EXPLORING POSSIBLE USAGE FOR ELEVATED HIGHWAY INTERSTITIAL SPACES: A CASE STUDY OF DUKE AND AKLEH, KUALA LUMPUR

Abstract

Kuala Lumpur has seen rapid development of mass amount of highway infrastructure. Although elevated urban highways in Greater Kuala Lumpur may have relieved the intercity and interstate traffic, the presence of this urban infrastructural landscape promotes the creation of lost spaces. The construction of the highways, primarily the elevated ones, often create spaces underneath the structure that are often neglected in mainstream planning and design. This paper aims at investigating typologies of interstitial spaces and its characteristics beneath elevated highway based on available literature as well as to explore the possibilities of usage for spaces below the elevated highway. This research employs qualitative method that involves primary and secondary data collection. The primary data were gathered through site observational study at two major elevated highways in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area -DUKE 1 Highway and AKLEH Highway. A review and content analysis of documents related to urbanization and planning transportation provide secondary data. Findings from this study suggest that [1] although the highways enhance connectivity and ease traffic movement, it also leads to abundance of wasted land and spaces [2] animproved understanding of the typologies and characteristics of these interstitial spaces shall aid in the improvement of their future usage.