Creating Places To Belong

PARKCITY GROUP’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DATUK JOSEPH LAU REVEALS THE SECRET BEHIND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE.

- Ellfian Rahim

Globally-renowned research and consulting powerhouse Savills recently published its findings about what potential homebuyers around the world look out for when investing in a home.

In this, Savills discovered that two of the most important keywords for people searching for a home are the ‘neighborhood’ and the ‘appearance’. Data from the said research also suggests that the very design attributes that are often correlated with the most provably popular neighborhoods are just not present in too many new developments of late. In a globalized age, it now seems that people seek compensation in a strong sense of place.

And this overwhelming human desire to belong somewhere is what Datuk Joseph Lau, the Group Chief Executive Officer of ParkCity Group, wants to build on when it comes to the sustainable development of the diversified business group’s jewel in the Klang Valley – Desa ParkCity.

It all began in 1999 when ParkCity acquired the 473-acre former quarry mine adjacent to Bandar Menjalara, situated between Damansara and Kepong in Kuala Lumpur. Today, the township consists of landed products and condominiums, commercial sections like The Waterfront and Plaza Arkadia, plus a private hospital – ParkCity Medical Centre – and The International School @ ParkCity. There’s also the pet-friendly, tree-lined Central Park with a lake at its centre, a very popular jogging and chill-out spot with residents and visitors alike.

“Your life doesn’t just revolve around your home really,” says Datuk Lau over coffee at the well-appointed lakefront show units of Desa ParkCity’s latest high-rise residential project – Park Regent by the Water – recently. “We at Desa ParkCity are not just selling brick and mortar to potential homeowners; you have to remember that there are a lot more things to consider when one’s investing in a place to live.”