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Question: LAND USE PLANNING SYSTEM AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN MALAYSIA

Answer: The role of land use planning system in housing development is not only to
meet housing needs, but to also encourage the efficiency of the housing market
system. The effectiveness of land use planning in Malaysia, however, is
questionable due to the existence of housing oversupply. The shortcomings in the
practice of housing planning have arguably contributed to the problem. The veracity
of the argument has been proven in this empirical research conducted in the Johor
Bahru Conurbation area. The research studied the effectiveness of the land use
planning system measured in triangulation by examining the process of preparing
development plans and the outcomes of planning control, followed by an analysis of
the perceptions of respondents. Content analysis was applied to analyse selected
structure plans, local plans and housing application files. The perceptions of town
planners were analysed based on a structured questionnaire survey. To further
explore the issues in the planning of housing supply, in-depth interviews were
conducted with senior town planners. The research shows weaknesses occurring at
several stages, beginning with the activities of housing forecast and formulation of
housing policies, followed by the determination of land area and distribution of
locations for future housing development. The situation was further exacerbated by
the inefficiency of the local planning authority in approving new housing
applications. The study also reveals several issues inherent in the processes of the
planning of housing supply. Among them are the difficulty in considering and
forecasting `effective demand’ for housing, vagueness of policies on housing control
and the problems related to the compliance of land use zoning. The study also found
that the ineffectiveness of the planning system occurred due to over emphasis on
meeting housing needs, while ignoring other important aspects, i.e. households
‘effective demand’, housing preferences and local housing market demands. The
findings of the research indicate an urgent need for a change in the approach and
practice of housing planning in the development plans and planning control. This can
be achieved with the improvement of current housing planning activities as well as
through enhancing responsiveness of the local planning authority to market demand
mechanisms without neglecting the fundamental goal of meeting housing needs.

(Source: , 20 Sep 2021)

Source Link: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11792079.pdf