Individual Project

1. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture
Module: Theories of Architecture & Urbanism (ARC61303)
PART 2 : Comparative Essay Analysis
Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong
&
Jalan Mendaling, Kajang
Name : Ong Yi Teng (Crystal)
Student ID : 0326486
Tutor : Ar. Prince Favis Isip
1

2. Contents
2
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Street Background
2.1 Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong
2.2 Jalan Mendaling, Kajang
3.0 Contact Points and Intensity Level Comparative Essay
3.1 Contact Point 1 (Pocket Parks and Open Space beside Xin
Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop)
3.2 Contact Point 2 (Sidewalk and Five Foot Walkway)
3.3 Contact Point 3 (Keung Kee Food Stall and Tong Sin
Kopitiam)
3.4 Contact Point 4 (Street Junctions)
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 References

3. 1.0 Introduction
This part 2 project focuses on a thorough comparative analysis based on the findings from the
case study on Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong and the local site research on Jalan Mendaling,
Kajang. It is pertinent to ascertain the similarities and differences based on the social patterns,
the contact points from these activities and the contact intensity between the above-mentioned
streets in order to fulfill the outcome of this project.
Jan Gehl in his publication of “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space” reiterates the
significance of social activities that take place in the urban context, in how they contribute to
the quality of life in cities. Life between building is where social interaction and perception,
urban recreation and the sensory experience of city life take place. As the author states, “First
Life, then Spaces, then Buildings- the other way around never works”. It comprises the entire
spectrum of human activities in public space- the necessary, the optional and the social types of
behaviour.
Therefore, the following contexts of this project will cover the quality of life of the
abovementioned streets in reference to their social activities, the factors that hinder or enhance
this life and the measures which can be taken to improve life between buildings and the city life
experience.
Nam Cheong Street and Jalan Mendaling are distinctively different on geographical and
cultural aspects. Apart from the differences in cultural influences, the business models involved
are different as well. Nam Cheong Street was an integral part for textiles and manufacturing
industry in the 20th
century. Contrary, Jalan Mendaling comprises of a concoction of business
along the street. There are various shops, offering different services along the street. On this
surface, it could be argued that their social activities are distinct, hence forms a good basis for
comparison.
Therefore, it is wished that the outcome for such comparison is able to enhance the urban
planning in our cities. How can we design the outdoor environment to encourage its use so that
the cities are vibrant and lively? One of the best ways can be by learning from the successful
precedents, thus supporting the purpose of such comparison.
3

4. 2.0 Street Background
2.1 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Sham Shui Po, the district of Nam Cheong Street, populated for at least 2000 years according
to archeological evidence, was one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong. Originally a
coastal settlement before reclamation brought it inland, it was close to the important peninsular
of Tak Kok Tsui with it's Cosmopolitan Dock, now since long gone. The last of the connection
with the sea disappeared in the 1970’s when the Nam Cheong Street nullah was covered over
and today all that remains of it is the wide street which now runs past the open green park.
Nam Cheong Street, named after Mr. Chan Nam Cheong who had bought the existing land,
including this street for development, was one of the earliest streets in Sham Shui Po to
develop. The traders along Nam Cheong Street started to flow as a fire incident in another
location brought in these traders to the existing street.
As of now, the businesses along Nam Cheong street are still dominated by fabric shops, which
the street used to be an integral part for textiles and manufacturing industry in the 20th
century.
Even now, it is one of the best places to find lace and ribbon in all sizes, shapes and colours.
Hence, it could be ascertained that the many residents from the street come from similar
background and thus more or less, have similarities in social activities.
4
Figure 1 : Junction of Nam Cheong Street in the past and present
(Flickr, n.d)

5. 5
1902-3
The British rented a new territory placed right at the northern
part of Jie Xian Street which develop into Sham Shui Po
after many years. Nam Cheong street was an important
settlement at the time as it was mainly comprised of
residential areas. (Min Hua, 2013, p.16)
1924
After land reclamation, the urban layout of Sham Shui Po are
planned well in a grid layout which eases the circulation of
military transportation. Nevertheless, the residents were
distributed into separated public spaces as there is no center
focus point due to this layout. (Min Hua, 2013, p.17)
1990
The urban planning of the northern part of Qin Zhou Street
are large in scale and is mainly used as residential, business
and recreational areas. Highway seperated the new land
reclamation which is reserved as a residential are. (Min Hua,
2013, p.21)
2019
The street is filled with a variety of activities in the present.
One could witness elderlies chatting on the pocket park
bench, rows of local delicacies and also fabric shops loading
of goods at the shop front as well as signages all over the
building facade.
Diagram 1 : Historical timeline and figure ground of Nam Cheong Street showing the
street evolution
(Ong, 2019)

6. 2.2 Jalan Mendaling, Kajang, Malaysia
Jalan Mendaling could not exist without the Temuan and Maindaling communities, who made
agreement with the British during the 1800’s on operating a tin mine in Kajang. Since then,
Kajang started its life with the increasing number of migrants moving in. In the 1900’s, brick
shoplots were constructed along Jalan Mendaling, hence the growth of population of the
Chinese community. At this point, the main sources of income were tin mining and rubber
plantations.
As the result of the success in tin mining, Kajang started to develop, hence the booming of
business along Jalan Mendaling. However, this did not last long until 2000’s, when the
population of Kajang decreased as the community began to move to cities for job opportunities.
Currently, businesses along Jalan Mendaling vary from restaurants, vehicle workshops,
electrical shops, stationery outlets and clinics. According to Lee Kim Sin, the former Kajang
assemblyman, efforts are being made to preserve the last few heritage buildings along Jalan
Mendaling.
However, it is evident that the former glory has faded. It has been made known that only a few
of these shoplots around Jalan Mendaling have been transacted in the past three to five years.
To make matter worse, there are quite a number of unoccupied shoplots in Jalan Mendaling and
future of the street remains pessimistic.
6
Figure 2 : Aerial view of old Kajang town
(Kajang n.d)
Figure 3 : Aerial view of Kajang town currently
(Cover story, n.d)

7. 7
1980’s
A small population of Temuan and Mendaling community
arrived from Rawa, Jawa and Sumatra. Hence, forming an
agreement with the British on opening the first tin mine in
Kajang.
1900’s
Shoplots were constructed in Jalan Mendaling and Jalan
Tukang. Thus, results in the growth of population of Chinese
community .The earliest batch of shops were built. Some of
the buildings were used as horse stables. The main source of
income is tin mining as well as rubber plantations.
1960’s
The population began to increase due to the success on the
tin mining. Development connected to the railway lines in
order to distribute tin mines. The community began to
migrate to the city in order to seek for bigger job
opportunities. Traditional businesses started to fade off
causing the loss of inheritance skills.
2000’s
It is well equipped with a variety modes of public
transportation, for example bus and MRT. The shoplots
project inconsistent arrangement as the shophouses from the
1900’s embedded in between the newly constructed shoplots.
Diagram 2 : Morphology of Kajang showing the development of the town
(Ong, 2019)

8. Contact Points and Intensity Level Comparative Analysis
8
Gehl’s publication of “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space” focuses on the missing
element- life, in the current urban spaces and effective methods to bring it back. Gehl’s
discussions include the variety of activities in the urban context, how such activities affect
the quality of people’s life living in the cities, other considerations that could possibly
degrade or enhance the life and the required actions to improve life between building and the
city life experience.
Under Gehl’s principles, he perceives outdoor life as three distinct moments and activities, of
which one does not correlate with another: necessary activities, optional activities and social
activities. Necessary activities, as the name suggests, cover everyday necessary actions
which are categorised under the functional aspects and are independent from the physical
environment. Optional activities are carried out on a voluntary basis, which are highly
dependant on physical conditions. An undisputed and common example of optional activity
is recreational activity. The conditions of the public space have a direct effect on optional
activities as Gehl cites, the better quality the place has, the more optional activities occur and
the longer the necessary activities last. Consequently, it sparks a series of social activities at
the public space. All such outdoor activities contribute to the formation of Gehl’s contention
of the missing element- a good quality of life.
Diagram 3 : Relationship of the quality of physical environment and outdoor activities
(Gehl, 2011, p.11)

9. 9
To attain the above-mentioned aim, Gehl proposes yet another important element- the need
for contact, which is ascertained through the varying degree of contact intensity and how life
between buildings interact with another. This form of contact is an essential prerequisite for
other more complex interactions and is regarded as a tool for maintaining already established
contacts and a stimulant of urban life.
Diagram 4 : Outline of various contact forms
(Gehl, 2011, p.15)
Nam Cheong Street and Jalan Mendaling both have similar street elements such as
shophouses, walkways and roads which results the street’s basic linear streetscape. Jan
Gehl’s theories emphasize that activity as a mean for contact, both streets have contrasting
activity patterns due to its climatic elements and cultural difference thus creating various
interaction dynamics to develop as a contact point. Therefore, people in both streets respond
differently in social engagement with other people, causing the varying degrees of intensity.

10. 10
Diagram 5 : Contact Points in Nam Cheong Street
(Ong, 2011))
Pocket Parks
Keung Kee Food
Stall
Sidewalk
Street Junction
Diagram 6 : Contact Points in Jalan Mendaling
(Ong, 2011))
Open Plaza
Y Junction
Five foot walkway
Chop Tong Sin
Kopitiam

11. (i) Contact Point 1 - Pocket Parks and Open Space beside Xin
Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop
Under this heading, the contact points for the waiting points of both sites will be compared.
These contact points are the pocket parks in Nam Cheong Street and also the open space
right beside Xin Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop in Jalan Tukang, Kajang. Both of these open
spaces act as nodes where necessary and optional activities occur on a constant basis.
Therefore, it adduces the varying level of social interaction that takes place as there is always a
consistent flow of people.
Visitors of the pocket parks of Nam Cheong Street are not limited to locals, but the tourists as
well. The parks are located in between of the concrete jungles of Nam Cheong Street and each
building is closely located with another, hence the lesser the distance between buildings.
According to Jan Gehl, closely spaced buildings tend to attract more people as it is easy and
inviting to use (Gehl, 2011, p.31). It can clearly be ascertained that both necessary and optional
activities occur in a constant pace. Therefore, it results in social activities as it has been stated
that in nearly all instances, social activities evolve from activities linked to the other two
activity categories, necessary and optional (Gehl, 2011, p.12). The necessary activities that
take place include waiting for taxi and busses and optional activities are observed to be
jogging and cycling as the conditions in pocket parks are favourable for such activities to be
carried out.
It has been observed that the locals along Nam Cheong street tend to utilise the pocket parks as
their personal space. Hence, it evokes a sense of belonging and security. (Bentley, 1985, p.99).
Besides that, the entranceway and steps are strongly ultilised for outdoor stays and an
extensive network of neighbouring contacts were noted (Gehl, 2011, p.35). It enables social
activities such as children playing on sidewalks to exist (Gehl, 2011, p.35). Further, the pocket
parks of Nam Cheong Street are often shared between people to be a resting area or waiting
area before people continue their subsequent journeys. Such occurrence is able to promote an
enhanced relationship between people, which results in high intensity contact between people
frequenting the place.
11Figure 4 : Pocket parks located in between of closely spaced tall buildings.
(Google maps, 2019)

12. 12
Diagram 7 : Visual interactions are formed between the residents and
pedestrians.
(Ong, 2019)
Figure 5 & 6 : People tends to stop by at the pocket parks in Nam Cheong
Street, hence promoting social activities to occur. Chance contact are higher in
the pocket parks too.
(Google maps, 2019)

13. As with the context of Jalan Tukang, Kajang, the open space right beside Xin Kwong Sang
Woh biscuit shop is dominated by locals and foreign workers. The space is located between
two double storey buildings. Although Jan Gehl mentioned that low, closely spaced buildings
are more welcoming for user’s experience, the space within it does not provide good seatings
as the seatings are asserted to be uncomfortable and unshaded. Good places to sit and rest are
very definitely a question of good benches and inviting ones. Not any bench will do (Gehl,
2011, p.158). Further, there is a bus stop strangely located in front of the seatings, which
definitely blocks the view of the people on the seatings. Well-protected seatings with no
obstructed view of its surrounding activities are claimed to be more attractive and welcoming
for people.
Therefore, it can be said that the percentage of optional activities occurring is lower compared
with the pocket parks of Nam Cheong Street. However, necessary activity such as waiting for
bus still occurs on a frequent basis. One of the most relatable reasons for the lower optional
activities in Jalan Tukang, Kajang is the quality of its outdoor space (Gehl, 2011, p.11).
Optional activities take place only when the conditions of a space are favourable, when
weather and place invite them (Gehl, 2011, p.11). It is asserted that the open space beside Xin
Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop in Jalan Tukang, Kajang is mainly used for people for
necessary activities. Hence, optional and social activities seldom occur, which results in the
lower intensity contacts of people within this area.
To conclude, it has been observed that the pocket parks in Nam Cheong Street has higher
contact intensity compared to the open space beside Xin Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop. The
open space beside Xin Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop adapts the culture of “wait and go” and
it is mostly perceived as a transitional space for the users. Contrary, the pocket parks in Nam
Cheong Street is a more favourable positive outdoor space to socialise with people. However,
the intensity of passive contacts such as “seeing and hearing” in the pocket parks in Nam
Cheong Street is lower than the open space beside Xin Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop, even
though the former contains higher degree of social interaction between people.
13
Figure 7 : The benches in the open plaza beside Xin
Kwong Sang Woh does not have a sense of
welcoming. Furthermore, it is unshaded thus there is
lesser amount of people sitting on it.
(Ong, 2019)
Figure 8 : Chance and social contact might occur while
people are waiting for the bus at the bus stop in Jalan
Tukang.
(Ong, 2019)

14. (ii) Contact Point 2 - Sidewalk and Five Foot Walkway
14
Under this heading, the sidewalk of Nam Cheong Street and five foot walkway of Jalan
Mendaling, Kajang are compared. One of the noteworthy similarities between these two
walking paths is both of these contact points are meant to be the primary forms of circulatory
routes, which obtain a clear boundary between the open public space and the shophouses.
Nevertheless, along these walkways, both circulation spaces are improvised into useful spaces,
hence, it merges the spatial perception of public and private space. Both walkways does not
provide seatings opportunity for resting convenience. Thus, they both do not fabricate a rather
welcoming realm.
With regard to Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong, it has a narrow sidewalk of distance about
2000mm. With this, it allows higher chances of passive contact (see and hear) to occur. It tends
to perceive as intimate, warm and personal. Apart from that, residents from the entire
neighbourhood have higher tendency to meet on the sidewalk and utilise it for daily unplanned
activities. Sidewalk permits private towards public space (Ghel, 2011, p.57-58). On the other
hand, Jalan Mendaling also encourage contacts to happen as the close proximity of an
individual personalised passable space whereby the distance between a person to another is
within an arm length. Thus, both streets enhance the formation of contact point in which the
relationship between built form and human scale stimulates passive contacts to occur.
Diagram 8 : Section of sidewalk of Nam Cheong Street. Passive contacts might
occur due to the narrow distance sidewalk.
(Ong, 2019)

15. 15
In addition to that, sense of belonging is strongly evoked as the shop owners personalise the
sidewalk by placing their goods. This can eventually strengthen the sense of belonging and the
feeling of security for the place (Gehl, 2011, p.59). Similarly, along Jalan Mendaling’s five
foot walkway, most of the shop owners exhibits and utilises the space at the five foot walkway
for their business purposes as well, hence creating a sense of place for Kajang town. Not
merely it solves the existing issue of overcrowding, it also acts as an informal introduction to
the particular shop. By implying this path-space relationship on both streets, this can lead to
the increase of more stopping points along the path as it excites the sense of curiosity of the
pedestrians, thus establishing a direct relationship to other people and to the surrounding social
environment (Gehl, 2011, p.28).
Next, both Nam Cheong Street and Jalan Mendaling five foot walkways are influenced by
different kind of climate conditions. Nam Cheong Street experiences four distinguishable
seasons - warm and humid spring, hot and rainy summer, pleasant and sunny autumn, cool and
dry winter while Jalan Mendaling is always rounded in the tropical climate. Weather acts as a
strong external element that results in obvious dissimilarity between the two streets as to the
intensity of contact at street level.
Figure 9 : The shop owner tend to
extend their businesses at the five foot
walkway of Jalan Mendaling, hence
creating a sense of place.
(Ong, 2019)
Figure 10 : The sidewalk is ultised by the shop owner to
exhibits their goods in Nam Cheong Street.
(Google maps, 2019)

16. 16
Jan Gehl mentioned that the chances for outdoor activities as well as social activities are
highly correlated to the quality of outdoor space. Optional activities only take place when the
exterior condition is favourable and when the weather and place invite them (Gehl, 2011, p.
11). Therefore, it is perceived that the activities are dependent on the exterior physical
condition (Gehl, 2011, p. 11). It has been observed that the pedestrians along the five foot
walkway of Jalan Mendaling are more likely to stay and interact with one another, compared
to the conditions in Nam Cheong Street. Despite the hot and humid climate condition of
Kajang city throughout the year, the five foot walkway along the street provides ample
shading for the pedestrian, thus making it more favourable to walk on. In addition, it provides
a sense of safeness towards the traffic, which results in a higher quality of space compared to
Nam Cheong Street.
In Nam Cheong Street, Hong Kong, there is a higher intensity of necessary activities going on
compared to optional activities during certain season. People tend to stop by the walkway of
Nam Cheong Street during cool or cold weather. Whereas during a hot sunny day, only
necessary activities, such as pedestrians walking to work will take place. Optional and social
activities are not likely to occur as the walkway is partially exposed to climatic elements such
as sun and rain. Further, unlike the situation in Jalan Mendaling, Kajang, it is located closely
to the vehicular traffic as there is no external pedestrian walkway beside the existing walkway
itself. Hence, it could be ascertained that there is a greater likelihood for pedestrians to
perform necessary activities and stop by at the five foot walkway of Jalan Mendaling,
potentially establishing a higher intensity of chance contact instead of passive contact.

17. (iii) Contact Point 3 - Keung Kee Food Stall and Chop Tong
Sin Kopitiam
17
Under this heading, contact points in terms of eatery nodes are being compared - Keung Kee
food stall along Nam Cheong Street and Chop Tong Sin Kopitiam in Jalan Mendaling,
Kajang. It is indeed fascinating that the similarities of both streets’ contact points can be
established from the aspect of the food cultures. It is arguably true that local food culture acts
as a representation of sense of place. Therefore, it will eventually attract locals and visitors,
hence creating an identity of place. High intensity of contact point is created as close
relationship of people gathering here, thus producing a constant flow of people gentrifying
these places. Most of the pedestrians tend to be easily attracted into certain space with
established activity as according to Jan Gehl “It is obvious that human activities, being able to
see other people in action, constituted the area’s main attraction.” (Gehl, 2011, p.29). People
and human activity are the greatest object of attention and interests (Gehl, 2011, p.29). People
attracts people.
Both eatery nodes has an existence setback in built form. This allows extension of the dining
space to be placed outdoor. Keung Kee food stall is an old local eatery shop located in Nam
Cheong street, Hong Kong that has more than 50 years of history. It is placed in the corner lot,
hence, it has a notable impact in terms of pedestrian engagement which highly affects the
social pattern of the street. By extending the dining area of the hawker stall outdoor, a high
intensity of people can being attracted by the crowd of people eating there. It is generally true
that people and human activities attract other people (Gehl, 2011, p.23). However, it is
undeniable that there will be drawbacks by extending the dining area of the hawker stall. The
tables and chairs occupied the sidewalk effectively block the pedestrians walkway. Further,
despite the high contact intensity brought by extending the food stall, the contact intensity will
decrease gradually if no extended shading device is provided.
Contrarily, there is no table and chair extended outside the five foot walkway of Chop Tong
Sin Kopitiam. However, it is observed that there to be a high intensity of contacts as the
pedestrians are easily attracted by the crowd of the shop. Further, passer-bys have high
tendency to be tempted by the smell of the food while passing the shop. This is in-line with Jan
Gehl’s opinion that people tend to slow down their pace for the food stall (Gehl, 2011, p.64)
Both eatery nodes strongly enhance the happening of social activity and chance contact. With
more people having meal in a particular shop, the chances of people running into people who
they know of will increase, thus increasing the intensity of contacts. Besides, both Keung Kee
food stall and Chop Tong Sing kopitiam practise the practice of arranging tables close to each
other and sharing tables during peak hours, in order to cater more customers within the shops.
Subsequently, it allows close interactions to occur among customers, hence creating close
contact among people. However, this only applies during certains hours on day time and the
space changes gradually to a low intensity contact area during the night, as the shop closes.

18. 18
Figure 11 : High intensity of contacts occur as a
huge amount of people in Keung Kee food stall
attracts people
(Google maps, 2019)
Diagram 8 : There is a high intensity of contacts occurring in Keung Kee food
stall, Nam Cheong Street as the shading feature is extended outwards.
(Ong, 2019)
Figure 12 : Chop Tong Sin kopitiam is not extended
outwards however, there is still quite an amount of
people visiting there especially during weekends
morning.
(Ong, 2019)

19. (iv) Contact Point 4 - Nam Cheong Street Cross Junction and
Jalan Tukang Y Junction
19
Under this context, the contact points in terms of street junctions are compared. Firstly, it
could be seen that the cross junction of Nam Cheong Street connects pedestrians from
walkway to another walkway. However, there is a pocket park situated in between the 3 lanes
of vehicular street on both sides. Further, the Y junction of Jalan Tukang, Kajang connects
people from walkway to walkway too, but a triangular divisional traffic island is located within
the single lane of vehicular streets on both sides.
There is a bus stop along junctions of both Nam Cheong Street and Jalan Tukang. As a
consequence, the bus stop acts as a pedestrian node especially during peak hours, such as early
morning, lunchtime and after working. In Nam Cheong Street, zebra crossing is provided near
the bus stop along the junction and it effectively promotes the awareness of safety for the
pedestrian. Whilst in Jalan Tukang, the pedestrians are forced to cross the street illegally as
there is no zebra crossing provided. Despite the non-existence of zebra crossing, it is observed
that a large number of pedestrian would still cross the street, with the risk brought by the
vehicular traffic. Hence, this results in a large percentage of necessary activities occuring while
optional activities only stand a smaller percentage. Thus, chance contact has lower tendency to
occur. Contrarily, had the zebra crossing in Nam Cheong Street being removed, it has been
argued that pedestrians will still cross the street if it is necessary. However, it is believed that
the number of visitors will decrease gradually arising from the difficulty of crossing the street.
It will place the pedestrians in a threatening situation, especially for the elderly and young
children. In a nutshell, a pleasant walking experience will cease to exist. To sum up, the
contacts intensity in Nam Cheong Street is certainly higher than it is in Jalan Tukang, Kajang.
Diagram 9 : Pedestrians can cross the 3 lanes road safely due to the existing of
zebra crossing in Nam Cheong Street
(Ong, 2019)

20. 20
According to Jan Gehl, pedestrian traffic is sensitive to pavement and surface conditions
(Gehl, 2011, p.135). In Nam Cheong Street, a variety of street textures can be found easily.
Street textures and signages inform and suggest pedestrians to pause, walk or stop. The zebra
crossing and traffic light in Nam Cheong Street indicates vehicles to slow down and stop, in
allowing the pedestrians to cross the road safely. Besides, tactiles can be found on Nam
Cheong Street. This helps the pedestrians with vision impairments to find their ways safely
through the city streets. Conversely, none of the features mentioned above e.g., zebra
crossing, traffic lights and tactiles could be found along the Y junction of Jalan Tukang,
Kajang. Thus, it is definitely a clear-cut case that Nam Cheong Street has a higher contact
intensity compared to Jalan Tukang, Kajang.
Lastly, pavement of the street acts a pertinent role suggesting the speed of movement of
pedestrians and a variety of street pavements are found in both streets. This encourages the
pedestrians to alter their speed of movement accordingly, which is able to stimulate their
apprehension towards the street views and to pause in front of the shops. However, according
to Jan Gehl, cobblestones, sand, loose gravel, and an uneven ground surface are in most cases
unsuitable for such purposes, especially for those who have walking difficulties (Gehl, 2011,
p.135). It is observed that the walkway along Jalan Tukang consist of mostly uneven surfaces,
loose gravel in stone fragments and potholes on the road surface, thus increasing the danger
for pedestrian to walk on. Thus, contact intensity between people in Jalan Tukang decreases,
hence the presence of social activities becomes lesser. This is made worse by the hot and
humid weather condition of Jalan Tukang, contrary to the Nam Cheong Street’s weather
condition where people has a higher tendency to stop to appreciate the street views.
Figure 13 : It is very hard for pedestrians to cross the street at Jalan Tukang,
Kajang. Zebra crossing and traffic lights are not provided, hence it is dangerous
for the pedestrians to cross the road.
(Google maps, 2019)

21. 4.0 Conclusion
21
Undoubtedly, Nam Cheong Street, Jalan Mendaling and Jalan Tukang clearly shows the idea
that mankind behavior is strongly shaped and affected by the built environment while social
patterns and street cultures are the outcome of how public spaces are designed as were
elaborated before. Through this study, both streets frame similar characteristics whereby both
streetscapes adapted to modernization hence foregoing interactions to occur in between
buildings.
Both streets differ in the experience. Nam Cheong Street provides ample traffic lights and
zebra crossings for the convenience and safety of convenience of the pedestrians, benefiting
locals and tourists. Further, tactiles are easily found along Nam Cheong Street, for the ease of
the pedestrians with visual impairment through their ways on the street. To sum up, Nam
Cheong Street has positive urban qualities, made for the comfort and connectivity for the
pedestrians. All such infrastructures provided along the street lead to a higher intensity of
contacts as it is able to provide a pleasant walking experience for the pedestrians.
Jalan Mendaling and Tukang are short of the above-mentioned facilities for the ease of the
pedestrians. Further, the seatings in the open space beside Xin Kwong Sang Woh biscuit shop
are not favourable and ergonomics for the use of the pedestrians. This is worsen by the bus
stop located in front of the seats, which blocks the view of the seatings. Gehl contents that to
improve the quality of the outdoor environment in an area, it is almost always a good idea to
create more and better opportunities for sitting (Gehl, 2011, p.155). All such defects
contribute to the lesser degree of intensity of contacts. Hence, it is asserted that Jalan
Mendaling and Tukang could learn from Nam Cheong Street with the purpose of improving
life between building and the city life experience.
If there are more inviting spaces in the cities, if routes are designed in such way that people
are able to perceive the streets conditions, optional activities will automatically take place.
Necessary activities such as walking to work will translate to more than merely with the
purpose of reaching their workplaces, and they will more some extra activities to do and
places to explore. In that case, the social interaction will reach at its highest point, thus
increasing the intensity of contacts. In such way, necessary, optional and social activities can
be interwoven in countless ways. As Gehl asserts, “Take good care of the people and the
precious life between the buildings” (Gehl, 2011, p.7).

22. 5.0 References
22
Printed
1. Gehl, J. (2011). Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Washington, DC: ISland
Press
Online
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