Urban Regeneration and Public Space: Lessons on Early Intervention of Community-Based Micro-Planning

Abstract

Documenting lessons learned from revitalization projects through community-based micro-planning is crucial in developing countries, as it lacks mainstream urban regeneration recognition. This research aimed to evaluate the early intervention of community gardening or urban farming initiatives under an urban regeneration project: the Special Area Action Plan Section 13, Petaling Jaya City, Malaysia. This single case study was investigated using the mixed-methods approach. In the quantitative approach, 200 samples were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. In the qualitative approach, eight interviews were conducted and analyzed via thematic analysis. The findings show that the respondents are sceptical about the awareness, safety infrastructure and support services, caretaker, and land ownership concerns surrounding the proposal for community gardening at the Sungai Penchala monsoon drain area. When revitalizing left-over urban public spaces, authorities are recommended to plan more awareness intervention campaigns, enhance safety infrastructure designs, provide policy support in appointing caretakers, and resolve land acquisition matters to realize and sustain the regeneration projects in the public interest. This study contributes lessons learned by auditing the early intervention urban regeneration initiatives in development plans, particularly in fourth-tier-community-based micro-planning in a developing country.