Urban planning not keeping pace with ageing nation, economic and health costs to come
Malaysian cities are on the frontlines of a major demographic shift. With 15% of the population projected to be 60 or older by 2030, and a vast majority of this group residing in urban areas, our cities need to adapt.
Predicated on the understanding that inclusive urban design plays a major role in the active ageing of the elderly population, cities must be reimagined to meet their diverse needs and abilities. Without proactive measures to transform our cities, Malaysia risks realising a future where a significant portion of its population is unable to participate fully in urban, social and economic life. The result? A slew of social, health and economic impacts, which impede active ageing, increase rates of age-related morbidity, thus straining the public healthcare system.
Despite this, only four Malaysian cities have recognised the urgency of creating age-friendly urban environments. Taiping, Penang Island, Sibu and Ipoh are part of the WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) network, signifying a commitment towards building inclusive environments for people of all ages.
Taiping, the locality chosen for the AFCC pilot project, has since renovated iconic locations, such as the Taiping Royal Lake Gardens and Taiping Market to improve age-friendliness. However, recognition by WHO is not the only path towards age-friendly cities.
Cities like Petaling Jaya have charted their own path by implementing their Elderly Persons Action Plan 2030 this year in preparation for an ageing populace. To effectively accommodate their ageing populations, more cities must actively incorporate age-friendly principles into urban planning, particularly transportation systems, housing and public spaces. Additionally, commitment to networks like the AFCC promotes knowledge sharing between cities, accelerating policies that prioritise age-friendliness as a core tenet.
Enhancing elderly mobility
But in what ways do our cities need to change?
We must start with rethinking the way Malaysians move around the city. For one, the country’s overreliance on cars as the primary mode of transportation limits the mobility of elderly individuals, particularly those with cognitive or physical impairments.
A 2015 study on elderly Malaysians travel patterns found that commuters were more likely to utilise private vehicles over public transit as they aged due to distance. This builds a strong case for expanding Malaysia’s public transit network to include age-friendly options. As such, this entails working towards the inclusion of more diverse modalities of transportation and age-friendly transport infrastructure, bridging the gap between the existing system and elderly commuters. Given that travel and mobility are experienced differently by the elderly, expanding public transportation with age-friendly solutions is necessary.
While efforts are under way to expand Malaysia’s public transit network within the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan, little emphasis is put on improving first-mile-last-mile (FMLM) accessibility in line with age-friendly principles. Likewise, national policies such as the National Physical Plan and National Transport Policy 2019-2030 make no mention of nationwide initiatives to integrate age-friendly micromobility and pedestrianisation measures as key components of a wider multimodality framework. Steps to close these mobility gaps are emerging, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke announcing an RM50 million allocation for vans to address FMLM connectivity.
Selangor has also trialled demand-responsive transit, but widespread adoption across Malaysia remains to be seen. Looking abroad, Hong Kong’s pedestrianisation schemes – run by the Transport Department – grant pedestrians absolute priority by restricting vehicle access and parking through their “full-time” pedestrianisation initiative.
Meanwhile, Berlin’s amended Mobility Act pushes for safer, more comprehensive pedestrian access with a special focus on elderly mobility, through more crosswalks, benches and wheelchair-friendly sidewalks. Similar laws in Malaysia could pave the way for cities to become more accessible, reflecting the core values of an age-friendly city.
Homes fit for all ages
Housing is another critical component of age-friendly cities. Current housing regulations often hinder rather than help older residents. Standard terrace homes, with rigid room layouts, can limit mobility and increase the risk of falls – a leading cause of death for those above 65.
Flexible, open-plan designs with the option for future modifications – like space for furniture rearrangement, ramps and grab bars – would better accommodate seniors’ needs and promote independent living by reducing the risk of injury. With an observed increase of 2-5% in elderly buyers of high-rise properties between 2019 to 2022, the projected trend of senior high-rise homeowners increasing further reinforces the need for developers to incorporate age-appropriate design.
While private sector developers have begun taking initiative through age-friendly purpose-built housing for the comfort of their elderly residents, regulations have not followed suit. This builds a strong case for integrating universal design and retrofitting capabilities for homes within the existing Physical Planning Guideline for Elderly Persons.
Similarly, enforcement of the Uniform Buildings By-Laws 1984 (UBBL) by local governments as a requirement for all developers, will also solidify the government’s stance on this matter. The result? A housing landscape that not only promotes safer, more accessible homes for the elderly but sets a standard for inclusive design across all residential developments.
Commitment from the government via housing regulation reform will enable local authorities (PBTs) to create bespoke city plans that cater to the elderly by enforcing the development of homes that allow for future manipulation – or retrofitting – based on residents’ needs. With a large portion of Malaysia’s elderly population preferring to age-in-place, amendments to these laws are much needed.
Public spaces for social inclusion
Beyond equitable access to transportation and age-friendly housing, access to open spaces is equally crucial. These spaces are vital for promoting social cohesion and combatting social isolation, a serious concern in elderly populations linked to increased risks of heart disease, dementia and stroke.
To this end, expanding accessibility to parks and “third places” like community centres, coffee shops and religious centres – while ensuring these spaces are more age-inclusive – is essential for promoting wellbeing and reducing health disparities.
Despite years of expansion, access to public spaces in Malaysia remains limited, with green spaces like Intan Baiduri Lake and Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve under threat of de-gazettement.
Hostile architecture – such as anti-homeless benches and restricted seating – further elderly inclusion. Recognising similar challenges, the Lee Ming Programme in Ageing Urbanism at Singapore University of Technology and Design tailored placemaking efforts around the needs of elderly residents across three residential areas, discovering distinct differences between different elderly groups with regard to physical abilities and sociocultural needs.
Their resulting environmental audit toolkit now serves as a guide for shaping resident-focused spaces, gaining interest from local Town Councils. Accordingly, Malaysia could similarly benefit from a unified national placemaking toolkit, streamlining local efforts to create inclusive spaces.
As it stands, disjointed inter-ministerial implementation and weak enforcement of existing strategies only serve to exacerbate structural problems present within Malaysia’s city planning blueprints.
The country’s overarching plans for sustainable cities have long shown signs of an unclear vision and will crumble as its elderly demographic continues to grow. This predicament, coupled with increasingly extreme climate conditions, serves as a stark reminder of the urgency in which this issue must be addressed.
An age-friendly city is a city for all and Malaysia’s outlook on how it shapes its localities heading towards 2030 must reflect this. Only by committing to developing age-friendly cities through targeted and cohesive urban policies can Malaysia realise a future where the needs for all, young or old, are met.
