YB Khalid Samad speaking during the 10th International Conference On World Class Sustainable Cities 2018 (WCSC 2018) opening recently.
PETALING JAYA: One-fifth of the national population is estimated to be 65 years and above by 2040, creating new challenges in the urban planning and design to address the changing lifestyle demands in the city, said Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad.
Speaking at the opening of the 10th World Class Sustainable Cities (WCSC) 2018 on Sept 27th, Khalid said the emerging elderly population would create new challenges in the area of health services, amenities and facilities, as well as in the efforts of building a suitable urban environment.
He said that an ageing society is a new phenomena in Malaysia, and it is time to consider this issue in the future planning of urban development.
He also commented that the late arrival of the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (KLCP2020), to be gazetted by the end of this year, is a positive sign, as it is better than never to implement the plan.
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“I am aware of the mixed views from the various professional groups over the importance of a good development plan for Kuala Lumpur citizens to achieve the country’s sustainable development goals.
“The KLCP2020 is currently under review to incorporate the latest concept and policies that have been adopted on the national and global level,” he said.
The WSCS conference was organised for the 10th year since its first inception in 2009. The past conferences have aimed to bring about the betterment of the city such as pedestrianisation, bicycle lanes, opening up city rivers for public spaces and many more.
With the theme "Kuala Lumpur: Today & Beyond", the one-day conference invited speakers from around the world to share their expertise and insights on the best practices of creating sustainable cities.
