Placemaking ideas thrive in Putrajaya

PLACEMAKING is defined as a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces.

In other terms, it refers to the process of creating quality places for people to live, work, play and learn in.

The interesting aspects of placemaking have caught on in Putrajaya with various initiatives fostering community togetherness.

The initiatives are spearheaded by Putrajaya Corporation (PPj), the agency responsible for town planning, infrastructure maintenance, public health and other local authority-related works in Malaysia’s administrative capital.

PPj City Planning Department Local Agenda 21 Section senior assistant director Sim Ee Chai said the placemaking projects were carried out in an effort to make use of underutilised spaces and to encourage more community and social-oriented activities in the city.

Award-winning garden space

For some residents of Precinct 16 government quarters in Putrajaya, having a community garden offers a space for them to be outdoors, socialise and grow their own produce.

Kebun Komuniti Bandar Presint 16 has several solar-powered hydroponic sheds for cultivating vegetables.

“Our members are either civil servants working in Putrajaya or retirees as well as several teachers and chefs,” said Kebun Komuniti Bandar Presint 16 (Precinct 16 Community Garden or KKB P16) head Md Naser Md Isa.

“We have 23 members with 15 active participants,” he said of the 700sq m garden that started in 2018.

Md Naser said the garden was an avenue for members to participate in an activity where they could be physically and socially active.

Being involved in community gardening helped them address issues commonly faced by urban dwellers such as obesity, high blood pressure, depression and mental health, he added.

The garden is located on open space and drain reserve land within the grounds of the government quarters.

It is also near several education and community facilities such as kindergarten, schools, market, food court and petrol station, which contribute to and support the garden’s activities.

“KKB P16 works with various strategic partners to ensure the garden serves its purpose,” Sim said of supporters such as Land Management Division, the agency under the Prime Minister’s Office that manages and maintains all government quarters.

The community garden is a space for residents of Precinct 16 government quarters to be in the outdoors, socialise and grow their own produce.

Support also comes from the Agriculture Department for advice and technical training as well as Putrajaya Residents Community Cooperative for marketing help.

KKB P16’s objectives include increasing social integration and health, improving the community’s economy, serving as an education hub and creating awareness on food security.

“The garden is designed to be disabled-friendly so it is accessible to everyone including people with disabilities (PWD), senior citizens and children,” said Md Naser, who is an assistant town planner at PPj’s City Planning Department.

“We have hosted PWDs for them to experience what an edible garden is like and we often have educational visits to teach children about agriculture and nature.”

Produce grown in the garden is for self consumption or shared with neighbours.

KKB P16 members comprise civil servants and retirees working in Putrajaya, as well as several teachers and chefs. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG and JADE CHAN/The Star

They include brinjal, sweet potato, mustard leaf, spinach, ladies’ fingers, ulam raja, pegaga, pineapple, banana and corn.

KKB P16 members also produce two downstream products to generate additional revenue – honey harvested from kelulut stingless bees and Brazilian spinach crisps called Bayam Brazil Crispy which are sold at PPj events or through KKB P16’s social media platforms.

All income earned is ploughed back into KKB P16 to ensure it is self sustaining.

Sim said KKB P16 worked with PPj’s Landscape and Park Department to design the garden.

Its centre area has planter boxes, garden beds and small fish pond while in the rear is workspace for preparing compost and nurturing seedlings.

“The community upcycles discarded construction materials such as bricks and zinc roofing into garden structures where possible to reduce wastage,” he said.

“Several innovations were also introduced here.

KKB P16 member Saifullah Mat Saupi checking on banana plants and harvesting ripened fruits.

“KKB P16 worked with Tetra Pak to turn the latter’s poly aluminium (polyAl) boards made from used beverage cartons into kelulut hives.

“Rather than the conventional method of chopping down trees to use the logs as hives, KKB P16 members found the polyAI to be more sustainable and have been using hives made from it for about 18 months to nurture the bee colony.”

Sim said KKB P16 also worked with PPj’s Landscape and Park Department on an “integrated platform drainage system”.

The integrated platform is placed above a drainage system to house several solar-powered hydroponic sheds to grow vegetables.

This optimises space usage as well as allows PPj access to the drain for maintenance work.

Honey harvested from kelulut stingless bees is one of the downstream products created by KKB P16 members.

KKB P16 has won several awards including Special Commendation at Placemaker Awards Asean 2021 and National Scroll of Honour Award for Human Settlements 2022 by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

More recently, it won a Diamond Award at Malaysian Institute of Planners’ MyPlace Awards 2023.

Sim said PPj’s next goal was for KKB P16 to become an agro-tourism site.

A place for respite

Laman SDG Putrajaya (Putrajaya SDG Site) is a PPJ initiative to improve, beautify and bring life to an existing public space.

“The idea was to turn a previously gloomy and underutilised 223sq m space in front of PPj’s office complex (near Maybank) into one that was more aesthetically pleasing and useful,” said Sim.

Kebun Komuniti Bandar Presint 16 members turn poly aluminium boards made from used beverage cartons into kelulut hives.

The site was launched by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al- Mustafa Billah Shah in conjunction with National Planning Congress in November 2019.

It was built in collaboration with MIP and strategic partners such as Putrajaya Federal Territory Education Department, Putrajaya Federal Territory Health Department and Putrajaya Federal Territory Food Truck Association.

Besides putting placemaking into practice by injecting new life into an existing space and making it more functional, Laman SDG Putrajaya also serves to educate the public about United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The site features large blocks highlighting the 17 SDG principles that double as benches, a platform made from polyAl that can be used as a small stage or for children to play a game of snakes and ladders, as well as plaque walls painted by a local artist to showcase some of Putrajaya’s local attractions.

Brazilian spinach is added to batter, deep-fried and sold as crisps to generate additional revenue. — Courtesy of Kebun Komuniti Bandar Presint 16.

“There was previously a book kiosk filled with child-friendly books to encourage children to read.

“Unfortunately it had to be removed due to vandalism,” said Sim.

“PPj still maintains and upkeeps Laman SDG Putrajaya as it is used as a place where people can sit and rest, especially when there are activities at nearby Dataran Putrajaya, or where people can have meals from nearby food kiosks.”

He added that it cost less than RM8,000 yearly for the site’s maintenance works.