THE winners of the Master Plan competition for the urban regeneration programme of Taman Free School will be announced at Komtar Walk on Nov 1 (Tuesday).
The competition is open to the public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) which offer a course in urban and regional planning such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIAM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah (POLIMAS).
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh said he was happy that PLANMalaysia Penang has chosen the Taman Free School site for the competition. It ran from Oct 12 until today.
He reiterated that the state government has identified five old housing schemes for the urban regeneration programme, namely the 5-Point Blocks in Bayan Baru, Rifle Range Flats, Taman Free School Flats, Mak Mandin Flats and Taman Siakap Flats.
“The planning for the renewal programme at the 5 Point Blocks in Bayan Baru is now at the advanced stage. We will look at one project in Seberang Perai after this and the third one at Taman Free School.
“We want to do something better for the people. There are 1,128 units in Taman Free School, ranging from 200 plus sq ft to 300 to 400sq ft. Some are one-room units.
“We will have a minimum of 650sq ft for a unit, even to 850sq ft. Every owner will get a unit free.
“It must be liveable. On top of that, we must build more facilities, maybe a swimming pool,” Jagdeep said at the launch of the Master Plan competition at Taman Free School park today.
He said when he visited England recently, he was impressed with an urban regeneration programme spanning 76 hectares at King’s Cross in London.
“If they could do it, why can’t we? We will do it,” he said.
PLANMalaysia Penang director Rozita Hamit said one of the aims of the competition was for the IPTA students to contribute their inputs that may be helpful for the Penang Housing Board and state government to apply in planning for the urban regeneration programme.
She said PLANMalaysia’s themes for this year’s World City Planning Day 2022 Celebration at the national level is “Liveable Malaysia: Transforming Our City for a Better Urban Future” and the state level is “Penang: Liveable and Inspiring Communities”.
Also present at the launch were Penang Island City Council (MBPP) secretary Datuk A. Rajendran, Penang Housing Board general manager Ainul Fadhilah Samsudi and PLANMalaysia Penang deputy director Abd Talip Abd Rahman.
Story by K.H. Ong