This is the old man's grievances that I intend to reply to. This is perfectly understandable, coming from the man who mooted the idea and forge ahead without much hesitation. can't do it now. time definitely not a luxury. Anyway, just to get you informed earlier. gtg, for now.
PUTRAJAYA
1. Putrajaya, dedicated to Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra is a city built on a greenfield site.
( i concur, the city is built on a greenfield site i.e if you consider large privately owned estates of rubber and oil palm plantation greenfiled(main land uses). I think part of it is also a secondary forest (percentage wise i don't know). A green field type development has its advantages, one, least diplacement of existing human communities. The plantation workers were in deed displaced but they were given compensation. Thus least resistance in the initial stage of the development process. Sources quoted the reasons for the movement of administrative function of KL to Putrajaya is to reduce the already overstretched infrastructure of the city, thus relieving KL to perform its true function as the capital city with full business and financial capacity. (somehow, I don't really see this as the case, almost all the government machinery (except 4 whose building has already been built, MinDef, MITI, Min of works and one more) has in the process of moving to Putrajaya, but KL to me is still congested). Another reason is the lack of spatial capacity of KL to cater for the ever increasing demand, (i mean ever increasing, still expanding and seems to never stop civil service sector) for government office space).
I think with the splitting of ministerial functions of the present goverment is going to create similar problem to Putrajaya. The ad hoc decision by the present government to do so has repercussions over the initial plan of the city. just wait and see. new ministers of split minitries has their own egos do in most of the time acted according to their whims and fancies and this has impacted the space planning of government office space.)
2. It has attracted a lot of visitors, both local and foreign. Many countries have studied the development of Putrajaya when they are planning their new administrative capital.
(i concur with this. many has come to Putrajaya, one to see the oftenly quoted instant still soul-searching city with is grandios. I know some proffessor of a local university are so against the so call lack of human scale development of Putrajaya and even coined the term "putrajayanizing" in quoting the the raping/gutting out of interior of the house of parliament, rendering it totally void of it's originally architectural intent. Blame it on Nazri.
Visitors from Korea (officials) came to Putrajaya almost ever month, each time batches of different professionals, builders and civil servant of different interest. You know that Korea is in the midst of planning/constructing their new administrative city, called the Sejong or the city of hapiness ('Se' means world, 'jong' means the head). I guess the name of Putrajaya its self is very auspicious in a way, 'putra' means prince, denoting the fountain of youth and regality (is there such a word) and the importance of the monarchical system still ever present in the everyday lives of Malaysian, particularly the malays, and 'jaya' means success , denoting an aspiration, a target point, a symbol of posterity, to be a sustainable city. Astana, the administrative capital of Kazakhstan is believed to be modelled on Putrajaya as the president of kazakhstan to be an avid admirer of Tun Mahathir. Back to the Koreans, I think their coming to Putrajaya, apart from learning the so called success story of the city's development, also came to learn of our mistakes, the no-no-of-doing-things. With this i believe, Sejong will definitely be a better city. I think you know what i mean with the Koreans and the Japanese, they gather knowledge, they learn and relearn and they come out with things unimaginable before. On the surface comparative study between Sejong and Putrajaya indicates similarity in approaches and planning, but i bet the Koreans will excel better. (gtg now, continue later) 16/10/2008
3. Malaysians are divided in their opinions of this artificially developed city. Some think it is a mega project which costs too much. Some seem to like it.
(This too i concur to a certain extent and beg to differ in a certain extent. Since it's in auguration in August 1995, Putrajaya is a city in deep meditation, soul searching, trying hard to find it's sense of purpose and existence. It is alleged that the some 20 billion were allocated and half of the the sum has already been exhausted. a mega project it is in deed. A mega project that if not forged ahead by Tun Mahathir's iron fisted arms ( a bit of an exageration here), some claim, might have led to the collapsed of the construction industry during the 1997 economic downturn. In a way this is true, local architects, professionals and constructors were involved in the culmination of blood and sweat to ensure the city gets developed to the true ideas envisaged by Tun Mahathir.
I remembered seeing a photocopy of some personal letter written by Tun describing his extensive journey around the world's cities, quoted water elements to be part of the essence of the new city, with boulevard forming the spine of the city. I think he has special attachment with regards to frogs, always refering to paris, the city of lights and i remembered correctly, ho chi minh city of a former french colony as best of examples. don't know how this is true, the sucking-up architect who designed the Prime Minister Office, even design the building in some french influenced architecture adapted with laurels of hibiscus instead of Fleur de Lis adorning its elongated french window. I don't really facy that building particularly the green domes. I dont really fancy buildings of imitations, or 'wannabe' buildings, whose columns are not actually columns made of blocks of granites or marble but merely columns of concrete facadically attached with thin pieces of of imported granite/marble to deceive the eye and create a sense of faux grandiose. I am sucker for buildings like the Sir Richard Rogers, Lloyds building in London and anything Zaha Hadid. But i digress.
I like the city because it is bold in its attempt in following through with true principles of city planning. I know that we picked up bits and pieces from all over, since I don't think historically with were left with any solid example concerning urban development, the ones that we dug up will either be dutch or portuguese of of english origin. To develop a city based on a kampung concept, may not be the best of options, although concepts like neighbourhood concept, fenceless communities are all embeded in the kampung lifestyle, maybe be altruistically applied in the development. A city must be structured with a true sense of intent and purpose. Only then its mere existence justified.
I do believe that Putrajaya has been examplary in many ways, urban planning wise, streets are ensured to be lined with pedestrian and cycleways, residential precincts are complemented with neighbourhood facilities and amenities linked within walking distance to a web of greenways and parks. being a resident, i have faith in the city although still in its mere infancy. It is the people that make the city, the urban fabric is just a containment of how the city grows. In fact Putrajaya is not only to be enjoyed by the lucky few who is fortunate enough to own properties here, people living within the vicinity of Putrajaya, like Pinggiran Putra identify or probably told their relatives, they own a house in Putrajaya, Precinct 16, near Alamanda. (This is true, I heard this during raya, when a relative asked me where is my house in Putrajaya.) The 400 hectares lake was not only enjoyed by people living in Klang Valley, infact by Iranian olymipic canoists, as training ground for international competition , during the long icy winter time of their own country, where lakes are solid frozen. The lakes and the wetlands (200 hectares in size) has been where flora and fauna (kelah and other exotic species apparently survives) thrives, not to sound too cliche, and sounding like my previous boss, "bringing opportunity to be living close to nature".
Another good example of Putrajaya that is a showcase when compared to others is in its provision for the physically challenged. It made me really proud when an architecture professor confesses the reason for her family to decide to move to Putrajaya is the fact that it caters for the wheelchair bound. Apparently her husband is one and at the present time happily being mobile in Putrajaya.
Another bold move is to provide for non private transport movement from the initial planning stage. A ratio of 70 to 30 percent public to private transport, although may seem seriously unattainable and imaginable in a car producing country like Malaysia, was set as a critical planning parameter where the use of land, it's intensity of use, it's road network and parking provision (This i intend to dwell more upon later) revolves around.
This is a critical point to note, especially by PTD officers and rather quick tempered KSN who make decisions based on their, pity to say 'spur of the moment', may be more appriopriately, based on their whims and fancies. Yes, cars are a necessity and parking spaces must be allocated for to that end, but surely, in your so forsaken mind, do not serously think that that is the only way forward. By giving ways to demands of more parking spaces has repercussions, like a viscious cycle. If this to continue, what is planned for will be down the drain in spilit seconds. I am leading to this if this is not too obvious, secure a budget for the mass rapid transit system, currently in a form of a monorail system. (don't favour this system that much, but you have to live with it.) But I guess the proposed link of the present Putraline from Puchong can be extended to Putrajaya and with a bit of modification to the already made mistakes to go ahead with the monorail , (yes, a lake crossing bridge has long been completed and an integrated bus-ERL-taxi-Park & ride, and monorail station, Putrajaya Sentral. (strange to call this central since its really not centrally located, should have stick with Putrajaya western transport terminal since its in the western part of Putrajaya plus it was meant to cater to Cyberjaya too.) The extension of the present line to Putrajaya maybe a more viable proposal as compared to sticking monorail just within the city's internal usage.
4. I was still Prime Minister when work on Putrajaya began. I saw the completion of the Prime Minister's complex, the mosque and a part of the buildings lining the boulevard (not to be called boulevard now).
(Yes, Sir (Tun) ex prime minister, I do not mean to be disrespectful, but you are lamenting. The prime minister's office ( which is called Perdana Putra ( Another one of my favourite peeve: naming everything with putra or jaya or perdana. Kind of redundant, just ponder upon this sentence "Bangunan Putra Perdana, which houses the Office of the Perdana Menteri was located on Persiaran Perdana (luckily this was changed to, although a bit of a mouthful to, Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah), next to Taman Putra Perdana, Putrajaya was developed by Putrajaya Holdings, and it's JV partner, Putra Perdana" Putra Perdana? Perdana Putra, Perdana Menteri, Putrajaya, sheesh, bugger hell, f**k "Putra" and "Perdana".) And the mosque were completed first, in time for your moving here. The boulevard, was then under construction and it was meant to be flanked with majestic government institution and thriving commercial development. Yes, it is now called Persiaran Perdana just as the one in Paris is called the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Boulevard is just a generic term as Wikipedia puts it "a type of road, a boulevard (often abbreviated Blvd) is usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the center, and "roads" along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery. So just get over it, it now has a proper name, Persiaran Perdana.)
5. I had noticed that the impressive boulevard was to be lined with Government buildings. I had spoken to (the late) Tan Sri Azizan Zainal Abidin, then Chairman of Petronas, the agency chosen to build Putrajaya, remarking the boulevard has only imposing Government Ministries lining it.
(Yes, the Persiaran Perdana is planned and will be constructed on both of its sides with imposing government buildings at various interval of its 4.2 kilometer length. Almost all of these are currently constructed, to be occupied by various ministries and government agencies by 2010. This final migration marks the end of the operation of the federal government's machinery in Kuala Lumpur, with few as mentined earlier left to operate in in the KL. At the end of the boulevard in Precinct 4, Four towers of imposing height, will skycrape the city skyline, these 4 is planned to be mirorred by another 4 towers of similar height on the other side of the boulevard. Really something to look forward to)
6. In America the cities all have central business districts where all the major corporations have their impressive office buildings. In the daytime the area is crowded with business people, office workers etc. Big American cars dropped and picked up the Executives along the main street.
7. The area is usually beautifully landscaped with fountains and monuments dotting the area.
8. However at night the place becomes deserted as all the office workers and businessmen go home. Quietness descends on the area with only an occasional taxi driving through. The fast food restaurants are shut.
9. It is dangerous to venture into the area at night as you may be coshed and robbed.
(Point 6 to 9, I do not intend to rebutt since I have very limited observation on American cities with its avenues and stuff, except for those i observe in movies. But my only qualm is those things pointed out is it is a bit contradictory in a way. You pointed out that the singular use of space in cities, either for commercial use, or for government use, for any other single purpose does guarantee livibility of a street in a city, thus rendering it only 'useable' during certain hours of the day, whilst completely down right dangerous, at another time of the day. This boils down to my next point as per elaboration beneath point 10 and 11 below.)
10. Remembering this I wanted to have the Putrajaya boulevard full of people at night. If you have only Government Offices and Ministries, the place would be deserted at night.
(yes, we also want this. or else what's the use of having Persiaran Perdana lighted up with metal halide lights which have better light rendering quality as compared to the normal SON orangey light of normal streets lights although the former costs more in terms of operation.)
11. Unfortunately the planners want the place to have imposing Government buildings. The businesses should be tucked away somewhere.
(This statement pisses me off, and this has to be corrected. Here, the planners does their job relatively well and surely deserve some credits will you please. As per your points 6-9, cities around the world are being planned with mixed uses of land, the government uses next to commercial use, next to it mixed development with shops and commerce at the ground level and residential units above it. For your information, the empty plots, currently tarmaced for parking spaces, that you see along the Persiaran Perdana, are plots of land with prestigious addresess allocated for commercial use. They are definitely not tucked away in some corner. Slowly but surely in the next few years, you will see, the streets becoming more alive at night time with the construction of various commercial development along it. Maybe I can suggest that Tun invest in an empty plot or two and develop it as a commercial/mixed building, this will maybe hasten the process towards what you want to see happening.)
12. As I drive through the boulevard at night I am enchanted with the number of lights lining it and the side roads. But there is no life as all the great Ministries are shut up tight, although they are beautifully floodlighted.
13. There are no shops at all, not even a coffee house. Those who have visited gay Paris will remember the brightness and the throngs of people strolling along or sipping drinks at roadside tables in front of brightly lit restaurants. The famous Lido would be crowded with people going to see the shows. Busloads of tourists would throng the bright side streets or sit at café tables watching people going by. The scene is very animated.
(comparing it the french experience is way too out of our league. How can one compare so. It is like comparing Kampung Chendering in Terengganu to the Curve, in Damansara. One, gay Paris has thousands of years of historical and cultural experience as compared to Putrajaya, a city with population forcedfully planted from government quarters of Jalan Peel and Jalan Cochrane in KL and mixed matched not-heterogenuous-enough population, and expect miracles, the city must find its purpose, must search its identity, must learn to evolve and adapt before one can expect the happenings in the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to be emulated here in Putrajaya.) got to stop now, continue later, losing steam already (16/10/2008)
14. Famous restaurants and some fast food outlets as well as other shops lined the side roads parallel to the boulevard. Traffic flowed to and fro, unimpeded along the tree lined central boulevard.
15. I can understand why Paris is called the City of Light.
16. Putrajaya has lights almost as bright as those in Paris. But there are almost nobody strolling along the boulevard. It reminds me of the business districts in American cities.
17. I have talked to several people about the importance of having shops and theatres along the boulevard to give life to this beautiful city. But nothing has happened. I believe a big glass-fronted building has been built to house business corporations. It too would be closed at night.
(I guess naturally you like to see things happen fast and the way things are progressing it is not according to your liking. It's a chicken and egg thingy, I suppose it all about wait and see by businesses. Did you know that buildings built flanking the Persiaran Perdana, at the ground level was supposed to be facilitated with commercial space i.e small reatil space, cafes and restaurants? This are general requirements imposed onto the developers including those ocuppied by the government. But to see this so call vibrancy that you expected, there has to be a certain level of active main commercial activities, only then suppporting retail and cafes can be expected to sprout out. Just imagine cafes and restaurants operating along the Persiaran Perdana without the main business activities in place and thriving, surely it will have problem sustaining itself. But I heard there are lots of commercial building currently being constructed and under final stages of planning. Plots in Precinct 3 near the Istana Kehakiman (not to be called Palace of Justice Now ;) and the PJC complex are some of the example. It is also exciting to here that the main developer of Putrajaya (Putrajaya Holdings) are embarking on the development of Precinct 2 in a more agressive way. Just cross my fingers that the present state of economic downturn will not hinder this.)
18. More offices are being built but no shops, no restaurants or coffee houses and certainly no places of entertainment of any kind.
19. One of the effects of this rigid confinement to Government buildings on the boulevard is to make Putrajaya a Malay city. Ninety five percent of the people living in Government built flats are Malay Government workers. Although the Government built flats are available to non-Government servants, there are hardly any buyers for them. Certainly there are no Chinese or Indian.
(In answering point 18 and 19, this is my 2 cents worth. This I think will lead to some kind of conflict, well not to me but to the city administrator. Places of entertainment in accordance to the syariah law, I think will not work. Yes, Putrajaya is different from let say the Curve, but that is where the problem lies, the city administrator fail to see, there is no such thing as a homogeneous community and by imposing a skewed set of rules on to some who does not subscribe to the same principle is futile. Putrajaya are not built to become like Shah Alam. We cannot allow this to happen. Administrator of Putrajaya must be a bit more accomodating to different values, perspectives and way of life as this will ensure wilingness of the rest of heterogeneous community to participate and take pride in making Putrajaya a city for all. there are plots for other religions to be built for places of worship. If I am not mistaken, there are plot for private school, which i suppose, can be taken up tobuild chinese vernacular school. I think by being a lil bit liberal about things that deal with the hearts and minds will have far reaching positive implications way beyond what we can imagine, well at least in city building terms. My contention is this, some people are not muslim, so get over it and get on with your life)
20. I admit being guilty of setting up Putrajaya as the administrative capital. It is very well planned. But it is dull.
Currently, yes it is dull, but as a resident, I am deeply contented. So are my wife and kids. Putrajaya has provided for me enough for my present time needs and requirements. From the source of employment to the unimpeded safe pathways and cycleways. From my spiritual needs to healthy clean air for me to sustain life. From the night market to Alamanda to the lakes and the wetlands. In fact I am living the time of my life and I want to grow old with this city, despite its artificial insemination, I want to contribute and I think you too wants this, take charge in shaping the city's future and help the city find its sole intent and purpose, its heart, its soul.
21. Not being in the Government, I cannot influence anything anymore. But I hope the powers that be will read this snippet on Putrajaya.
(This ( I mean you no longer in power) I cannot help, but I must express my sincerest gratititude and not to sound as if I am sucking up, to you. Without you and your sheer determination to forge ahead with the idea of this new city, there will not be Putrajaya. with this, I bow to you as an expression of respect and to a certain extent, admiration. (that's it, I suppose, said whatever i wanted to load of my chest 17/10/2008))
* photo by someone's whose children I caretake (that's in the letter to the school, so that they can enjoy having fun/making fun of themselves at school in Putrajaya). Photo taken in HDR technique, he told me I think (whatever s**t that is). I am doing this as a promotion in lieu of appropotionment of (future) profits from proceeds of sales of photographs. Please take note, that particular someone. Interested, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversider
