WALKABILITY OF BORDER SPACES: FROM JOHOR BAHRU CIQ TO WOODLANDS CHECKPOINT

Abstract

For the residents of Johor Bahru, Singapore is often viewed as an ideal location for work, study, and tourism.. These transnational activities reflect the close ties between Malaysia and Singapore. Simultaneously, the border suggests a distinguished social phenomenon in which crossing borders becomes a routine aspect of the commuters’ daily lives. However, the border between Singapore and Johor Bahru has been experiencing serious traffic congestion due to this daily cross-border activity. Although the checkpoints of both nations were replaced in succession by two new mega buildings,, the architectural planning expresses divisive borderlands that contradicts with the social phenomenon. I contend that the failure of the walkability planning of the border is a result of political tension between both nations. These divisive borderlands are left with no clear governance by either nation. My study emerged as a result of three distinct points. (1) The daily transnational activities redefine the fundamental function of border space. (2) The political tension between both nations determines the balance of the social & physical border landscape. (3) The walkability of the border could be a key to dissolving major confusions of the border’s social equilibrium. First, the study elaborates how the political tension and close relationship between the two nations resulted in the existing border planning and how the border’s walkability is important. Second, the discussion explores the factors that influence walkability in greater depth. The last chapter features a more detailed site discussion analyzing the current walkability of the border. This dissertation seeks to reconfigure the architecture planning in relation to the walkability of the border between Johor Bahru and Singapore. It aims to turn the border’s heterotopia, transient and temporal characteristics into a walkable and socially oriented place. The improvement of the border’s walkability could find an order in the disorder of the current politically-led border’s planning, and mitigate the confusion among the social, economic and political chaotic phenomena.