Due to the rapid urbanization rate, the
traditional urban environment in developing countries has been constantly
replaced by modern structures with standardized images. The urban landscape of
Kuala Lumpur city demonstrates a similar pattern, which, arguably, may disrupt
the continuity in meaning embedded in people’s association with the places.
This paper describes the meaning and significance of the traditional shopping
districts in the city center of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The researcher
conducted face-to-face interviews and field observations to understand the
meanings attached to the users’ experience of the traditional shopping streets
located in the area. It was also to identify the urban elements that perceived
to be important. The results demonstrate that the users translated various
meanings of the places. The types and length of engagement, familiarity,
cultural characteristics of the users and economic dependency influenced the
attachment. The places are meaningful as a reflection of self and group identity
thus contributes to the continuity of place identity.
Key words: place; meaning;
traditional streets; Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Ujang, Norsidah. "Place Meaning and Significance of the Traditional Shopping District in the City Centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia." Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 8, issue 1 (2014): 66-77.