The Institutional Framework for Urban Transportation and Land Use Planning and Management in the Globalizing Kuala Lumpur Region Zulina Zakaria 26 February 2003 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction and Purpose. Kuala Lumpur has been “groomed” to be the national node in “global networks” as Malaysia plugs into an emerging global information society and economy. The government, led by a progressive Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, has invested heavily in information and communications technologies (ICT) and transportation infrastructure to facilitate the country’s effort to achieve its vision of becoming a knowledge based economy and society. As the Kuala Lumpur area continues to experience rapid population and economic growth, it is expected that there will be a Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area (KLMA). Despite numerous investments in providing the means to alleviate urban traffic congestion, it is still a major problem for the city and the problem is expected to become worse as the city grows and merges with the surrounding urban areas. The main causes of traffic congestion were attributed to KLMA being a car-dependent, sprawled and has existing and future planned large scale urban development projects which are expected to increase the total vehicle trips within the city area by 40%. The Eighth Malaysia Plan has stated land use planning and Intelligent Transportation Systems some of the measures to alleviate urban congestion. For the KLMA, the Government will examine the reorganization and restructuring of the total urban transport operations with the objective of creating an efficient and financially sustainable system. The impact of globalization and the changes in socio-political and physical infrastructure have various policy implications and pose new challenges for urban transportation and land use system planning and management. Therefore, the purpose of this report is therefore to provide a preliminary account of the institutional framework and issues for both the transport and land use planning and management system. Existing Land Use and Transportation System. The KLMA encompasses five administrative districts of the Klang Valley (nine municipalities) and the Multimedia Supercorridor (MSC). The total population of the area in 1997 was 3.8 million and is expected to increase to 6.9 million in the year 2020. The area was estimated to have 1.45 million vehicles. The land use is mainly urban, functioning as centers for commerce, trade, industry and government. Currently, the KLMA has an extensive network of road and rail infrastructure to support public and private transportation modes. Traffic congestion is a major problem for the area (speed in radial roads at 10 km/hr) and private car usage is very high (80%). Socio-Economic Development Planning in Malaysia. The government functions as the planner for the national development. The National Planning Council (NPC) which is chaired by the Prime Minister is the highest authority in the formulation, coordination and decision making of economic and social development policies and programs in country. The private sector has an input at the NPC level. The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) acts as the secretariat to the NPC and hence is considered the most powerful and influential institution. For the state level development, the State Economic Planning Unit has the authority in the planning process. Land use matters are under state government control. Institutional Issues and Problems for Transportation Planning and Management. The transportation planning and management system is made of various public and private actors. In general, the Federal government is responsible for determining national transportation plans, transport policy guidelines and overall administrative matters. Local governments, on the other hand, plan, execute and administrate road networks and urban transport improvements under their jurisdiction. The issues and problems faced by these institutions include lack of coordination between institutions, insufficient capacity and capability to carry out planning at appropriate scales (e.g. local, regional and national), enforcement problems, problems with private sector “profit maximizing” interests, incentives by both government and private companies that promote private auto use. Institutional Issues and Problems for Land Use Planning and Management. The land use planning and management in Malaysia is in the realm of the local and state governments. The State Government provides general planning policies while the Local Authority is responsible for the detailed plans. The Federal Government does not have specific role in the planning of land use of States but it specifies that the preparation plans must take into consideration the needs and aspirations of the region and nation. The influence of the Federal Government is augmented by a variety of national plans prepared at the Federal level. The issues and problems that is has includes lack of capability for planning, shortage of manpower, coordination problems between state and local authorities, ineffectiveness of responsible organizations. Recommendations for future research. 1.) Creation of a regional land use - transport institution, 2.) ITS deployment and land use –transport mixed strategy for sustainable transport system in the MSC, 3.) Development of a policy analysis framework for evaluation land use-transportation interactions and environmental, economic and societal impact, 4.) Defining “sustainable transportation system” for Malaysia, 5.) Role of ISO 14000 Environmental Management System Standard, 6.) Improving the public- private partnership in transportation planning and management outcomes, 7.) Enhancement of public transportation usage. 1 INTRODUCTION Since the 1990s, the Malaysian government has been implementing strategies and policies to meet the objectives of the nation’s Vision 2020. Malaysia hopes to become a knowledge based society and achieve developed nation status. The Kuala Lumpur city, located in the Klang Valley, is the nation’s center for political and commercial activities and it is rapidly undergoing a transformation from a federal capital to a national “node” in global networks (Bunnel and Barter, 2002). As seen in other developing megacities of the world, the skewed trend in population and economic agglomeration in the Kuala Lumpur area over the 1960-1990s period has resulted in the expansion of the urban area together with the inability of the area to cope with traffic congestion, housing and environmental problems (Lee, 1997). The impact of globalization and the changes in socio-political and physical infrastructure have various policy implications and pose new challenges for urban transportation and land use system planning and management. Problem Statement As the Kuala Lumpur area continues to experience rapid population and economic growth, it is expected that there will be a Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area (KLMA) (Bunnel and Barter, 2002). Good infrastructure has been and continues to be a major factor for the development of the Klang Valley area (Lee, 1996). Currently, the KLMA has an extensive network of road and rail infrastructure to support the public and private transportation modes. However, despite numerous investments in providing the means to alleviate urban traffic congestion, it is still a major problem for the city and the problem is expected to become worse as the city grows and merges with the surrounding urban areas. The 1997 Malaysian Highway Authority’s 1study concluded the following as the main causes of traffic congestion and those relevant to land use patterns are noted here: § The land use pattern in the KLMA is dispersed and the existence of high car ownership trends has created a car-driven society. § The suburban sprawl phenomenon has changed the residential land use of the city area into a dense business and commercial area which has resulted in heavy commuter trips in and out of the city (1,149,000 2pcu/day) especially in the early morning hours. § Excessive existing and future planned large scale urban development projects are expected to increase the total vehicle trips within the city area by 40% (Malaysian Highway Authority, 1999). The current urban structure of the area generates high traffic demands of the area. These characteristics left unmanaged could lead to greater urban transport and other economic, social and environmental problems in the future. Land use patterns drive transportation demand both for passenger and goods. Therefore, it is important that the effort to alleviate urban traffic congestion consider land use issues in connection with the transportation system. Purpose of Report The Eighth Malaysia Plan (2001-2005) has stated the vital role of infrastructure in distribution of goods, people and services in attainment of the nation’s objective of economic growth with resilience. Efforts will be targeted on the need to have a more efficient, safe and comfortable public transport system to enable a modal shift from private car usage. In the urban transport sector, the strategy adopted is to continue concentrating on the development of an integrated, efficient and reliable urban transport system in the Klang Valley as well as other urban areas. Apart from infrastructural and traffic management measures such as demand management, upgrading of roads etc., the plan has emphasized land use planning as one of the measures to alleviate urban congestion. Specifically for the Klang Valley area, the Government has indicated that it will examine the reorganization