WEAVING INFRASTRUSTURE : NEW JOHOR BAHRU CUSTOM DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

In response to the proposed masterplan for Johor Bahru (JB, capital city of Johor, Malaysia) by its city council, this thesis aims to derive possible improvement on the proposal by crossexamining feasibility of both proposed development as well as public response. JB, being a border town between Malaysia and Singapore, owes its fragile existence to political and economic fluctuation between the two countries. Influx of Singaporean tourists and export of local labour have rendered JB a transient city which further complicating the society. Adding to this are series of infrastructural conflicts such as traffic congestion, river pollution, haphazard development and old city's deterioration. Recent state's proposal includes diverting causeway traffic by relocating existing custom complex to new eastern shore commercial centre, enclosing river for sewage purposes, etc. However, such moves may result in further desertion of old town centre. Besides, historical and social contexts are also not taken care of. An alternative proposal for new pedestrian custom and bus interchange closely linked to the existing city is thus the vehicle of this thesis, in order to invite sufficient human flow into downtown JB, inject new life by addressing the newly pedestrianised shopping street, while connecting it to future waterfront development. The strategy is to weave infrastructural programs into the making of public spaces. The building thus welcomes and distributes the masses, consumes undesirable scenes, anchors street activities, addresses the waterfront, extends the city yet keeping existing scale and texture.