Green campus in promoting green open spaces in University Technology Malaysia Kuala Lumpur campus

Abstract

Besides, universities have similar character to the small cities in terms of population, their large size and many different activities taking place in campuses, which have directly or indirectly impacts on the environment. Majority of new development in the university campus relies on the car dependencies which parking lots are occupied open spaces that lead to the environmental pollution and degradation. Although extensive environmental protection efforts can be seen at some universities, however, there is still a lack of a systematic and sustainable approach to reducing the negative impacts of those activities and making the campus environment friendly. The purpose of this study is to evaluate quality of open space for learning environments and identifies features that promote its quality as meaningful to students. The study was conducted through mixed-method approach using a case study in University Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur Campus. Data collection of the study was used quantitative method and qualitative method by using questionnaire distributed to 100 students and direct observation on the site, respectively. This focuses on the importance of the architectural, landscape design and greening strategies. These three strategies have been proposed to improve campus open spaces and aim to extend more green space played significant role in promoting outdoor activities and social interaction between students. The result shows that the existing green open spaces also are not well-designed due to lack of facilities, improper design and lacking of shaded trees. Analysis of UTM maps also shows that ratio of parking lots area are equal open spaces area with 35 percentages that lead to the environment unfriendly. Hence, this study identified factors of open spaces designs that contribute to achieve campus sustainability. This could remedy the limitations of the current environmental management practices in universities and ensures more sustainability through aforementioned strategies.