NST Leader: KL moves to protect green spaces amid development pressure
IN absorbing developmental pressure for more office, commercial and housing projects to meet surging demand, Kuala Lumpur is determined to prevent remaining land holdings from being transformed into a dreaded concrete jungle.
Kuala Lumpur is striving to preserve its remaining green spaces amidst a surge in development. The capital city aims to keep its 470 hectares of officially designated green areas, equivalent to 655 football fields, from being transformed into concrete jungles. This includes parks, reserved forests, and urban landscape trees. Recently, nine additional open spaces totaling 5.15 hectares were gazetted last month, and City Hall plans to reserve 49 hectares for new recreational spaces and parks.
Minister Hannah Yeoh emphasized the ultimate goal of gazetting and protecting every valuable open and green space. The process of gazetting makes it nearly impossible for these areas to be arbitrarily converted into commercial or residential developments. However, the challenge remains to prevent pressure from urban development on these protected spaces. Despite gazetting, policies and demands for commercial facilities can still threaten these areas.
The City Hall is committed to effective monitoring and enforcement against encroachment, illegal activities, and erosion of intended use. Greater transparency is crucial, and residents are encouraged to use the MyHijau portal for monitoring protected green lots. Public awareness and accessible reporting mechanisms are equally vital, with regular updates on the status of protected open spaces and permitted uses.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
