A HUMAN TOUCH

When it comes to building a city, it's not about constructing the biggest, tallest skyscrapers, but also cultivating the spaces in between. Urban development consultant and design director Shin Tseng discusses community-led developments that create positive impact, and explains why inclusivity in architecture may just be the solution that industrialised cities need

- Koyyi Chin

Too often in urban planning, the focus is on towering skyscrapers, bigger highways and new modes of public transportation, ignoring persistent issues such as perpetual roadworks, traffic congestion, frequent flash floods, and general property overhang. This is evident in particular in Kuala Lumpur, where underused spaces have become a problem.

Instead of revitalising vacant buildings, they end up derelict or demolished in favour of newer, shinier models. Our cities have been shaped by industrialisation, where cars outnumber people, resulting in roads that are not pedestrian-friendly. Both old and new buildings are designed for individual purposes, meaning people only go there to conduct specific tasks and nothing else. 

But human lives are not linear. Believing that the current architectural model in Malaysia is unsustainable, Shin Tseng, director of the multidisciplinary practice Urban Agenda Design Group, advocates for a holistic and impact-focused approach to urban development. He is among the few architects in the country leading this approach.

“Many modern developments aren’t built to human scale because the current development model is based on a capitalist system that prioritises finances and the scale [of a project] over people,” Shin says. “We forget to keep in touch with reality when profiteering is all that we prioritise. As our way of life evolves, the purpose of our buildings also changes. The development model’s] slow adaptation to societal change is what causes the increasing number of vacancies in urban areas.