The role and significance of roof top gardens towards sustainable urban development in Malaysia

Rooftop garden is a modification of modern landscape which has the potential to contribute towards sustainable urban development. Many studies have highlighted the role of rooftop garden as a tool to assist urban area to solve environmental issues effectively. Among its greater impact towards the environment are include mitigating urban heat island phenomenon, energy saving, maintaining thermal comfort, managing storm water and also improving the ecological value of the site through preserving habitat for small species of animal especially birds and insects. These roles are well documented and recognized in Europe as well as several Asian countries especially Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. However, this article attempts to explore the role and significance of this landscape in Malaysia and how this landscape can assist cities to improve the living environment of urban dwellers. It is hoped that the research information from this article is useful to promote rooftop garden or green roof as one of the way to create a healthy environment living and a balanced between the physical development and preservation of urban green space in the city

THE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF ROOFTOP GARDEN FOR BETTERMENT OF LOCAL URBAN HABITAT IN MALAYSIA

Rooftop garden is a modification of modern landscape which has the potential to be part of urban greenery system. Therefore, this article attempts to analyze and highlight its environmental benefits which able to solve environmental issues effectively and potential to be part of urban greenery system in Malaysia. An in-depth interview with seven experts in subject matter was conducted to justify the significant impact of this landscape. Based on the findings, all the respondents agreed that rooftop garden can assist city to solve several environmental issues effectively. However, the function and purpose of the landscape should be considered during the design and construction stage so that it can fully attain its objective whether as passive recreational facilities or as for environmental purposes. It is hoped that the research information from this article is useful to encourage its implementation and able to intensify the provision urban green space in Malaysia. Indirectly, it will assist urban area to create a healthy living environment and a balanced between the physical development and preservation of urban green space in the city.Â

Kepentingan dan sumbangan taman atas bumbung dalam penilaian green building index (GBI)

This study was conducted to investigate the importance and contribution of rooftop garden in Malaysian green building index assessment, Green Building Index (GBI). In overseas, rooftop garden is considered as one of the elements that can contribute to the green building rating system such as in Singapore (Green Mark), United States (LEED), Japan (CASBEE), United Kingdom (BREEAM) and Hong Kong (HK-BEAM). Therefore, this study was carried out to answer the question of to what extent does the importance and contribution of rooftop garden in the context of development in Malaysia. Does a rooftop garden can assist to increase the value of green building score marks in GBI assessment or only seen as an additional landscape for the provision of open space for multi-storey residential development in narrow development area? Thus, this study was carried out based on four objectives, which are (i) to review the concept and importance of rooftop garden development in achieving sustainable urban development; (ii) to review the ecological benefits of a rooftop garden and its potential to contribute in GBI assessment; (iii) to identify which of GBI criteria that assess the ecological benefits of rooftop garden and the scores obtained; and (iv) to discuss the design aspects of rooftop garden to contribute towards the solution of environmental issues in urban area. This study is a qualitative research using the exploratory approach. First Residence Kepong was chosen as a case study that meets the criteria specified. The interview is used as a data collection technique and analyzed using the descriptive and narrative techniques. The findings from the study revealed that rooftop garden is one the strategy towards sustainable urban development. Rooftop garden is also able to contribute in GBI assessment. Reducing the urban heat island phenomenon and managing rain water is a direct contribution in GBI assessment. While improving thermal comfort, energy saving as well as a habitat for birds and insects that are affected by urban development is its indirect contribution. The finding has also found that the establishment of rooftop garden must first determine the function and purpose of the garden that must be done during the planning stages by applying the sustainable landscape features, minimizing impervious surface, emphasizing on variety of shrubs and suitable depth of soil in order to contribute to a positive impact towards environment, building occupants as well as to improve the scored marks for green building in GBI assessmen

Impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) elements on residential property market: a review

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is among six criteria of Green Building Index (GBI) that need to be achieved by building owner in order to recognize their building as ‘green’ in Malaysia. The benefit of IEQ is to create conducive environment for human health. Besides influenced their overall image, leasing and resale value of the buildings, does indoor environmental quality (IEQ) features will give impact on real estate market in terms of price and rental particularly for residential building property? Therefore, this paper will review the broad literature regarding the impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for residential building property and its implication to towards property price and rental. The early hypothesis of this paper anticipates that indoor environmental quality (IEQ) features will indirectly increase residential property market price and rental. From this paper, it is hope that the positive impacts of these features will encourage building owners, developers and other main development actors to put these criteria into the same consideration as other criteria in GBI as one of the way to compensate the impact of the building towards economic, environment and social

Impact Of Innovation (In) and Indoor Environmental quality (Eq) features on residential property price and rental

The encouragement from government through Green Technology Policy as well as the widespread of green building design implementation has brought to positive impacts on the urban real estate market. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and innovation (IN) were among six criteria of Green Building Index (GBI) that need to be achieved by building owner in order to recognize their building as 'green' in Malaysia. The benefit of IEQ is to create conducive environment for human health while IN is to contribute to high quality interior environment of the building. Besides influenced their overall image, leasing and resale value of the buildings, does innovation (IN) and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) features will give impact on real estate market in terms of price and rental particularly for residential building property? Therefore, this paper will review the broad literature regarding the impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and innovation (IN) for residential building property and its implication to towardsproperty price and rental. The early hypothesis of this paper anticipates that innovation (IN) and indoor environmetal quality (IEQ) features will indirectly increase residential property market price and rental. From this paper, it is hope that the positive impacts of these features will encourage building owners, developers and other main development actors to put these criteria into the same consideration as other criteria in GBI as one of the way to compensate the impact of the building towards economic, environment and social

The implementation of standard approach for open space planning in Kuala Lumpur

This article attempts to discuss the implementation of standards approach, 2 hectare per 1000 population as approved by the National Physical Planning Council in 2005. Using Kuala Lumpur as case study, the analysis showed that the uniformity of standards approach implementation has failed to take into account the distinction within the local conditions which have implications on the level of achievement for the 6 planning zones in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2017. Use of the standards approach without modifications has created high density zones such as the City Centre, Sentul-Manjalara and Wangsa Maju-Maluri failed to attain the standards. Besides, other zones namely Damansara-Penchala, Bandar Tun Razak-Sungai Besi and Bukit Jalil-Seputih have exceeded the targeted standards. Based on the analysis, the distinction of local condition for each zones in Kuala Lumpur in terms of population number, urban land availability, land value, urbanization process and densification rate of the city need to be considered in implementing standards approach

Impact of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and innovation (IN) features on residential property price in Malaysia: a review

The purpose of this paper is to review the broad literature regarding the impacts of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and innovation (IN) for residential building property and its implication towards property price and rental. The early hypothesis of this paper anticipate that innovation (IN) and indoor environmetal quality (IEQ) features will indirectly increase residential property market price and rental in spite of the lack of comparative financial data. Research limitations/implications – This research will focus on multi-storey residential buildings. They are condominium, apartment or service apartment with IN and IEQ features based on Green Building Index (GBI) assessment criteria. In this research, IN and IEQ features will be defined according to the description of Green Building Index (GBI) Assessment Criteria for New Residential Construction (RNC). Originality/value – To the best of researcher's knowledge, in the context of Malaysia there is no single study emphasized on the significant role of IEQ and IN criteria especially its interrelation with property price and value. From this paper, it is hope that the positive impacts of these features will encourage building owners, developers and other main development actors to put these criteria into the same consideration as other criteria in GBI as one of the way to compensate the impact of the building towards economic, environment and social