According to local government and planning law expert Derek Fernandez, this is because the federal capital has no gazetted local plan in force.
“Any policy regarding abolishing open car parks must be put into a local plan, and that too after a proper public participation process, as provided for under the Federal Territory Planning Act 1982.
“At present, there is a need for multi-storey car parks in the city and this should be planned for these plots of land.
“It is not advisable to remove all open car parks or multi-storey car parks in the city,” Fernandez told FMT.
He was asked to comment on the “green city” plan by Urban Wellbeing Centre of Excellence (Urbanice) Malaysia, which aims to put an end to open car parks in the federal capital over the next 20 years.
Urbanice knowledge management director Azmizam Abdul Rashid had said the city would be transformed into a green area with car parks converted into micro-housing and pocket parks or urban jungles.
Urbanice is reportedly working with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on the pocket parks, which will include a network of pedestrian walkways in the city.
Fernandez said another grouse he has on the matter was on public transport connectivity in the city.
“The public transport interconnect and pedestrian infrastructure is still not sufficiently developed to justify completely phasing out open car parks.”
He called on DBKL to leave the current open car parks as they were, saying they served an important function for those travelling to the city.
Many open car parks are eventually used for new building projects. However, it is not known where exactly these mini-gardens are being planned or the ownership of these vacant lots.
DBKL has been increasing car park rates in the city over the past few years in efforts to get more people to use public transportation.
No more open car parks in KL in 20 years
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