Our cities should adopt ‘8-80’ concept

IN your view, what makes a city great?

I believe there is no quick and easy answer to the above question as different people may have different requirements. One of the best ideas I have come across is the “8-80 Cities” concept, established by the renowned placemaking expert Gil Penalosa.

Simply put, the “8-80 Cities” concept means that the city is livable and safe enough for both an eight-year old and an 80-year old.

If the city is safe enough for both age groups to live in, then it is basically livable and safe for everyone else.

It is a simple yet very powerful concept if we follow through the principles of “8-80 Cities” in planning the future of our capital city, Kuala Lumpur, and other cities in our country.

To adopt the concept, we must make the city safer, more sustainable, and offer a public transport friendly environment for all urbanites.

A great city is a city where people can live safely and move around conveniently. There are roles for both the authorities and the people to play, if we want to make our cities great.

First of all, we must embrace change. This includes the change of mindset and space planning from car invasion to people spaces.

As I have shared in previous articles, expanding our public transportation infrastructure and increasing its usage are important, if our cities are to meet world-class standards.

In my last article, I quoted Penalosa as saying, “The sign of an advanced city is not when the poor have their own cars, but it is when the rich use public transportation.”

In Kuala Lumpur and other major cities, it is getting more challenging for people to move around due to traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.

The money, time and energy spent on the road can be saved if more people use public transport and reduce the usage of private vehicles.

According to a research done by a local automotive website, the total ownership cost of driving a local brand 1.5 litre car for five years is about RM69,153.

This include the instalment interests, petrol, road tax, parking and tolls, maintenance, insurance and depreciation cost.

Based on this calculation, the annual cost of owning a moderate sized car is RM13,830.

If a person can live without a car or a household can do with one less car, imagine the considerable savings that can be achieved for investment and housing.

If only we have a magic wand to swing the money spent on cars to public transportation, it would be perfect for all as we can benefit from the money, time, and energy saved from owning cars and avoiding traffic jams.

As people age, they will not be made poorer due to the high cost of transportation as public transport is more affordable relatively.

In addition to an efficient public transportation system, a great city requires safe pavements for senior citizens and children, generous parks for recreational activities, and a friendly environment that all citizens are comfortable living in.

As every trip begins and ends with walking, authorities need to put more attention in creating safe public spaces and infrastructure, while offering more public transport options.

As citizens, we play a role as guardian angels to keep an eye on our senior citizens and children, to ensure everyone is living safely and happily in the cities.

In the last World Class Sustainable Cities conference in Kuala Lumpur where Penalosa shared the “8-80 Cities” concept, he said the measure of a good place is whether we would feel comfortable with an eight-year-old biking alone to the neighbourhood park, or someone in their 80s walking to the grocery store. 

I share the same view. Once when I was in Tokyo in winter, where it gets dark very early, I was surprised to see children, four or five years old, walking back from school alone in the city in the dark.

I hope this will be the norm in our country one day.

To achieve this, we should begin with the end in mind when we draw future plans for our cities. Learning from “8-80 Cities” concept, if everything we do in our cities is great for an eight-year old and an 80-year old, then it will be great for all people.

Datuk Alan Tong has over 50 years of experience in property development. He is also the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. For feedback, please email [e-mail].