Walking through the new old: improving walkability of cultural significance through cultural mapping approach at Chinatown Kuala Lumpur / Sharifah Nurul 'Aisyah Syed Khasaisan Al Kadri

Cultural significance places enrich people's lives by providing a profound and inspiring sense of connection to community and landscape. Historic towns and cultural landscapes have shaped our societies and are regarded as priceless assets for current and future generations. To preserve such towns' cultural identities and historic characters in the face of globalization and urbanization, walkable historic places will amplify tourist magnets and focal aspects that may boost sense of place. The relation between urban history and walkability exists in most urban areas, and many Malaysian cities have heritage values that are being lost over time as a result of walkability issues throughout the places. One of them is the area of the site study in one of Kuala Lumpur's main areas, Chinatown, which has cultural significance in the city. Chinatown is one of the oldest parts of Kuala Lumpur and a popular tourist destination. However, due to the transformation of the human cultural landscape and a lack of walkability that connects to the heritage trails, Chinatown is losing its charm in terms of historical and cultural values, as is the city's rapid development. Visitors which include tourists have made extensive use of urban areas, facilities, and services. However, only few of these spaces were created with tourists in mind. Given the lack of concern for how to provide visitors with a quality and memorable walking experience. Furthermore, the new development of 118 towers located in a part of Chinatown does not provide continuous walkability, making it harder for people to experience the beauty and uniqueness of Chinatown as a whole. However, after acknowledging the loss of walking facilities in historically significant places, the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) plans to revitalize Chinatown by sustaining traditional architecture and cultural value, enhancing the environment landscape, making it easily accessible by foot, also becoming a key cultural connectivity with the guidance of Think City Sdn Bhd. Using a cultural mapping approach, Chinatown can help raise identity and the city's economy in the future. The methodology for this study will begin with site inventory and interviews with local communities, local authorities, and daily workers. The information gathered from secondary data sources is then analyzed to form a solution in terms of synthesis and design strategies. Finally, the design details are derived from the concept of space planning, which is the master plan, perspective perception, and planting strategies. The end result is a concise design that meets both human needs and environmental concerns.