Giving them more than just houses

08/03/2006 The Star

A picture paints a thousand words, they say. A picture of a lovely up-coming housing estate in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur depicting a charming neighbourhood with a grove of trees and a park with flowers attracted Tracy Tan to buy a property there.

But, when the property was completed, Tan and other buyers were disappointed – there were no trees.

“There was one or two re-planted palms and that was about it,” said a disappointed Tan.

Resident Zulkifli Ismail, who enjoys walking in parks with his family, is lucky.

Since he lives in Jalan Meru Klang, he visits Alam Setia Park as it is the nearest to his neighbourhood.

“To have a park close to one’s home is a blessing,” he said.

A spokesman from the National House Buyers Association said Malaysia’s planning laws govern the allocation for green space.

“If a developer plans a housing estate on a 2ha land, the general requirement is that 10% of the total area is put aside as green area,” he said.

“This includes commercial areas and even low-cost housing,” he said, adding that the rules differed with each local authority.

“The Shah Alam Municipal Council (MBSA) has always been a little more generous with their allocation and some socially conscious developers also tend to allocate more land for green areas,” he said.

City Hall too imposes guidelines on developers to ensure recreational space is set aside for residents.

A senior City Hall officer said even if a developer was unable to provide an open space in the neighbourhood, they had to provide sporting and recreational facilities, like swimming pool within a condo.

He said generally 40% was reserved for amenities like playground, swimming pool and car park areas.

SP Setia Berhad general manager for landscape unit William Rachaganathan said, even though the general requirement for green space was 10% for landed development, there were developers who provided more.

“Most developers comply with the minimum requirement simply because it is a commercial decision.

“More green areas mean less space for development, thus affecting their profit margins. But there are a few who are more reputable and established with strong financials.

“To them, providing extensive green space is a long-term investment and would enhance the appeal as well as value of their developments,” said Rachaganathan, adding that SP Setia was one such developer.

SP Setia’s development projects in Pusat Bandar Puchong and Setia Alam Shah Alam have been described as “Paradises on Earth.”

Setia Alam’s central park, for instance, is spread over 1,600ha, which includes a football field, two basketball courts, reflexology path, playground and an observation tower.

Plans are in the pipeline to spend another RM90mil for landscaping and to build a forest park.

“The lands allocated in our central parks are prime locations with friendly terrain, not odd pieces of steep slopes in isolated corners,” said Rachaganathan.

He said smaller green space or parks are usually provided, linked to homes via green linkages or strips.

“This is to ensure that residents are no more than a few steps away from the green pockets,” he said, adding that the company built its central parks well before residents moved in so that the plants mature in time.

Landscaped greenery is a signature feature of all S. P. Setia developments, and the company has won several national level landscape awards for its parks.

For YTL Land and Development Sdn Bhd, emphasis for landscaping is part of a belief that development should exist in harmony with nature.

YTL’s assistant general manager Edward Lee said Sentul Park, for instance, was inspired by this belief.

“Sentul Park, which spans over 14ha, forms an integral part of the urban renewal exercise for Sentul West and Sentul East, creating a major green lung filled with indigenous forest species in the heart of Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

“The green lung, which was inspired by New York’s Central Park and Hyde Park in London, is meant to introduce the concept of community style living,” said Lee, adding that it translated into a safe, secure and conducive for people to live, learn and play.

Residents like Tan, Zulkifli and others see parks and green lungs as a bonus to any neighbourhood.

Apart from aesthetic value, parks and green areas promote healthy lifestyle, foster community spirit and enhance the property value in a neighbourhood.

But there are still many developers who sell the typical “roof over their heads” property.

“Discerning buyers today, besides focussing on price and location alone, prefer townships that are well planned and provides a holistic lifestyle experience, complete with conducive ambiance, extensive greenery, security features and close to modern day conveniences,” said Rachaganathan.

Lee agrees.

“The idea is to create a whole new way of living and interacting with the outdoors that is unique and unprecedented for city living,” he said.

He added that it was not about selling beautiful homes, but about building new communities.