Karakter fizikal jalan tradisional, kajian kes di Melaka, Malaysia

Abstract

The aim of this research is to characterize the physical elements which shape the street character in Malaysia using the traditional street as a case study. As streets are essential public open space of a city, designing a good street is important to produce a street with great character in the city. Due to rapid urbanization, many streets are designed to meet the needs of vehicular movement. As such it reduces the functionality of the street as a place or social arena. For instance, the design of new building does not respond towards the existing context, as well as the development that interfere with local activities. To overcome this, it is worthwhile to refer to the unique quality of traditional street design as one approach to improve the street characteristic as it presents a place with local character and values. Three streets in the Melaka Historical City Centre were chosen, namely, Tukang Besi Street, Tukang Emas Street and Tokong Street for this study because the character can be used as a model for new street design. Data were gathered from mixed-methods approach. The qualitative data collections involves in-depth interview and mind mapping from user perception (n=21), in-depth interview from professional perception, field observation and document review of historical data. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, quantitative data collection involving questionnaire survey (n=330) were carried out and analyzed statistically. The concluding result was determined through triangulation of all data and subsequently to relate with the established theories. The findings indicate that the uniqueness of traditional street can be characterized into three components, namely, building, landscape and street pattern where each component encompasses its own appearance and function. These unique components of traditional street character can be useful as a guide for a new street design that meets the needs of local character. Finding of this research could assist urban designers, architects and policy makers in designing new streets as public realm in Malaysia context.