PETALING JAYA (May 17): Urban regeneration organisation Think City has embarked on a pilot project to promote the creation of rooftop and vertical gardens in Kuala Lumpur city.

Targeted at owners of buildings located within 1km radius of Masjid Jamek, the programme hopes to encourage building owners to rethink how to best utilise their building rooftops and wall spaces to improve the urban landscape and contribute to the larger urban regeneration agenda.

“Rooftop gardens are not a new phenomenon and can be seen in many cities across the world from Tokyo to Montreal. In Southeast Asia, we haven’t quite caught on, so there is a lot of potential for growth in this area.

“Aside from the obvious cityscape benefits, the environmental and quality of life impact these gardens have on cities has been well-documented,” said Think City programme manager Duncan Cave in a statement today.

He added that Think City is looking to partner with building owners in the historic core of KL to pilot these rooftop gardens and demonstrate how the use of such spaces can add a new dimension to how they see and use their asset.

“We will also be looking for opportunities for vertical gardens around the city, so we encourage property owners to consider revitalising their buildings and join us in this exciting project,” added Cave.

Building owners who join the programme will be working closely with Think City and a panel of experts to identify, assess, formulate and implement a suitable solution for the site. Think City will also be supporting the building owner by helping to provide funds to offset costs for implementation.

Think City is a community-focused urban rejuvenation outfit that seeks to create more liveable and sustainable cities in Malaysia. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, funded by Yayasan Hasanah.

The organisation was established in 2009 to rejuvenate the UNESCO heritage core of George Town, Penang. Since then, Think City has expanded to Butterworth, KL and, most recently, Johor Bahru. Think City works to provide innovative urban solutions and drive urban regeneration in Malaysian cities, anchored by community participation.

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