for tourist and
the local people located at within the urban areas of Singapore. Bugis Street
has become a commercial area which provides many public infrastructures
such as bus stations and the underground BugisMRT station. Many modern
shopping malls, restaurants and cafes are built within Bugis Street for
commercial used and most of these places have become a node to the
people. These are the preferred places for the tourist and local people for
leisure activities during their leisure time. Streets and public squares that
are link with public infrastructures and shopping locations tend to form
higher contact intensity within Bugis Street. The contact intensity of these
places or nodestendsto evolve mostly from low to moderateintensity.

5. 1.2 INTRODUCTION TO MEDAN PASAR
Medan Pasar View
Medan Pasar is the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, it is located at the center
city of inner Kuala Lumpur. Medan Pasar is a place which has a history of
roughly a hundred years past and certain colonial style shop houses were
preserved and still in used until today. It is a tourist destination where
tourist can engage with the history and heritage of Kuala Lumpur and also
go for shopping. Medan Pasar is also known as Old Market Square where it
has a huge pubic square along the colonial shop houses for public use. The
public square has form a node in Medan Pasar which people use it as a pass
by intersection point or a place where they stop by and rest. Some of the
famous places of attractions in Medan Pasar such as Central Market,
Kasturi Walk and certain famous local restaurants are also important nodes
to the people. These places are mainly the preferred places for the people
where there are different forms of contact points and the contact intensity
is high.

6. 2.0 INTRODUCTION TO MEDAN PASAR
The comparative analysis of Bugis Street and Medan Pasar are mainly
focusing on the relationship between human activities and outdoor spaces.
The analysis also focuses on how different human activities can form
various interactions and contact levels within the outdoor spaces. Based on
the book "Life Between Buildings" written by Jan Gehl, the book states that
there are three types of outdoor human activities. The participation of
these three types of activities by an individual or groups of people can be
affected by the outdoor physical environment.
The three types of outdoor activities are necessary activities, optional
activities and social activities. Necessary activities refer to daily activities
or activities that are required to participate by a person every day.
Necessary activities are less affected by the outdoor physical environment.
The reason of it is that necessary activities are activities which are very
important and have to be taken place, the participants have no choice.
Necessary activities includes people going to work or school, running
errands, waiting for a person or transport, going to the department store
and so on.
Optional activities refer to activities that are participated based on the
desire of people on specific time and places. Optional activities only take
place under favorable outdoor physical conditions. People tend to prefer a
good weather condition or an inviting place to participate in optional
activities. Therefore, optional activities are highly affected by outdoor
physical conditions or the quality of outdoor space. Optional activities may
include outdoor sports activities, jogging, eating and resting on benches of
the park and more. Wide range of optional activities will occur if the
outdoor quality is high, when weather are favorable and places are inviting
morepeopleto stay, passby, play and so on.
Social activities refer to activities that include the presence of others within
a place public. Social activities are also known as resultant activities as
social activities are nearly the combination of necessary and optional
activities. Social activities include groups of people having conversation in a
park, playing football in a field, picnic at a garden and more. These
activities involve a group of individuals and are taken place in public spaces
under favorableoutdoor conditions.

7. All three activities of necessary optional and social activities involve
contacts of seeing, hearing and conversations among different individuals
of various activities. These forms of contact are categorized into different
contact intensity levels. The various contact intensity levels are rate
accordingly from low to high, from passive contacts, chance contacts,
acquaintances, friendsto close friendships.
Passive contacts refer to the human interaction of simply hearing and
seeing other people or strangers. This is one of the most common
interactions and is the lowest form of contact intensity between individuals.
On the other hand, chance contacts refer to the chances or probability of a
person meeting another person without any appointment made. Chance
contact might have a higher probability to occur at certain public places
that act as nodesor contact points.

8. 2.1 COMPARATIVE ESSAY
2.1.1 URBAN FORMS
BUGIS STREET
Urban linear and Grid Pattern of Bugis Street
Bugis Street was used to be a residential and commercial area to the
Chinese communities during 19th century. Shop houses were built by the
Chinese communities for businesses and commercial use. During those
days, the urban form of the shop houses was built in an unorganized
pattern without proper urban planning. The shop houses were built on
narrow street fronts and were arranged in an irregular pattern which they
were shaped accordingly to market forces.

9. Fortunately, during the 1980's, Bugis Street underwent a major
redevelopment. The urban form of Bugis Street evolved into a more
organized grid pattern although the general layout remains the same.
Straight and linear roads were being built to form the grid and linear
patterns. Street frontages were broader and streets and shop houses were
planned carefully followingthe linear and grid form.
During the 21st century, many shop lots, shopping malls, art museums
were built along Victoria Street of Bugis Street following the urban
planning of grid form pattern. Different commercial buildings such as art
museums, malls and shop lots of different scales causes irregular plot width
of different sizes, although Bugis Street are planned in a grid pattern.
Commercial and residential areas are well planned and divided within the
city. Hence, turning Bugis Street into a modern and organized well planned
city. As a result, the contact points formed along Victoria Street in Bugis
Street appear to be in a linear pattern.

10. MEDAN PASAR
Organic Pattern Urban Planning of Medan Pasar
Medan Pasar was also used to be residential and commercial area built by
the Chinese communities during mid-19th Century almost just like how
Bugis Street was. The house of Yap Ah Loy, founder of Kuala Lumpur used
to be built at the Medan Pasar square. Many Chinese shop houses were
built at Medan Pasar to facilitate business trading activities among the local
communities. Wooden shop houses were built irregularly without any
urban central planning during that time, the shop houses were mix used
buildings of both residential and commercial. During 1884 where the
Selangor Resident, Frank Swettenham urged all buildings to be built using
bricks and tiles, the shop houses were built accordingly towards British
Neoclassical or Baroque style. During the 1920's, development of Medan
Pasar started due to the economic growth of tin mining industry. Certain
old shop houses were demolished or replaced by high rise buildings which
turned Medan Pasar from a residential area to a business trading center.

11. Although the old shop houses were demolished and replaced but most of
them are preserved and use until today. After the independence of Malaysia,
urban development started which changes the urban pattern into a more
organized pattern. The urban form pattern of Medan Pasar might not look
as organized as the grid pattern of Bugis Street. The reason of it is due to
irregular pattern of the old shop houses that were built during the olden
days and were preserved and reused today. This irregular urban pattern
results an organic urban pattern of Medan Pasar. The organic pattern of
Medan Pasar shows that many of the shop houses that were preserved
were built in a uniform scale and proportions within a uniform plot width
size. Although there are certain modern high rise buildings built in Medan
Pasar, but the uniform shop houses shows a contrast pattern with Bugis
Street. Modern buildings of Bugis Street tend to appeared in different scales
and proportions but they are well planned to form an organized
commercial district.

12. 2.1.2 CONTACT POINTS
Contact Points of Bugis Street
Contact Points of Medan Pasar

13. Bugis Street Market
Bugis Street Market located along Victoria Street is one of famous shopping
destination for tourist and the local people. People are attracted into Bugis
Street Market due to the crowd along the street market, the crowded
conditions tends to attract more people to join in. This is known as people
to people attraction which forms an important contact point to the tourist
and local people. Necessary and optional activities mostly took place in
Bugis Street Market. As a result, passive contacts occur frequently within
Bugis Street Market where interactions of seeing and hearing activities of
other people tend to happened more. Bugis Street Market has low contact
intensity due to the pack, crowded and noisy conditions which discourage
social interactions amongpeople.
The diagram shows passive and chance contacts of necessary and optional activities
happening at the stores of Bugis Street Market.
(Light colour indicates low contact intensity, dark colour indicates high contact intensity)

14. Kasturi Walk in Jalan Kasturi at Medan Pasar
Kasturi Walk which is located along Jalan Kasturi is also a famous tourist spot
for shopping. Kasturi Walk is one of the contact points in Medan Pasar where
necessary and optional activities took place the most among people. Both
Kasturi Walk and Bugis Street Market are crowded shopping areas where
people are attracted by the crowded condition. Kasturi Walk has similar forms
of contacts with Bugis Street Market which is passive and chance contacts. In
both Kasturi Walk and Bugis Street, chance contacts occurred between the stall
owners and the people shopping along the streets. For instance, people who
often went shopping at Kasturi Walk, they would encounter with the stall
owners there frequently. This situation forms a chance contact between the two
parties. Kasturi Walk is not only a shopping area to the people but also an
intersection point for the local people and tourist to travel from one place to
another. As similar to Bugis Street Market, Kasturi Walk also has low contact
intensity where there are less social activities among the people.

15. Bugis Junction Mall Entrance
This public area is a crowded area has a moderate contact intensity which
necessary, optional and social activities occurred. Necessary and optional
activities occur more compared to social activities. Necessary activities of
the tourist and local people include waiting for taxi or bus and crossing
over to the opposite road. Optional activities may include people choose to
go into the shopping mall for shopping due to the crowded situation inside
the mall which people attract people. The necessary and optional activities
within this public area result in passive and chance contacts. Passive
contacts are formed dueto necessary activities of the people.
The diagram shows passive and acquaintance contacts that occur at the bus and taxi
station.
Whereby, chance contacts are formed due to daily activities of the people.
For instance, chance contacts formed between the bus drivers and the
people who often take the bus. Acquaintance contact is formed due to daily
activities which people often wait at the bus and taxi waiting area daily or
go to the mall weekly.

16. The diagram illustrates that planter box is a landscape feature which encourages human
interactions due its shaded area.
However, social activities between people might occur due to the shade
provided by trees and elevated steps of the mall entrance. The spatial
quality of the shade and elevated steps might encourage social activities
among the people. Social activities include people gathering around, eating,
and resting to form conversations among each other. This results in a
higher contact intensity of acquaintance and friendscontact.

17. Outdoor Space behind HSBC Bank
The outdoor public space located behind the HSBC building and beside the
River of Life is one of the contact points of Medan Pasar. This public place
has moderate contact intensity due to passive and acquaintance contacts.
The beautiful scenery view of the River of Life and the landmark of the
famous Masjid Jamek mosque make this public place an attraction point to
the people. Many tourists would choose to stop by for photographs,
enjoying the view, resting and eating. On the other hand, many local people
used to pass by this place from the Masjid Jamek LRT station heading to
their work place because it is a more convenient route and a wider space
for walking. Hence, it is a more preferred public space for optional and
necessary activities by the tourist and the local people. There is a higher
chance for passive contacts to occur comparted to acquaintance contacts
within this public space. The reason of it is due to necessary activities occur
more than optional activities in this public space. Necessary activity of
walking pass other people tends to form passive contact of seeing and
hearing others. In addition, the planter box in this public space which
provides shade and sitting areas encourages social activities within people.
The spatial quality of the shade and sitting areas are just as similar to the
mall entrance.. in Bugis Street. Although both of these public areas might
have the same similarities but the outdoor activities of each spaces
happened on differentspecific time zones.

18. Bugis Capitaland Mall Entrance
The entrance of Bugis Capitaland Mall is one of the contact points in Bugis
Street. The main entrance of the mall and the side walkways of the
shopping mall provide a large coverage of shaded areas. Shaded areas
within this public space encourage necessary, optional and social activities
among the people. This public space also acts as an intersection point due
to the location of the mall that is close to public transport hubs which
encourages necessary and optional activities to take place. Necessary and
optional activities of people that pass by this public space or crossing to the
oppositeroad tend to form passive contacts among others.

19. The diagram shows the shaded areas of the mall entrance which attract people and
encourage optional and social activities.
The shaded areas at the mall entrance have the tendency to encourage
social activities. People might gather at the entrance chattering among each
other. High contact intensity of friends and acquaintance contact are
formed by the social and optional activities. People that are gathering,
standing or lingering at the mall entrance might be waiting to meet up with
their friends. Hence, the contact intensity of this public space changes from
a moderate to high contact intensity.

20. Public Square of Medan Pasar which many Foreign Workers like to Gather
The public square of Medan Pasar square is a public space where many
foreign workers gather together and many tourists are waiting for the
traffic light to cross the road. This public space acts as a contact point due
to busy shop lots and the shaded benches that encourages social activities
among the foreign workers. Necessary and social activities mostly occurred
within this public space. Necessary activities include people crossing to the
opposite road and people walking pass the Medan Pasar square. Whereby,
social activities include foreign workers gathering and sitting on the
benches under the shaded area having conversations among friends and
acquaintance.

21. The diagram shows the space quality which affects the necessary and social activities of
people.
Although the contact intensity of this public space also changes from
moderate to high but it has higher contact intensity compared to the mall
entrance of Bugis Street. Social activities tend to occur among the foreign
workerscompared to that of the mall entrance of BugisStreet.

22. 3.0 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, most of the contact points of Bugis Street and Medan Pasar
have similar attributes of necessary, optional and social activities and
contact forms. These contact points of the two cities have more similarities
than differences. Each of the outdoor activities and contact forms occurred
on different time zones and the space quality of each contact points are also
different. This is due to different urban pattern forms of Bugis Street and
Medan Pasar where the contact points are formed in different patterns.
Contact points of Bugis Street appeared to be concentrated along the linear
form of Victoria Street. Whereby, the contact points of Medan Pasar
appeared to be scattered within the buildings. Therefore, different urban
typologies resulton how peoplecirculate within differenturban patterns.
(2679 Words)

23. 4.0 REFERENCE
(n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2017,from
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/cwd/framwk/chapters/05/05.htm
Gehl, J., & Koch, J. (2011). Life betweenbuildings: using publicspace.
Washington, D.C.: Island Press
I. (1996). Elementsof urbantraditions: analyzingforms. Berkeley, CA:
University of Californiaat Berkeley.
Ngesan, M. R. (n.d.). The GreatPlace of Kuala Lumpur : Medan Pasar.
Retrieved November 30, 2017, from
https://www.academia.edu/17329571/The_Great_Place_of_Kuala_Lumpur
_Medan_Pasar