THE VALUE OF DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE URBAN COMMUNITIES IN THE KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Urban communities in Malaysia are being developed at a great intensity, due to the nation's drive towards industrialisation. Malaysia's fastest growing urban population is concentrated in the Klang Valley, where the population growth rate of 6.5 percent per annum is two and a half times the national average (Department of Statistics, Malaysia, 2001). It is acknowledged that unsustainable practices in urban development are the cause of various negative impacts such as floods, landslides and destruction of the natural environment in the Klang Valley. In an attempt to look at options to reduce unsustainable practice, this paper identifies that there are business strategies for sustainable growth that can be applied to the development of sustainable communities. These business strategies succeed because they create tangible value for their stakeholders. Recommendations for the application of these strategies to local community development projects are suggested.