Maimunah speaking at the opening of the WCSC 2024 conference.
Mayor says gazetted green spaces in city will no longer be sacrificed for development
KUALA Lumpur’s green lungs are off-limits to development, says its mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
“We are already mapping all the gazetted green lungs and public open spaces to protect these sites from future development.
“With climate change looming large, there is an urgent need to protect these vital areas,” she said, before pledging that no more green spaces in the city would be sacrificed.
Maimunah was speaking during her keynote address at the 15th International Conference on World-Class Sustainable Cities (WCSC 2024) held yesterday.
The mayor added that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would prioritise nature-based solutions to ensure a greener, more resilient future for the city.
At a press conference later, Maimunah clarified that she was referring to green lungs and open spaces that had been gazetted.
In her speech, Maimunah said DBKL’s vision for Kuala Lumpur was to create an economically vibrant, environmentally friendly, inclusive and liveable city.
This is to cater to the city population of 1.98 million people and which is predicted to increase to more than 2.35 million by 2040.
Maimunah said this was being achieved through initiatives that focus on urban regeneration, transit, housing, green spaces, culture and community involvement.
“Urban revitalisation is crucial to Kuala Lumpur’s transformation,” she said.
“This is consistent with one of the goals of the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (KLSP2040), which is to be a sustainable city with integrated development.
“The River of Life initiative, despite present challenges, is a good example of revitalisation efforts to create an attractive waterfront feature for locals and visitors,” she added.
Maimunah said DBKL was also focused on making public spaces secure, accessible and dynamic to foster community interaction.
“The remodelling of Dataran Merdeka has enhanced its appeal as a space for public gathering, with better event facilities,” she said.
“Similarly, pedestrianising selected streets in the city centre has resulted in more locations where people can walk, buy and interact without being hampered by vehicular traffic,” she added.
On the city’s preparedness in tackling natural disasters, Maimunah said City Hall needed to enhance its standard operating procedures on handling natural disasters, particularly in terms of communication.
“When it comes to disasters, we need clear communication on the issue at hand, especially when dealing with the media.
“When the Jalan Masjid India sinkhole incident happened, I received calls every day from the media.
“DBKL needs to have a dedicated team to keep the media informed about what is happening at ground level, because it is crucial that the real message gets through – not misinformation from social media,’’ she said.
WCSC 2024 was organised by Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (Rehda WPKL), Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) and Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM).
This year’s conference, themed “Revitalising Kuala Lumpur through Innovative Urban Regeneration”, brought together renowned local and international experts to explore groundbreaking urban development strategies aimed at enhancing the liveability, sustainability and economic vitality of Kuala Lumpur.
