Streets of Royal Town: Exploring the Physical Character of Traditional Street in the Malay Royal Town

Abstract

Fabric of a town is an accumulation of historical scenes. Historic towns are regarded as a treasured inheritance. Royal towns in Malaysia is significant to unique heritage identity. Streets in royal town are significant urban elements that indicates the characteristics and attributes of a setting that define their physical and functional aspects. The aim of this study is to analyze the physical components and qualities that influenced the street aspect of the royal town in Kuala Kangsar. It discusses the background of the town, literature review on traditional street characteristics and analyzing physical elements as attributes in revealing physical qualities that ultimately form a unique and distinctive street character in the royal town. The research employed mixed methods, of combining qualitative and quantitative analysis to strengthen the conclusions and heightened its knowledge and validity. This paper will share its findings based on research’s pilot study through questionnaire, observation, interviews and historical document analysis. The royal heritage town was analyzed to illustrate the objectives and all attributes were cross-investigated to determine what are the essential physical elements that have contributed to these qualities. The study concludes that attractiveness, visibility, human scale, enclosure, permeability, legibility and special activities are the significant physical qualities that shaped the character of streets in the royal town. Each physical quality is manifested by the physical elements that becomes the catalyst in creating a successful path.