The following op-ed is contributed by Henning Larsen Regional Director (Landscape) Jia Xin Chum
Malaysia is bracing for what could be one of the most extreme El Niño events on record. The Malaysian Meteorological Department puts the likelihood of a very strong or super El Niño at over 90%, peaking at the end of 2026.
With its heat most pronounced between February and May 2027, it can potentially surpass the national record of 40.1°C set during the 1997-1998 event. For our cities, the effects will be felt most acutely.
Dense concrete, sparse shade and paved surfaces trap heat long after sunset, while prolonged dry spells strain water supplies and bring the familiar threat of haze. The same neighbourhoods that flood during monsoon cloudbursts may now swelter through months of drought. It is a stark reminder that urban resilience can no longer be designed around a single threat — our cities must be able to cool, hold water and breathe through both extremes.
This is the backdrop against which Malaysia’s Urban Renewal Bill is currently being redrafted. Rather than simply being a legal framework, the Bill is an opportunity to reimagine how we live in cities. Faced with ageing infrastructure, climate risks and rapid urbanisation, urban renewal must go beyond replacing old buildings to create long-lasting cities that are climate-resilient, socially connected and rich in biodiversity.
Beyond flood protection, heat mitigation and structural upgrades, urban renewal should offer benefits that are often overlooked: Enhancement of biodiversity, promotion of physical and mental well-being, and forging of social connections that strengthen community resilience. At its core, it should be a chance to put shared public spaces, roads, streets, parks, rivers and courtyards, at the centre of the conversation, rather than at the end of it.
Climate Resilience Through Thoughtful Design
In flood-prone neighbourhoods, water is the organising framework for renewal and climate resilience. These principles are being applied in several projects across Malaysia, including the Sibu Cloudburst Masterplan and the Bukit Assek Urban Redevelopment Masterplan, where flood risk assessments and water-sensitive conceptual masterplans are being developed.
Though still conceptual, these plans illustrate how water, nature, mobility and public space can be integrated into a cohesive urban fabric. Wetlands act as natural sponges absorbing floodwater in the wet season and holding it through dry spells, while blue-green corridors reconnect neighbourhoods with waterways.
Cloudburst streets channel excess water during storms while serving as shaded pedestrian routes on dry days. This approach creates cooler, more walkable streets, and better-connected communities, while integrating water management into urban design to benefit residents, businesses and investors alike.
Beyond Resilience: Health, Well-being and Social Connection
Landscape and thoughtful urban design are key drivers of urban renewal, beginning with improvements to the public realm that deliver tangible benefits to neighbourhoods.
These interventions enhance everyday experiences, whether by providing shaded, walkable streets for older residents or safe outdoor spaces for children to play.
By integrating three essential elements, water, nature and mobility, cities can unlock broader benefits beyond physical renewal. These include improved health and well-being, stronger social connections and greater community cohesion, as demonstrated by award-winning projects such as Jurong Lake Gardens and Kampung Admiralty in Singapore.
Urban Health and Active Living
Jurong Lake Gardens in Singapore exemplifies how urban renewal can transform daily experiences. With extensive public engagement to consider the community’s needs, the space, which comprised of a mature park, abandoned sports facilities and car parks, was reimagined into a garden with naturalised drainage channels, immersive trails and community spaces to bring people closer to wildlife.
Despite its dense urban setting, the new design encourages outdoor activity, improves mental well-being, and fosters a sense of connection with nature.
Crucially, such parks are not isolated. They form important ecological connectors within a larger green network, reinforcing biodiversity across the city. This systems-thinking approach ensures that when we design a park, it is never about one space alone, but rather how it connects to other parks and ecological corridors to create a resilient urban ecosystem.
Biodiversity and Social Connection
Healthy cities are both green and socially vibrant. The landscape design at Kampung Admiralty demonstrates how high-density housing can integrate greenery vertically, creating biodiversity-rich landscapes that outperform nearby parks.
A biodiversity survey revealed that its rooftop gardens host more species than a nearby park. Rooftop gardens and dense planting also shade surfaces and cool surrounding spaces — a quiet but critical benefit as temperatures climb.
By stacking amenities and weaving in park connectors, this model supports ecological networks and water-sensitive design in three dimensions. Residents benefit from shared spaces that encourage interaction, while birds, bees, and butterflies reclaim their place in the urban ecosystem. This coexistence nurtures mental health, physical activity and a caring society, where people look out for each other because the built environment enables connection.
The Bigger Picture
As Malaysia braces for its hottest months on record, urban renewal must look at how to build a better life rather than simply better buildings. This cannot be approached as a series of isolated projects but one which requires a systems approach, where parks, housing, streets and infrastructure are planned as a connected network that supports mobility, ecology, and everyday life.
Successful city-making depends on close collaboration from the outset, bringing together planners, engineers, architects and landscape architects to shape integrated solutions.
By involving landscape architects early in the master planning process, ecological thinking and public-space design should be embedded from the start.
This helps ensure renewal exercises deliver not only resilient infrastructure, but also healthier environments and richer experiences for communities.
When people feel connected to their surroundings, they are more likely to care for both the places they inhabit and the people around them. In this way, thoughtful urban regeneration strengthens social resilience, fosters a sense of belonging, and helps build more cohesive communities.
A Call to Action
Malaysia’s Urban Renewal Bill can be a catalyst for cities that are safe, sustainable and socially inclusive. Policymakers and developers should seize this moment to design for active lifestyles and mental well-being, restore biodiversity and foster social cohesion, as well as plan holistically, connecting green spaces and communities into a resilient urban fabric.
Urban renewal is not just about buildings; it’s about building a better life.
