Urban Morphology of Taiping: The British Influences and Changes in Today’s Urban Structure

Abstract

Urban morphology deals with the spatial structure and character of a place. It was formally established as a method in 1939. Urban morphology is one of the major branches in urban design that analyses the complexities and intricacies of human settlements’ development and transformation throughout the years. For many years, researchers and designers have been conducting morphological studies to better understand the spatial structure and other components that contribute to the transformation of a place. Taiping is not spared from morphological alterations either. As a post-colonial town in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, Taiping is blessed with a grid-iron plan and rich architectural styles, surrounded by lush greenery and a picturesque landscape. However, as centuries passed, Taiping experienced poor linkages, contested urban space, and an unpleasant urban fabric. This paper evaluates the urban morphology of Taiping using observational urbanism approach, focusing on the core area of Taiping. Findings revealed that Taiping has undergone dramatic, if not massive, changes from the pre-great fire tragedy until now, and the city needs to re-evaluate its development direction in order not to jeopardise its historic image and value. Hopefully, this research will raise public awareness and pave for future research on urban morphology, heritage value, and ultimately, good urban design practice for other historic cities in Malaysia.