Archi

Architecture 110 Safe City Programme inMALACCA, Malaysia: Some Initiatives in Crime Prevention Yong Chee Kong Jasin Municipal Council , 77000 Jasin, Malacca, Malaysia [email protected] AbstractMalaysiasexperienceofrapiddevelopmentover thepasttwodecadeshasshapedacomplexsocietystructure. However,over-focusonphysicaldevelopmentandeconomic wealthcreation,necessitatedsocialneedhasunintentionally causedtheincreaseofincivilityandcriminalactivitiesthatis now obviously threatening societys harmony and peace. Aware oftheneedtotackletheissue,theCabineton28January 2004decidedtoimplementtheSafeCityConceptwhichhad beenintroducedbytheCrimePreventionFoundationof Malaysia(CPFM)tostrengthenlawenforcementasin controllingcrimeratesinMalaysia.FollowingtheCabinets decision, all new developments especially new townships have to adopt the Safe City Concept to create a safe and peaceful urban living environment in order to ensure that cities remain safe and vibrant places to live, work, visit and to do business.Governments alsotake a seriousviewon theissuesof crimepreventionandrecently,PrimeMinisterofMalaysia introduced sixNational KeyResultsAreas(NKRA), and crime prevention be one of the NKRA, in order to reduce up to 20% of streetcrimesbyend 2010. This paperdiscusses someMalacca, Malaysiainitiativesincrimepreventionactionplanespecially stepsthatintroducedbyFederalDepartmentofTownand Country Planning. I. BACKGROUND OurMalaysiansocietyisnowmorematerialistic, individualistic andimpolite, as manifestedin the burgeoning crimerates.TanSriDatoDr.LeeLamThye,theVice PresidentofCrimePreventionFoundationofMalaysia (CPFM)hasmentionedthatalmosteveryday,atleastone crime,anti-socialbehaviourorpersonalsafetyissuetakes place in Malaysia.Besidesthat,otherrootcausessuchaseducation, economicandpersonalproblems,aswell as physicalfactors alsocontributedtowardscrimecases.Undueconsideration onenvironmentaldesigns,whichincludeslighting, temperature,pressure,soundandsoon,couldalsocause crimetotakeplace.ThishasbeenmentionedbyOscar Newman(1972)inDefensibleSpace,thateverysingle elementinenvironmentwillaffecthumanactivities especially in housing areas. II. SAFE CITY CONCEPT Safe City is defined as an urban centre which is free from all physical, social, and mental threats (Lam, 2000). The objective of Safe City concept is to work with police and other city stakeholders to promote, develop and implement initiativesdesignedto preventcrimesagainstthesocietyandanti-social behaviour, and also towards minimising the fear of crimes in the city.Safe City concept is infact no longer a new idea in crime prevention,assimilarideassuchasneighbourhoodconcept, territorialconcept,urbanfortress,urbanvillageandgated communityhavelongbeenadoptedinthewesterncountriesin theirplanmakingprocess.Oneofthisconceptsobjectivesisto createsenseofbelongingamongthelocalcommunityandto prevent non-residents from entering the territory, in turn enhancing safety and creating a peaceful housing environment.TheSafe Cityconceptcould befirmerifitis established onthebeliefofpreventionisbetterthancure,whereplanning actsatthefirststagetopreventcriminalactivities.Commitment amonggovernmentbodies-policeandenforcementbodies, privates and non-government organizations as well as the public to cooperatetogethertowardspreventingcriminalactivitiesthrough environmentaldesignisessentiallyimportant.Crimeprevention throughenvironmentaldesignisanotherimportantinputwhere conceptslikedefensiblespacecanbeimplementedtodevelop resilient,peacefulandsecurehousingareas.Inaddition,local community also has to playa more active role in coming out with custom-designedsolution.Neighbourhoodprogrammeslike NeighbourhoodWatchisimportanttowardsimplementingcrime prevention, where the purpose of this programme is to develop and maintaincommunitypreventionandinterventionsystemswhich providecollaborativeandmulti-disciplinarystrategies,education, and planning in the areas of crime prevention. III. CRIME PREVENTION APPROACH Generallytherearetwoapproachesincrimeprevention. The first approach is by law and order, where its advocators believe thatlackofregulationswillincreasethecriminalcases.This approachemphasizesonwrittenandnon-writtenlaw,ordersand regulations, besides increasing the number of enforcement staff like policemenandlocalauthorityenforcementmembers. Unfortunately,experiencehasraisedthequestionofeffectiveness ofthisapproach.Evensomecountriesstatisticshaveproventhat 111 increasingthenumberofpolicemenhadfailedtoreducethe crime index (Lam, 2000).Ontheotherhand,thesecondapproachfocuseson rootcauses,suchaseconomicfactor,discrimination,failure ofeducationsystemorotherfactors.Thisapproachneeds commitmentfromallpartiesandhugefinancialsupportto developanintegratedandlongtermmasterplan.This approachmaypromisebetterimprovementinthelongterm though it may be difficult to get commitment from all parties withdifferentopinioninshortterm(G.R.Wekerleand Whitzman,1995).MostMalaysiansagreedwiththis approach and proposed more cooperation with the police as it is the most important crime prevention body (Lam, 2000). IV. MALAYSIA INITIATIVES PrimeMinisterDatukSeriNajibTunRazak introducedsixNationalKeyResultsAreas(KNRA),on11 July2009,duringthe100daysofNajibwiththePeople function in Kuala Lumpur. Among the six NKRA are, raising thelivingstandardofthelowincomepeople,upgrading infrastructureinruralandinteriorregions,improvingpublic transportation,wideningaccesstoqualityandaffordable education, fighting corruption and Crime Prevention. In order to reduce up to 20% of street crimes by end 2010, main focus will be on three areas, namely; Streetcrimesthiscategoryaccountsfor17%of Malaysiasoverallcrimeratein2008andincludesnatch thefts,unarmedrobberythattheycausetraumaand prolonged fear to family members and society.PerceptiontowardsPublicSafetytoimprove peoplesperceptions,thegovernmentwillleverageonthe assistanceofavailablevoluntarybodiestofacilitatecrime reduction.ThesebodiesincludeRELAwhowillbegiven proper and adequate training so that they can work alongside the PDRM in efforts to eradicate street crime. Relevant police stationswillalsobeupgradedandinstalledwiththe necessary crime control and prevention equipment and tools, e.g. more CCTVs. EnforcementAgencies-TheMinistryofHome AffairsistoworkwiththeAttorney-GeneralsDepartment andthePrimeMinistersDepartmenttoresearchwaysto acceleratethelegal processon delayed cases,e.g.creatinga tribunal pr special court for street crimes. Besidesthat,FederalDepartmentofTownand Country Planning has introduced 23 steps as the guidelines or solutions to enhance implementation of the Safe City concept basedonfeedbackfromthenon-governmentorganizations, criminologists,localauthoritiesandofficialsfromHousing andLocalGovernmentMinistry.Theseguidelineswhich havebeenpresentedon10August2004,andbeen categorizedintothreegroupsofstrategies,namely:physical planninganddesign,targethardening,andsocialactivitiesand public awareness.a)Physical planning and design strategies include;Pedestrian / vehicle segregationConstruction of bollardsWalkways landscapingMore research on crime preventionSharing crime information through GIS-Based mapping Review on housing layout planning guidelines b)Target hardening strategies include; More pondok polis More crime awareness signage Safety mirrors or reflectorsSecurity systems (i.e. safety alarm)Cleanliness of public spaces / graffiti removalSufficient motorcycle parking spaces which are lockable Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Audio Monitors Excellent lighting levels at commercial area especially the corridor Avoidance of nooks, crannies and non-visibility spaces Prohibitionofcarandmotorcycleparkingatcorridorsor pedestrian walkways Increase social activities especially at commercial areas Improve private security guard services c)Social activities and public awareness strategies include; Education and awareness activities Increase crime awareness through brochures, booklets Caretaking patrols Asitisnow,3LocalAuthorityinMalaysiahavebeen implemented all 23 steps as showed, while 30 LA implemented 19-22 steps, 5 LA implemented 14-18 steps, 1 LAimplemented 12-13 steps.AsinMalaccastate,all3LAhasimplementedSafeCity Concept with MBMB achieved 96%, MPAG 96 % and MPJ 70%. ThismightoneofthereasonsthatMalaccastateachievesthe lowest crime rate among all states in Malaysia. Thecrimepreventionprogrammecanalsobeintegratedinto LocalAgenda21toheightenawarenessoflocalcommunity regarding the importance of local residents involvement. Very few peopleareinapositiontoprotecttheirpropertyallthetime.By gettingtoknowourneighbours,wecanlookoutforeachother's interest andfeel securethat someonemay help to watch our home wheneverwearenotaround.TheNeighbourhoodWatch programme with its objectivetoimprove crimeawareness level as wellastoencouragelocalcommunityworkingincollaboration with policemen, is indeed an effective strategy on crime prevention (Lam, 2000).To quote a local example, the Local Residents Society (PPBB) hasorganisedmonthlymeetingstodiscusscriminalissues,the 112 solutionsandtheeffectivenessofpoliceandcaretaking patrols.Besidesthat,alotofactivitiessuchasannual dinners,sportsday,andothersocialactivitiesalsobeen carriedouttoenhancethesenseofcommunityamongthe residents.Atthesametime,theCrimePreventionSchool Club established under the Safe City programme also tried to educateschoolchildrenonbecominggoodcitizenswith basicsafetyskills.TheClubsprogrammesincludesummer camps, learning trips and briefing sessions (Lam, 2000). V. OTHER INITIATIVES Clearspacedefinitionwithsymbolicgatewaycan encourageandhelplocalresidentstakefurtheractions whenevertheysuspecttrespassingorincivilityactivities. ThishasbeenmentionedunderSection27oftheCriminal Procedure Code; Citizen Arrest, where citizensare given the authorityand rightstoarrest any criminalsforcrimeswhich happeninpublicwithoutthepresenceofpolicemen. Unfortunately the current housing developments create many incidentalspaceswhichbecomeundefinedpublicspaces. Theseundefinedspaceswillfinallybecomeurbandeserts andpotentialcrimespots.Planningconceptslikecul-de-sac orloop-streetisapositivedesignconceptforsurveillance (P.Stollard, 1991) and for preventing the undefined spaces to beunintentionallyturnedintourbandesert.Basicallyit dependsonhowthenetworkofpublicspacedividesthe environmentintoblocks.Aplacewithsmallblocksgives more choice of routes than onewith large blocks. Therefore, smallerblocksgivemorephysicalpermeabilityand encourage more potential crime spots.In a town centre, a variety ofactivities is the key to preventing commercialareasfrombecomingpotentialcrime spots.Amixtureofprimaryandsecondaryactivitieswill drawpeopletothisareaandcreateexchangeopportunities like goods, knowledge, work culture, friendship and spiritual support.Thepurposeofpromotingvarietyandchoiceof activitiesatvariedtimesistopreventthecitycentrefrom fallingintodeteriorationandbecomingapotentialcrime spot. Jane Jacobs (1961) found that a mixture of all land uses withhighpopulationwillincreasethecommunityspiritand sense of belonging through increasing the street activities and becoming natural surveillance. Allaccess points to buildings also need to be clearly defined. VI. CONCLUDING REMARK Most Malaysians depend on policemen and security personnelasthemosteffectivewaytopreventcrime.Other meansincludeNeighbourhoodWatchprogrammeandsafe environmentaldesign(Lam,2000).Fromthelawenforcers (policeman)perspective,however,SafeCityactuallyshould beinitiatedbylocalresidents;moreoverrelatedagencies suchasCrimePreventionFoundationofMalaysia(CPFM), EducationDepartment,NationalUnityDepartment,Youthand SportsDepartmentsandresidentassociationsshouldalsoplayan important role in implementing and realizing the Safe City concept.Whatever the strategies, continuous assessments should be carried out to determine their effectiveness in terms of its impact on the perceived safety and crime level ofcity. Such assessment may also help answer these questions : can law enforcement alone have positiveimpactoncrimeprevention?canitsucessfullyand consistentlyyield therequiredresults?howcanexistingresources beeffectivelycombinedtoproducethegreatestimplementation synergy?Allinall,localauthoritiesandtherelatedstakeholders must be aware of the threats of crime on personal safety as well as itsdisruptiveimpactonthedailylifeandfutureprosperityofthe city,andmoreimportantlymusttakedueactioncollectivelyto ensurethesafetyandsustainabilityofthecommunityinthelong run. REFERENCES [1]BeritaHarian(19Oktober2004),Rencana:KeArahBandarBebas Jenayah, Malaysia. [2]CityofSydneyCouncil(2001),Sydney;SafeCity19982001, Sydney. http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ [3]JabatanPerancanganBandardanDesa,SemenanjungMalaysia(2004), ProgramBandarSelamat;Ilustrasi23LangkahPencegahJenayah, KertasMesyuaratJawatankuasaPerundingPerbadananPerbandaran-Perbandaran Malaysia (JKPPP) Bil. 2/2004. [4]JabatanPerancanganBandardanDesa,SemenanjungMalaysia(2004), PerancanganBandarSelamat,KertasPembentanganKursusDiploma Pengurusan Awam (DPA) Sesi 2/2003, Kuala Lumpur. [6]Jacobs,Jane(1961),TheDeathandLifeofGreatAmericanCities, New York. [7]Lam,SweeChee(2000),KajianPelaksanaanKonsepBandar SelamatdalamKawasanPerumahandiMalaysia.KawasanKajian: BandarBaruBangsar,RumahAwamSriJohor4C,Cheras,Kuala LumpurdanTamanUniversiti,Skudai,JohorBahru.ThesisIjazah SarjanaMudaPerancanganBandardanWilayah,UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia, Skudai. [8]Lee, Lam Thye (2004), Mewujudkan Bandar Selamat Menerusi Reka BentukPersekitaran,KertasUcapanKhasMesyuaratPegawaiKanan PerancangBandardanDesaMalaysiaKe-18danPelancaranSambutan Hari Perancangan Bandar Sedunia 2004, Shah Alam.[9]LembagaPenyelidikanUndang-undang(2000),PanduanUndang-Undang Jenayah, International Law Book Services, Kuala Lumpur. [10]Newman, Oscar (1972), Defensible Space Crime Prevention through Urban Design, New York: The Macmillan Company. [11]SafeNeighbourhoodsUnit(SNU)(1993),CrimePreventionon Council Estates, London: HMSO. [12]Stollard, P (1991), Crime Prevention Through Housing Design, Great Britain, T.J. Press (Padstow) Ltd. [13]Vogel, Mary (1993), Design for Saint Paul Public Safety: A Guide for MakingaSaferPublicRealm,CityofSaintPaulDepartmentof Planning and Economic Development. [14]WekerleG.R.andWhitzman,C(1995),SafeCityGuidelinesfor Planning,DesignandManagement,NewYork:VanNostrand Reinhold. [15]Whitzman,C(1994),InToronto,PlanningistheBestDefence, Planning, Vol.60.[16]YayasanPencegahanJenayahMalaysia(1999),BuletinYayasan Pencegahan Jenayah Malaysia (CPFM) Kuala Lumpur. [17]http://www.muni.org/healthssd/safe.cfm [18]http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=66618 113 Mechanisms to Promote Rental Housing as an Affordable Option for the Low-income Groups in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area Ranjith Perera Urban Environmental Management Program School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology Km 42, Paholyothin Road, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand [email protected] Abstract Low-income groups often have an unstable economy, mostlyduetotheirinformalnatureofactivities.Theirplaceof stayisusuallytransitional;itchangeswiththechangeintheir occupation. In such circumstances, they do not prefer to invest in homeownership.ThehousingsectorofBangkokmanifeststhis situationforthelow-incomefamilieswhereinpeopleareopting for rental units. The increasing demand for rental housing in the peripheralareasofBangkokcityhasledtoamarketdriven supplyofaffordablerentalunitsforthelow-incomegroups.A researchwasconductedtounderstandthedynamicfactors influencingtheexistingrentalhousingscenarioinsixsub-districtsoftheBangkokMetropolitanArea(BMA).Findings from the research provided an insight towards the need for low-incomerentalhousingandmeanstoencouragethesupplyof rentalunits.Proximitytoplaceofworkisoneofthemain criteriaforthetenantstoselecttheirrentalunit.Theyounger populationtendstorentmoreastheirfutureoccupationand whereaboutsareprecarious.Somemigrantsavoid homeownership in urban areas as they already own a property in theirhometownwheretheyintendtoreturninfuture.Thus, rentalformofaccommodationisoneofthemostconvenient formsofshelterforthetemporarylow-incometenants.This papergivesanoverviewoftheresearchfindingsandproposes mechanismsthatwouldhelptopromoterentalhousingasan effective way to expand shelter for the low-income groups. Keywords/Phrases low-income groups, rental housing, housing market, housing typology, proximity I. INTRODUCTION Low-incomehousingisjustanothersymptomof low-incomepeoplesstruggleforsurvival[2].Thelow-incomefamiliesfaceaheavierburdenintermsoftheir struggleforeconomicandphysicalsurvival.Guerraand Guerra[2]furthermentionthatthelaborandemploymentof low-incomegroupofpeopleinboththeformalandinformal sectorsisundervaluedduetowhichtheycannotaccumulate savings.Asaconsequencetheirchancesofinvestinginland and housing become virtually impossible. Thus, renting a unit is often a more feasible option than buying a house for the low income families. Renting often tends to be a feature of the early part of the life cycleandparticulartypesoffamiliesinmostcountriesthat always tend to rent include recent migrants, young and mobile populations,students,singleprofessionals,andcouples without children [8]. For tenants with guaranteed tenure living near the centres of Cairo, Delhi or Mexico City, for example, renting may offer just as much security as ownership [1]. This phenomenonisapparentlywitnessedinthelow-income housing set-up of Bangkok. II. RENTAL HOUSING DEMAND BY THE LOW-INCOME IN BMA Inthelastfivedecades,therehasbeenamassive migrationfromruraltourbanareasinThailand.Between 1951and2001,theproportionofgrossdomesticproduct (GDP)generatedbytheagriculturalsectordeclinedfrom38 percentto9percent,whilethatcontributedbythe manufacturing sector increased from 14 percent to 34 percent. Particularly Bangkok experienced the influx of this migration asthemanufacturingandservicesectorgradually concentrated in the capital and its surrounding areas. With this expansionhascometheconcomitantneedtohousethe growingnumberoffactoryworkers,servicepeople,foreign managers,andmigrantlabourworkerswhohavebeen attractedtothecityinpursuitofadecentlivelihood[4]. ConversingaboutsuchdevelopmentSimpsonetal[7]state, theimpactofgrowthontheexistingpopulationdepends initiallyontheavailabilityoflocalhousing.InThailand,the BangkokMetropolitanArea(BMA)wasgrippedbythe inevitabledemandofhousingforthelow-incomefamilies who sought after rental units. TheNationalStatisticsOffice[3]revealedthat44.4 percentoftheresidentsinBangkokMetropolitanRegionare tenants.Asignificantportionoftheserentersbelongtothe low-incomegroup.YapandWandeler[9]estimated500,000 rental units for low-income groups in Bangkok during a study undertakenin1991.Theseunitswereinhabitedbyabout1.4 millionofthetotal6.0millionresidentsofBangkok, accountingfor8percentofthetotalpopulation.This explicitlymanifeststhatahugepopulationofBangkoklives in some form of rental housing. Unlike many other developing countries relying on government-subsidized housing programs toshelterthegrowingpopulations,theprivatesectorin Bangkokspearheadedtheefforttomeet housingdemand[4]. Moreover,Sengupta[6]statesthattheprivatesectorplaysa keyroleinthe rental housingbydealingmoreprofessionally in raising rents and managing the estates due to its marketing andmanagerialskillsandwithouthavinganypolitical entanglements. 114 Source: Adapted from Guerra and Guerra [2] Varioustypesofrentalhousinghavebeeninsupplyin Bangkoktomeetthehousingdemandofthelow-income group asobservedinTable1.Thesediverseoptions notonly helpinabsorbinghousingshortage,butalsofunctionasthe mostvibrantareasthatsustain thecityactivities[2].There is stillanincreasingdemandofrentalunitsamongstthelow-incomegroupinspiteoftherentalaccommodationpresently available. III. OVERVIEW OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE LOW-INCOME TENANTS Therentalhousingscenarioforthelow-income families in Bangkok is influenced by various factors related totenantsandlandlords.Someofthesefactorsarefinancial conditions of the low- income tenants, their attitude towards rentingandowning,typeoftenancy,qualityofrentalunits andcommunitysurroundings.Researchwasundertakento study these affecting factors in six districts of Bangkok and its surrounding provinces. A reconnaissance surveywas initially undertaken for identifyingthesub-districtshavingsignificantlow-income familieswithrentalaccommodation.Feedbackfrom communityleadersandkeyinformerswasalsohelpfulin deriving an estimation of the low-income tenants in the areas. The sub-districts of Bangkapi, Ladkrabang and Yannawa were preferredfromBangkok,whilethesub-districtsofKlong Luang, Phra Pra Daeng and Krathum Baen from Pathumthani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces respectivelywere selected. Employer-provided Housing Occupant-Initiated Housing Government-initiated Housing (public) Developer-built Housing Factory siteSingle housesRentalRental flats Domestic workersSquatter/ Legal slumHousing for saleSingle, duplex, town houses Institutional workersMobile (boats)Condominiums Construction workersRural/suburbanShop houses Fig. 1: Geeographical Extent of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area TABLE 1 TYPES OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING SUPPLY IN BANGKOK 115 Thereafter,areasonablesamplesizeof200low-incomefamilieswastakenfromeachsub-district;percapita income being the yardstick during selection of rental units for interviewingthetenants.Assuch,familieswiththemonthly incomeof10,000THB(300USD)areclassifiedasthelow-incomecategoryinThailand.Theresearchfindingswere analyzed based on the various factors having an impact on the low-incomerentalhousing,whichhasbeendiscussedbelow. Perception survey was used to assess the quality of rental unit andbuildingfacilities.Subsequentlymechanismswere proposedtopromotethesupplyofrentalhousinginamore effective manner. A. Background of the low-income tenants Tenants,fromthelow-incomegroupsinparticular, tendtohaveasmallerfamilysizeascomparedtoownersin mostcitiesoftheworld[8].Thisphenomenonwasreflected inthe low-incomegroupofBangkok astheaverage numbers ofoccupantsintherentalunitswas2.4,withmanyfamilies havinglessthanorequaltoonly2members.Mostofthe tenantswerefactoryworkers,simplewageworkers,small businessenterprisers,privateworkersandstudents.Itwas foundthatmajorityofthesetenantswereyoungandoften single. Usuallytheageofthefamilyheadintherentalunits waslessthan35years.Mostofthelow-incomefamilies had thepercapitaincomeofBaht5,899THB(177USD).Their averagemonthlyincomewasfoundtobe11,900THB(357 USD) while the monthly income ranged from 7,500 to 10,000 THB (225 to 300 USD). Proximitytoworkplaceandavailabilityofhouses were the prime reasons for the tenants to rent the present unit. Asignificantmajorityof64percentoftheworkingtenants informedabouttravellinglessthan 5km totheirworkplace. AsseeninTable2,thetimeanddistancetraveledbythe tenantsfromtheirplaceofstayreflectedtheirmain considerationofproximitytotheirplaceofworkinselection of the unit. B. Tenants attitude towards renting and owning The tenant-landlord relationship in most of the cases in Bangkok was generally not conflictive. Majority of the tenants werefoundtohaveaverbalagreementwiththeirlandlord. Thissituationwasbeneficialtoboth,thelow-incometenants aswellasthelandlords.Thetenantshadthelibertytoleave the place as per their wish in absenceof awritten agreement, especiallyiftheygotabetteropportunity.Meanwhilethe landlordcouldescapethetaxinterestrequiredtobepaidon therentalincome.Theyoungertenantswereunableto anticipate their future place of work and hence were not ready to buy a house in that very area. Some of them even intended toreturntotheirhometowninfuture.Moreovertheywere reluctanttoenteraschemewhichrequiredthe payment of TABLE 2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESENT RENTAL UNIT AND WORK PLACE Districts Principle criteria for moving to current location Tenants with office within5 km (%) Predominant transport mode to work Predominant time range to reach work mode%minutes% Klong Luang Work place proximity 70Walk46