PUTRAJAYA INTO GREEN GROWTH CITY 2013 Lim Ai Yim Independent Consultant & Advisor E-mail: [email protected]

Background

After the Malaysian Government’s decision to move from in June 1993, Putra- Malaysia jaya was chosen as the new Federal Government Administrative Centre. In April 1994, the Gov- Putrajaya ernment approved a Conceptual Scheme, based on the Garden City Concept, to turn Putrajaya into an intelligent city and a ‘city-in-a-garden’. These decisions entail the planning of Putra- jaya to incorporate high green technology fea- tures during the development and management stages, as well as to ensure the city’s integration with the existing natural environment. The way in which the Conceptual Scheme was practically carried out was the division of the city into 20 precincts, and the designation of 40% of the en- tire city area solely as open space. This led to the Quick facts planting of 1.6 million shaded trees since 1997, Zone Putrajaya lake and 200 hectares of wetlands. These areas Green city planning, Sustainable infra- and the creation of 400 hectares of artificial Topic perform the function of carbon sinks; the wet- structure, Renewable energy Implementing for the lake water in replacement of a conven- Malaysian government Agency tionallands insystem. particular On thealso lake, act as a aman-made filtration system island houses the central business precincts, while the residential precincts are organized following a neighborhood planning concept.

PUTRAJAYA INTO GREEN GROWTH CITY Malaysia February 2013

Policy Details aged through a centralized sewage treatment plant which re-uses treated water along with At the Copenhagen COP15 of the UNFCCC in 2009, harvested rain water for irrigation purposes. Malaysia committed to reducing its carbon emis- sions to 40 per cent by 2020 compared with its 2005 levels, subject to assistance from devel- construction using green standards along with oped countries. In tabling the 2010 Malaysian In order to promote the efficiency of buildings,- Budget, Malaysian’s Prime Minister aged. As a result, three buildings in Putrajaya announced the intention “to develop Putrajaya the retrofitting of buildings has been encour and as pioneer townships in Green the Energy Commission’s building, the Ministry Technology as a showcase for the development of have already been awarded green certification: other townships”. The aim of greening Putrajaya is to conserve the natural environment by mini- andof Energy, public Greenspaces Technology are adopting and the Water’s use of office,LEDs, mizing and reducing degradation and the nega- whileand the parks Prime and Minister’s bus stops Office are Complex.supplied energyOffices tive impact of human activities, including carbon by solar panels, through the TNB 5MW Solar emissions. Farm Project. In all Government agencies, there is an extensive use of online services as a plan The vision of Putrajaya turning from a Garden to drastically reduce paper usage along with the City to a Green City required the development of need to travel. a further policy framework. The latter includes land use management, the implementation of an These holistic efforts have involved all stake- integrated transportation system, waste and wa- holders, including the private sector and NGOs along with representatives from the local com- economy, the strengthening of tourism, and the munity, therefore coupling multi-sectoral poli- adoptionter management, of effective the multi-level diversification governance. of the urban cies with multi-level governance. The results of such collaboration efforts in the implementation Integrated land use management and transit of greening goals in Putrajaya have been recog- planning has greatly contributed towards the nized through various awards and recognitions reduction of carbon emissions, with the promo- tion of compact and cellular development of City Status in the Malaysia Urban Indicators Net- neighborhood centers along main transportation workwon: (MURNInet Putrajaya was 2010) awarded by the Federal the Sustainable Town & routes. Government residential quarters have Country Planning Department, in addition to the been placed in Putrajaya itself, reducing the dis- Asean Environmentally Sustainable City Awards tance and travel time from the work place to the 2011 by the ASEAN Working Group on Environ- residential areas. The public to private transpor- mentally Sustainable Cities (AWGESC), as well as tation ratio is 70 to 30, with rail and environmen- the Excellence Award for Taman Wetland Putra- tally-friendly buses being the back bone of public jaya in the Green City Category by the Institute transport. A network of pedestrian walkways and of Landscape Architects Malaysia. The Putrajaya cycle paths has also reduced the need to use mo- Lake and Wetlands have been categorized as an torized transportation. Ecohydrological Operational Site by the UNESCO International Hydrological Program (IHP). Since the construction stage of the city, the re- use of local resources, such as the composting of Recognitions such as these demonstrate the gov- previously existing oil palm waste to be used as ernment’s commitment to the vision of planning mulching material for the landscaping of the wet- and transforming Putrajaya into a pioneer green lands, have reduced costs and waste loads. Solid city in Malaysia. The Putrajaya Green Growth Ac- waste management was realized through the pro- tion Plan will further these efforts by continuing vision of permanent and mobile 3R facilities and to develop the city along the path of sustainabil- composting of food and garden waste within resi- ity and low carbon Green Growth. dential and governmental areas. Water is man- PUTRAJAYA INTO GREEN GROWTH CITY Malaysia February 2013

References Mazwin Nik Anis, “Putrajaya, Cyberjaya to go green ASAP!” The following documents informed the develop- , January 26 2010. Available

Charlesment of thisFernandez, paper: “Putrajaya to become model from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story. green city with new development” asp?file=/2010/1/26/nation/2010012620471 http:// Naveen0&sec=nation Mathew (accessed Menon, 14 “PutrajayaJanuary 2013). a model thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/7/ green city” Thecentral/8608274&sec= Star, May 7 2011. (accessed Available from:14 January New Straits Times, November 18 2011. Available 2013). putrajaya-a-model-green-city-1.7539 (accessed Datuk Loo Took Gee, Secretary-General Energy, 14from: January http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/ 2013). Green Technology and Water Ministry, “Towards a green nation and economy”

The Star, November 27 2010. Available from: http:// 2013).thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/27/ focus/7503134&sec=focus (accessed 14 January