Table of Content

Content Page

1.0 Introduction to Sites 1

2.0 Comparing The Contact Points

2.1 Realtionship between outdoor activities and outdoor quality

2.2 Activities and seating preference

2.3 A uniquely Stimulating Experience

2-4

5-7

8-10

3.0 Conclusion 10

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1.0 Introduction to site

In our previous project we need to analyse the contact point of the street we choose

which is Maginficient Mile in Chicago. In this project, we need to analysed the street

of our design studio site, Petaling Street. In petaling street we have 2 site to choose

which is site A is located at the Jalan Tun Hs Lee and site B is Jalan Petaling. I have

choosed Site B for this project to analyse the contact point and compare the activities

with Maginficient Miles.

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2.1 The relationship between outdoor activities and outdoor quality

South entrance of China Town

This place is located at the in front of the china town entrance, it is one of the

main road that lead people come in to jalan petaling. It was a space where become a

node that as a symbol to welcome people coming to china town. It is like a big gate to

make people feel going in to other place as outside is crowded (heavy traffic) and the

air pollution by the transportation where the inside is the place where people sell stuff

and food. But this street is missing the resting place, is it hard to find a café at there

and sit because some of it are closed.

Necessary Activities: Walking through this space to get to Jalan Petaling.

Optional Activities: sit at the shop inside the china town and take the rest.

Social Activities: Small talks at the sidewalk seats, Look at people walking by

The user mostly are the tourist or the local that come here to seek a place

where they can rest from the busy city. The people (mostly local community) are

focus what they doing and it make the people have no social interaction with other

due to there have homeless that ask for money which is cause the contact level and

social intensity low.

When the day turn night, the homeless are coming out gather and find the

spot for sleeping. The behavior of the homeless will drag down the image of the

street they cause the rubbish and not being friendly. Most of the time the homeless

are dirty and asking for the money which is cause the people especially Malaysian

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are avoid them, but not all Malaysian are like this, there are some group soup kitchen

provide the food for the homeless but that is located at other site.

In Jan Gehl theory, ‘when the outdoor area are o poor quality, only strictly necessary

activities occurs, when outdoor areas are high quality, necessary activities take place

with approximately the same frequency – though they clearly tend to take longer

time, because the physical conditions are better’. By the text he mention, it show that

the activities is affect by the quality of the spaces. When it is poor quality then it will

just have some necessary actitvities at the site but on the when the quality of outdoor

is in good condition then the optional activities increase.

People are not going the place because of task, is because they want to go there to

do somethings such as sit at the bench looking people pass through or go to café

spend their time. When apply the Jan Gehl theory to the site, the site which have the

poor quality and mainly are cause by homeless people as they not being friendly.

Once people avoid them, it affect to the space as well, avoid the place where they

located, where they presence. So in the place with homeless there are less optional

activities happened at there.

Oak street beach, Chicago

On the other hand at Oak Street beach, a place located at the north end of the

Magnificient Mile is popular hangout spot especially during the summer. A place

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where people hangout with friend which is show that the site have a good quality of

the space. It has a high density level of people coming in because of the imageability

as there is a beach located beside the city, where people would want to come to

have some rest from the busy city, busy life. Moreover the beach is also became a

landmark, during 1970s the oak street beach became popular for sun bathing and

swimming, now it still remain it and remains as one of the Chicago most popular

place.

Necessary activities: Life guard

Optional activities: Sun bathing, taking family to come, cycling, playing

Social Activities: Chating with people, joining the other people activities

The oak street beach have more good quality space compare to Jalan petaling, the

reason I compare these outdoor space is they have similar in function, they both

have become a sign or symbol to the local people and tourist, the only different is the

homeless presence at Jalan petaling there, which is a potiential the cause of bad

quality of the space. Thus this clearly show the relationship between outdoor activity

and the quality of the space.

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2.2 Activities and seating preference

Back alley of Jalan Petaling

In Jalan Petaling, what we can see that is lack of the greenery space and sitting

space for people resting. The landscape might not really affect the people coming to

the place but it does affect the social activity basd on Jan Gehl theory. Once a place

with landscape or greenery space the people will sit at there and just chill at that

place as most of the people are suffer at the busy work place and most of the time

are stay inside the building. So people would like to stay at the place with landscape

just to avoid the busy life.

This place is located at the back alley of the jalan petaling, is the only place we can

find the most greenery space in the Jalan Petaling and other place just put few trees

at there. Most of the time this place is a parking spot and also some stall will located

at here and selling stuff. But mostly people are try to avoid this place, one is because

is located at back alley and other reason is here is a place with crime, for example

red light district.

Necessary activities: Parking Spot

Optional activities: vendors selling food and drinks

Social activities: buying food and drinks, pass by

It is a place with potential of gathering people or can become a place with full

of social interactive to strength the bond between the community but the place it

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located is where people less going and it only have necessary activity most of the

time, back alley.

The back alley is the place where people throw the rubbish or parking place

but during the past, back alley is a place where people buying and selling stuff. The

motorcyclist will pass by and the house wife will come out at the back of the house

and buy the stuff from him at the back alley.

Necessary activities: Buying stuff like grocery

Optional activities: Kid playing badminton or cycle.

Social activities: Having chat with other house wife

By Jan Gehl theory, in his text he mention that ‘the value of the large and

small possibilities that are attached to the opportunity of being in the same space as

and seeing and hearing other people is underlined by a series of observation

investigation people reaction to the presence of other people in public spaces.’ Also

he noted that ‘it is generally true that people and human activities attract people.’

By the text he mention the activities that people did will attract other people

and is like a chain reaction will spread the activities to other but nowadays the back

alley is just a place with low intensity and abandon place, it become a place where

people abandon so we can see at the jalan petaling there the building grow with

algae, crime and throwing rubbish which is drag down the image of the street.

Necessary activities: Parking

Optional activities: Throwing rubbish, selling drink

Social activities: none

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Here place is located at the City Gallery in the historic water tower. In this

place is a space where people can sit at here although the place are not having a lot

of landscape but they manage top form a public gather spaces. It is a place where

people easy find it as it located beside the main road and located behind one of the

noted in Magnificient Miles. There is no much activities planned at there, it only let

people use for chill and rest. But at the place there is bench which give people

resting as Jan Gehl mention ‘the most used benches are along the garden main path,

where there is a god view of the particularly activities area.’

In this place the water feature becoming a contact point where it gather people to

have a nice view in city and place to rest with nature feature. When more people

gather at the place and sit on the benches they will have some conversation with

other people, and this will attract people by seeing and hearing and the activities

started which cause the place with high intensity.

Necessary activities: pass by (because it located beside the main road so people will

pass by everyday)

Optional activities: Sitting, feed pigeon, reading newspaper

Social activities: chit chat with other

City gallery have a better place for people to chill and having chit chat with other but

on the other hand jalan petaling there have the greenery spaces but it does become

a gathering place which cause it grow it and been abandon. Thus, to these two place

I compare is to show the activities as attraction.

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2.3 A uniquely stimulating experience

Inside China town

China town, based in Petaling Street, also known as ‘Chee Cheong Kai’. A place

where that well-known as bargain place to tourist and local, where people can find

stuff at here can cut the price. In this place it is deeply immersed in oriental culture,

heritage and history and that’s why china town become a place of popular spot in

Malaysia.

Necessary activities: Pass By (because is at the main road)

Optional activities: buying food, drink and merchandise

Social activities: look around, bargain, eating (straight eat after bought the food)

In here, seller are keep introduce their stuff to you which is the activities that try to

have interaction to the customer. Because of many stall, the place are messy and

crowed but it become the ‘colour’ of the place which is a symbol of the place, a

culture that people should preserve. It is the heart of the culture place compare to

bukit bintang and KLCC area is modern place with landmark.

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Apple store at Magnificient Miles

Garrett Popcorn Store

On the other hand, the magnificiend miles have many store that sell stuff but is not

like petaling street, magnificient mile have a lot store while china town is just stall

only. Also at magnificient there have many high rise building and some of the store

have become the symbol of the street such as Apple store and Garrett popcorn store.

Both of these store gather a lot of people and they did became contact point of the

street.

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Necessary activities: Buying stuff

Optional activities: Asking price, look around, taking picture infront of the store

Social activities: asking information of the product

Both of the site have the place selling stuff but the different is in jalan petaling is

focus on one point that becoming the heart of the place while magnificient miles is

more on the street that let people walk around and explore the place. Both of the site

have their unique way to attract people that form a high social intensity as based on

Jan Ghel theory ‘experiencing other people represents a particularly colorful and

attractive opportunity for stimulation, Compared with experiencing buildings and other

inanimate object, experiencing people, who speak and move about, offer a wealth of

sensual variation.’

3.0 Conclusion

Both the magnificient mile and Jalan petaling have the contact point that

attract people coming but through the analysed of both street I found that

Magnificient miles more attractive and more efficient to let people rest. The affected

of the street attraction is based on the street condition, the people such as homeless

people and the comfort space.

Why the magnificient mile is more attractive? The magnificient miles is more

on urban planning such as one street have the beach, store, café and small garden

to let people relax. Also the building around it is high-rise building and most of it are

office building so it relate to the accessibility of the place and people are easy to

reach the place by few minute. At jalan petaling, the building style are more on the

historical building but local community are not really preserve it, also they focus the

activities at one point which is China town although there is Chinese temple and india

temple located beside china town.

Last but not least, both street have their unique way to attract people, although jalan

petaling is lack of sitting space and landscape but the china town have their historical

value and it’s colour that can represent the petaling street to tourist to form a high

social intensity places.

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