Dynamic Changes of Urban Village Settlement of Kuala Terengganu
I.M. S. Usman, S.S.Low,M.M.Thahir, M.F.Irfan , N.M.Tawil,
Architecture Department, Faculty of Engineering,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
ismar @vlsi.eng.ukm.my
Abstract: - Cities, especially those in the third world countries, were previously villages that were upgraded
and expanded their boundaries to comply with the urban needs. More and more people are moving into the city
and the existing settlement areas within the urban center do not sufficiently able to accommodate them. As
most of the third world countries have their limitations in providing adequate housing facilities for the
immigrants, these newcomers started out to build their own dwellings as one of their basic survival needs.
These slums actually pose as a challenge for the local authority as well as the stake-holders. The “anti-slums”
policy imposed by the local authority maybe one of the way of solving the problem by relocating these
immigrants to new strata-type or low cost housing schemes. As for the stake-holders and developers, these
illegal squatters which inhibit in their privately owned land may act as a gain for their future plans in
developing their properties. Or perhaps these slums may also act as an opportunity for them?
Key-Words: settlements,’anty-slum’ policy,strata type, illegal squatters
1 Dynamic Changes of Urban
Morphology Isomorphic forms that reflect institutional regime in
the built fabric, these occur at Kampung Cina &
Kampung Tanjung. Those kampongs are isomorphic
form since pre-war. Looking closely into one of the
earliest settlements in Kuala Terengganu, Kampung
Cina is in the declining mode in terms of land value
and financial character of the place. During its
formation in pre-war periods, Kampung Cina is well
known for its character as the main and financial
street for Kuala Terengganu, with the erections of on
stilts residential along the waterfront which leads the
economic growth of the city. Besides, it also serves
as the transportation hub which links between city
for migrating and business purposes. From land to
water transports, it boasts the city growth in the later
days. As the city grows bigger, the main character of
the Kampung Cina as the financial street and
transportation hub gradually disappear. This is cause
by the growing of human population and demands
for the city. The financial street shifted to Jalan
Sultan Ismail with better facilities and space for the
city growth. The centralize land transportation
system at Jalan Masjid also serves as the main
transportation hub for the city nowadays. As the
functions of Kampung Cina nowadays gradually
changing, so most of the young generations has
migrate out of Kampung Cina asking for better job
opportunities and facilities in the city. Kampung
Tanjung, also among the earliest settlement in Kuala
Terengganu is the settlement area gazette for royal
family. With the growing of the city, older
generation still living inside while young
generations having moving out for better life.
Kampung Ladang has existing malay settlement
with not much changes during its early days and
now. It is mainly traditionally activities oriented
village where some works as fisherman and
producing traditional handicrafts for living. With the
city grow larger, limited of residential for the
migrants into the city, so the existing phenomena is
tenement blocks and individual dwellings are
divided up again and again with informal
settlements built without proper planning. Kampung
Tiong which is located just beside Kampung Cina,
whose earlier development very much influence by
the functions of Kampung Cina. It serves as the
supporting residential for the earlier financial street
in Kampung Cina. With the growth of the city,
causing the shifting of earlier function of Kampung
Cina, and introduction of Jalan Banggol separating
the urban settlements in Kampung Tiong into two
separated part worsen the conditions of urban
settlements in Kampung Tiong. The pollution and
sanitation problem in Kampung Tiong since it is
erected on wetlands with minimum maintenance of
the existing building making it unhealthy for living
purpose. This ends up with most of the wealthy
residents moving out from Kampung Tiong opting
for better life quality.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT and LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
ISSN: 1790-5095 274 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0
Fig. 1, Morphology studies of
Kuala Terengganu
Pre-war; Post-war – 1980s
Fig. 2, Morphology studies of
Kuala Terengganu
; Post-war – 1980s
Fig.3, Morphology studies of Kuala
Terengganu
(1980s – 2000s)
Fig. 4, Morphology studies of
Kuala Terengganu
(2000s – Now)
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT and LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
ISSN: 1790-5095 275 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0
Fig. 5; Morphology studies of
activities of Kuala Terengganu
2 The Negative Aspects Of Urban
Village Settlement
City seems do offer a better life. But for many new
comer dwellers with low income, unemployed,
squalor of a squatter camp is uncertain start for
them. Lack of sanitation, unclean water, air
pollution, and poor job prospects are the reality for
millions of people.
2.1 Over Density Problem Over Density is a vital future problem of most major
world cities today. This problem often becomes
more significant in inner cities, for example
Kampung Ladang in Kuala Terengganu, largely
because it is vital for the urban poor to live as near
as possible to source of work. So migrants gravitate
to world city centers and put pressure on any
available accommodation there. Tenement blocks
and individual dwellings are divided up again and
again. Informal settlements built on the urban
periphery far away from any employment are often
the poorest places. Ironically, these crowded
conditions also create close-knit mutual support
networks between villagers.
2.2 Improper Planning of Settlement Most of the residents are lack of adequate services;
with no clean water, sanitation, drainage, or
electricity. This causing the quality of life inside
urban village settlements is in poor condition and
unhealthy. They are often built on areas unfit for
human habitation such as close to rubbish dumps,
steep hillsides, area prone to subsidence of flooding,
or on polluted land.
2.3 The Hidden Problem
The history of urban village settlements is a story of
confrontations; between illegal and legal residents
and governments and urban authorities and private
landlords. Authorities tend to consider illegal
settlements to be unsightly and challenges to the
authority since there are often built on land
earmarked for development. It is important for
continual communication among various party,
because of the intrinsically architecture urban factor
and those residents are the permanent dwelling for
the settlement. So it is reasonable to all citizens
without exception given the opportunity to give a
opinion, aspiration, and expectation. And their vote
if really heard and considered to represent
inspiration source which will never run dry to
concept formulation, policy, plan, and the exact
program.
2.4 Expropriation Development It is the mission for the governments of the city to
eradicate the poor by increase the quality of their
live. Sequence of governmental program to poor
society for example:
• Creating comfortable sentiment to live in their
house.
• Service of clean water and electricity
• Realizing of good life environment
It maybe a problem posed to local authorities, but
they do represent a self-help solution to housing that
can benefit city authorities. Urban village residents
have displayed a great deal of resourcefulness, and
by housing them, provide a low-cost housing option
for illegal resident and upgrading the existence of
traditional urban village. It is now widely accepted
that upgrading settlements is the only way of solving
urban housing and urban settlements problems.
3 Conclusion Urban housing settlement in Kuala Terengganu area
is a good example as a model of urban living
settlement, because basically it implemented a good
influence of traditional concept of settlement that
preserve the identity within the urban and modern
context, community and environment, and a balance
between natural and human made. The upgrading
within its context is necessary in order to maintain
the whole concept of Heritage city for Kuala
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT and LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
ISSN: 1790-5095 276 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0
Terengganu, of course within comfortable living
environment, to be more sustainable and its own
social-cultural context.
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ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS, DEVELOPMENT and LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
ISSN: 1790-5095 277 ISBN: 978-960-474-125-0