ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Urbanisation significantly impacts cities, altering their natural environment and greeneries into a more manicured landscape. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been experiencing a similar process of urban landscape changes since the colonial era in the early 20th Century. The government's vision of achieving a "Beautiful Garden City" has been culturally accepted and embraced by the public. Sustaining the manicured landscape demands significant maintenance effort and costs that surpass the financial capacity of the local authority. Despite the potential to manage Kuala Lumpur’s urban parks towards an environmentally sustainable approach (ESA), delivering such practice in a tropical setting creates a distinct visual appearance contrary to the current manicured landscape that would challenge the local authority to gain public acceptance. This paper draws from survey findings of 258 park users of the selected urban parks in Kuala Lumpur on their preferred landscape style from randomly arranged photos of manicured (the existing landscape scene) and the naturalistic landscape (superimposed scene). The results indicate that the public, overall approves of both landscape styles for their appearance and safety attributes. Interestingly, the public would also accept changes towards a more naturalistic style considering its environmental function and aesthetic value. particularly at the water edge, followed by shrublands and semi-woodland areas. The lawn area is the least preferred area for such a landscape, being a prime social space in the park. In conclusion, this paper offers suggestions to improve the naturalistic landscape style, encouraging the local authorities to consider adopting this approach in managing tropical urban parks.
Alizadeh, B., & Hitchmough, J. (2019). A review of urban landscape adaptation to the challenge of climate change. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 11(2), 178-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2017-0179
Colding, J., Gren, Å., & Barthel, S. (2020). The Incremental Demise of Urban Green Spaces. Land, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/land9050162
Collins, C. M. T., Cook-Monie, I., & Raum, S. (2019). What do people know? Ecosystem services, public perception and sustainable management of urban park trees in London, U.K. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 43, 126362. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.06.005
Depietri, Y., & McPhearson, T. (2017). Integrating the Grey, Green, and Blue in Cities: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Reduction. In N. Kabisch, H. Korn, J. Stadler, & A. Bonn (Eds.), Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas: Linkages between Science, Policy and Practice (pp. 91-109). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56091-5_6
Dunnett, N., & Hitchmough, J. (2007). The Dynamic Landscape: Design, Ecology and Management of Naturalistic Urban Planting. Taylor & Francis.
Esbah, H., Maktav, D., Atatanir, L., & Sunar, F. (2012). Understanding urban growth patterns: a landscape ecology point of view.
Farbod, S. (2015). A Procedure for Selecting Naturalistic Images Based on Appleton’s Theory. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 5, 793-797. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJSSH.2015.V5.558
Gobster, P., Nassauer, J., Daniel, T., & Fry, G. (2007). The shared landscape: what does aesthetics have to do with ecology? Landscape Ecology, 22(7), 959-972. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-007-9110-x
Gundersen, V., Stange, E. E., Kaltenborn, B. P., & Vistad, O. I. (2017). Public visual preferences for dead wood in natural boreal forests: The effects of added information. Landscape and Urban Planning, 158, 12-24.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.09.020
Hanisah, M. H. N., Hitchmough, J. D., & Muda, A. (2012). The Perception of Kuala Lumpur Publics’ on Tree Retention and Urban Development. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 49, 215-226. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.07.020
Hitchmough, J. (2011). Exotic plants and plantings in the sustainable, designed urban landscape. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100(4), 380-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.02.017
Hwang, Y. H. (2015). Spontaneous Vegetation Transforming Manicured Lawns Into Selectively Maintained Biodiverse Gardens. In (pp. P101-108).
Hwang, Y. H., Yue, Z. E. J., Ling, S. K., & Tan, H. H. V. (2019). It’s ok to be wilder: Preference for natural growth in urban green spaces in a tropical city. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 38, 165-176. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.005
Idilfitri, S., & Mohamad, N. H. N. (2012). Role of Ornamental Vegetation for Birds' Habitats in Urban Parks: Case Study FRIM, Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 68, 894–909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.275
Idilfitri, S., Rodzi, N. I. M., Mohamad, N. H. N., & Sulaiman, S. (2015). Public Perception of the Cultural Perspective towards Sustainable Development. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 168, 191–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.224
Ibrahim, R., Clayden, A., & Cameron, R. (2020). Tropical urban parks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Challenging the attitudes of park management teams towards a more environmentally sustainable approach. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 126605. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126605
Ibrahim, R., Clayden, A., & Hitchmough, J. (2014). Adaptation of tropical urban park management in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia towards delivering ecologically sustainable landscape practice: Comparing benefits and challenges.
Ibrahim, R. (2016). Towards a sustainable landscape of urban parks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: a study from a management perspective [Thesis (PhD), University of Sheffield]. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/13641/
Ignatieva, M., Eriksson, F., Eriksson, T., Berg, P., & Hedblom, M. (2017). The lawn as a social and cultural phenomenon in Sweden. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 21, 213-223. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.12.006
Jorgensen, A., Hitchmough, J., & Dunnett, N. (2007). Woodland as a setting for housing-appreciation and fear and the contribution to residential satisfaction and place identity in Warrington New Town, UK. Landscape and Urban Planning, 79(3–4), 273-287. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2006.02.015
Khew, J. Y. T., Yokohari, M., & Tanaka, T. (2014). Public Perceptions of Nature and Landscape Preference in Singapore. Human Ecology, 42(6), 979-988.
Kingsbury, N. (2008). Contemporary Overview of Naturalistic Planting Design. In N. Dunnett & J. Hitchmough (Eds.), The Dynamic Landscape (pp. 58). Taylor & Francis.
Konijnendijk, C. C., Annerstedt, M., Nielsen, A. B., & Sreetheran, M. (2013). Benefits of Urban Parks. T. I. F. o. P. a. R. A. IFPRA. http://www.ifpra.org/images/park-benefits.pdf
Lis, A., Pardela, ?., & Iwankowski, P. (2019). Impact of Vegetation on Perceived Safety and Preference in City Parks. Sustainability, 11(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226324
Muratet, A., Pellegrini, P., Dufour, A.-B., Arrif, T., & Chiron, F. (2015). Perception and knowledge of plant diversity among urban park users. Landscape and Urban Planning, 137, 95-106. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.01.003
Nassauer, J. I. (1995). messy ecosystems, orderly frames. landscape journal(15).
Nassauer, J. I. (2011). Care and stewardship: From home to planet. Landscape and Urban
Planning, 100(4), 321-323.
https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.02.022
Nath, T. K., Zhe Han, S. S., & Lechner, A. M. (2018). Urban green space and well-being in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 36, 34-41. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.09.013
Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2021). New urban models for more sustainable, liveable and healthier cities post covid19; reducing air pollution, noise and heat island effects and increasing green space and physical activity. Environment International, 157, 106850. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106850
Nijnik, M., & Mather, A. (2008). Analysing public preferences concerning woodland development in rural landscapes in Scotland. Landscape and Urban Planning, 86(3–4), 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2008.03.007
Politi Bertoncini, A., Machon, N., Pavoine, S., & Muratet, A. (2012). Local gardening practices shape urban lawn floristic communities. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105(1–2), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.11.017
Wu, Z., Chen, R., Meadows, M. E., Sengupta, D., & Xu, D. (2019). Changing urban green spaces in Shanghai: trends, drivers and policy implications. Land Use Policy, 87, 104080. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104080
Özgüner, H., & Kendle, A. D. (2006). Public attitudes towards naturalistic versus designed landscapes in the city of Sheffield (UK). Landscape and Urban Planning, 74(2), 139-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2004.10.003
Zhang, H., Chen, B., Sun, Z., & Bao, Z. (2013). Landscape perception and recreation needs in urban green space in Fuyang, Hangzhou, China. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 12(1), 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2012.11.001
(Ariffin et al., 2024)
Ariffin, N. D. M., Ibrahim, R., Maulan, S., & Bakar, S. A. (2024). Manicured Versus Naturalistic Landscape Style: Public Preference of Urban Park’s Landscape in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(4), 1184–1201.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode