Why a slower, less car-centric KL is good for our lives and economy

 There’s a persistent myth that if people cannot drive up and park directly outside a shop, that business will die, but decades of global economic research has proven the exact opposite.

From Boo Jia Cher

Federal territories minister Hannah Yeoh’s efforts have brought a welcome change to the governance of Kuala Lumpur.

From decentralising Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) oversight to demanding accountability in municipal spending, her leadership is clear.

I was particularly encouraged by her remarks at the KL Festival, where she rightfully highlighted that the lives of KL residents must extend beyond shopping malls, and that we must work to bring vibrant, human life back to our streets.

In a recent interview, Yeoh boldly stated that under Barisan Nasional, governance was “hell” as our parks and retention ponds vanished. This, she added, was followed by the “pure incompetency” of Perikatan Nasional.

She is right. Decades of poor management has left our city like an asset sheet rather than a home.

Malaysians love KL, but the city does not love us back. We pour our hopes, dreams, and energy into this capital, yet we are met with an increasingly hostile and unliveable built environment.

Given that Yeoh is actively presenting a different model of governance, she is in a unique position to break this cycle.

To do that, we must address the single greatest structural crisis suffocating KL: our total subordination to the private motor vehicle.

Healing a fractured city 

Right now, large swaths of KL operate as hostile environments for human beings.

For those observing daily street-level chaos, be it walking on muddy dirt tracks where sidewalks don’t exist near Old Klang Road, waiting at deteriorating bus stops in Cheras, or navigating the dark, inhumane spaces beneath elevated highways, the reality is stark.

We already have proof that a shift in priorities is exactly what the public desires. Consider the recent road safety improvements and traffic-calming measures implemented at a school zone in Brickfields.

The overwhelmingly positive online response to that initiative speaks volumes.

Everyone is hungry for walkability, safety, and slower, calmer streets, and not just in school zones.

Conversely, whenever new inner-city highways or road expansions are proposed, public reaction is increasingly met with intense frustration.

Cars don’t spend money, people do

There is a persistent myth that if people cannot drive up and park directly outside a shop, that business will die.

Decades of global economic research prove the exact opposite: cars pass businesses at 70km/h without buying a thing; pedestrians pass storefronts at 5km/h and step inside.

When the Spanish city Pontevedra prioritised pedestrians over cars in its historic core, critics predicted economic ruin. Instead, local business revenues surged, the city gained new residents, and pollution dropped by over 60%.

In contrast, cities that historically doubled down on multi-lane inner-city highways, like Detroit, saw their urban centres hollow out into financial dead zones dominated by parking lots.

Empty tarmac does not generate tax revenue; productive commercial spaces do.

Both these scenarios are already present in KL. Visit Pasar Seni on any day of the week: its narrow shophouse-lined streets, from Central Market to Petaling Street, are bustling because most people arrive on public transport.

Compare this to Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Sungai Besi. These streets have devolved into multilane arteries where pedestrians are an endangered species, and heritage shophouses sit abandoned.

There is no business here, just space to pass through.

Furthermore, forcing every citizen to own a car is like imposing a massive, regressive tax.

When household income is eaten up by hire-purchase loans, petrol, tolls, and maintenance, that money is directly withheld from our local retail and dining economies.

A city for the people, not the elite 

Just as previous administrations erased green spaces, our streetscapes have been usurped by political and business elites.

This manifests in an endless stream of unrequested elevated highways, luxury condos, and mega-malls.

Meanwhile, citizens are increasingly demanding “third spaces”: parks, community centres, and libraries where they can gather without having to spend money.

A city that genuinely loves its people prioritises everyone’s needs through accessible public spaces, affordable transit, and safe streets, rather than catering solely to the profit margins of a few.

Alignment, action and the path forward 

I understand that not every lever of urban planning falls strictly under the Federal Territories portfolio. However, the housing and local government as well as transport ministers are Yeoh’s DAP colleagues.

There is an unprecedented opportunity here for intra-party alignment. DBKL and these two ministries can work in lockstep to seamlessly integrate better housing, responsible land use, and efficient public transport, rather than operating in silos to reverse the damage of the past.

The specific, street-level solutions to achieve this are plentiful. Instead of DBKL trying to reinvent the wheel, I urge Yeoh’s office to actively engage with the grassroots organisations that have already done the groundwork.

Groups like Bike Commute Malaysia, Kerja Jalan, and numerous spirited organisations and individuals possess the granular data, practical design solutions and, most importantly, the love for KL required to make these changes a reality.

To move forward, we must stop building our capital around the car and start building it around the human being.

Slowing down cars is precisely how we accelerate the liveability and economic future of our beloved city. - FMT

Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.