The Urban Geomorphology of Kuala Lumpur

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
River Channels ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Fluvial Terrace ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Complex Foundation ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

The city of Kuala Lumpur, lying at the junction of the hills of the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa) of Peninsular Malaysia and the coastal plain, has many of the environmental problems that beset the urban areas of Southeast Asia. It has to cope with heavy, intense rainfalls, frequent local nuisance flooding, unstable hillsides, complex foundation conditions, and the impacts of mining and construction activities. The citizens, engineers, and planners of Kuala Lumpur have had to find ingenious solutions in order to live in harmony with their environment. While careful investigation and skilful applications of science and technology has overcome many of the problems, others remain unresolved. The persistent problems arise because the links, and thus responsibilities, associated with changes in one place and impacts elsewhere are not acknowledged and the available understanding of hydrologic and geomorphic systems is not applied. Founded by Kapitan China Yap Ah Loy at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers in 1857 as a tin-mining settlement (Gullick 1983), Kuala Lumpur quickly outgrew its floodplain and fluvial terrace site to spread onto the adjacent hills. The British resident, Captain Bloomfield Douglas, moved his headquarters to Kuala Lumpur from Klang in 1880 and soon after built his official residence on the hill to the west of the Gombak River, where the prime minister’s residence now stands. So began a tradition of the elite living on the hills which has persisted to the present day. In December 1881 the new township and the surrounding tin mines were hit by floodwaters (Gullick 1983), so establishing the problem of living with fluvial extremes which still besets the city. Virtually every wet season in the first eighty years of Kuala Lumpur’s existence brought some flooding to the town. The river channels became choked with silt carried down from the mines upstream (Gullick 1983). Record rainfall in December 1926 led to a flood 1 m deep in the town centre. After the floods, a new, wider channel, with a double trapezoidal cross-section was built through the town centre. These works enabled a major flood in 1930 to pass through the town without causing any damage (Gullick 1983).

scholarly journals Ambient Levels, Emission Sources and Health Effect of PM2.5-Bound Carbonaceous Particles and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the City of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 549
Author(s):  
Hamidah Suradi ◽  
Md Firoz Khan ◽  
Nor Asrina Sairi ◽  
Haasyimah Ab Rahim ◽  
Sumiani Yusoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
The North ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The City

With increasing interest in understanding the contribution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to particulate air pollution in urban areas, an exploratory study was carried out to determine levels of carbonaceous aerosols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PM2.5 samples were collected using a high-volume sampler for 24 h in several areas in Kuala Lumpur during the north-easterly monsoon from January to March 2019. Samples were analyzed for water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC). Secondary organic carbon (SOC) in PM2.5 was estimated. Particle-bound PAHs were analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Average concentrations of WSOC, OC, and EC were 2.73 ± 2.17 (range of 0.63–9.12) µg/m3, 6.88 ± 4.94 (3.12–24.1) µg/m3, and 3.68 ± 1.58 (1.33–6.82) µg/m3, respectively, with estimated average SOC of 2.33 µg/m3, contributing 34% to total OC. The dominance of char-EC over soot-EC suggests that PM2.5 is influenced by biomass and coal combustion sources. The average of total PAHs was 1.74 ± 2.68 ng/m3. Source identification methods revealed natural gas and biomass burning, and urban traffic combustion as dominant sources of PAHs in Kuala Lumpur. A deterministic health risk assessment of PAHs was conducted for several age groups, including infant, toddler, children, adolescent, and adult. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of PAH species were well below the acceptable levels recommended by the USEPA. Backward trajectory analysis revealed north-east air mass brought pollutants to the studied areas, suggesting the north-easterly monsoon as a major contributor to increased air pollution in Kuala Lumpur. Further work is needed using long-term monitoring data to understand the origin of PAHs contributing to SOA formation and to apply source-risk apportionment to better elucidate the potential risk factors posed by the various sources in urban areas in Kuala Lumpur.

Cultivated Lands within Urban Area

2013 ◽  
pp. 143-157
Author(s):  
G. Mauro
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

Several studies put in evidence the relevant role of cultivated lands in the urban areas. Using GIS methodologies in order to map agricultural areas near or within the town, it is possible to analyze their relationship with the urban area. In this study, the author used several different cartography sources, like digital cartography and orthophotos, in order to locate the urban domestic gardens and the terraced landscapes accurately. The study area is a medium city of a North-East Region of Italy, Trieste. Built on a hill morphology, it had a great and fast growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. These changes deeply transformed its landform, mainly reducing its surrounding cultivated lands. At present, the residual terraced landscapes are mainly placed in the north side of the city and they represent a kind of “cultural heritage.” On the contrary, the most important garden areas are located in the terrain embankments of the south suburban areas.

scholarly journals First investigation of pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and viruses in rodents and shrews in context of forest-savannah-urban areas interface in the city of Franceville (Gabon)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248244
Author(s):  
Joa Braïthe Mangombi ◽  
Nadine N’dilimabaka ◽  
Jean-Bernard Lekana-Douki ◽  
Octavie Banga ◽  
Sydney Maghendji-Nzondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Streptobacillus Moniliformis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

Rodents are reservoirs of numerous zoonotic diseases caused by bacteria, protozoans, or viruses. In Gabon, the circulation and maintenance of rodent-borne zoonotic infectious agents are poorly studied and are often limited to one type of pathogen. Among the three existing studies on this topic, two are focused on a zoonotic virus, and the third is focused on rodent Plasmodium. In this study, we searched for a wide range of bacteria, protozoa and viruses in different organs of rodents from the town of Franceville in Gabon. Samples from one hundred and ninety-eight (198) small mammals captured, including two invasive rodent species, five native rodent species and 19 shrews belonging to the Soricidae family, were screened. The investigated pathogens were bacteria from the Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae families, Mycoplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., Orientia spp., Occidentia spp., Leptospira spp., Streptobacillus moniliformis, Coxiella burnetii, and Yersinia pestis; parasites from class Kinetoplastida spp. (Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp.), Piroplasmidae spp., and Toxoplasma gondii; and viruses from Paramyxoviridae, Hantaviridae, Flaviviridae and Mammarenavirus spp. We identified the following pathogenic bacteria: Anaplasma spp. (8.1%; 16/198), Bartonella spp. (6.6%; 13/198), Coxiella spp. (5.1%; 10/198) and Leptospira spp. (3.5%; 7/198); and protozoans: Piroplasma sp. (1%; 2/198), Toxoplasma gondii (0.5%; 1/198), and Trypanosoma sp. (7%; 14/198). None of the targeted viral genes were detected. These pathogens were found in Gabonese rodents, mainly Lophuromys sp., Lemniscomys striatus and Praomys sp. We also identified new genotypes: Candidatus Bartonella gabonensis and Uncultured Anaplasma spp. This study shows that rodents in Gabon harbor some human pathogenic bacteria and protozoans. It is necessary to determine whether the identified microorganisms are capable of undergoing zoonotic transmission from rodents to humans and if they may be responsible for human cases of febrile disease of unknown etiology in Gabon.

scholarly journals Lichens of Sokółka (Podlasie, NE Poland) as indicators of the state of air pollution / Porosty Sokółki (Podlasie, Polska NE) jako wskaźniki zanieczyszczenia powietrza

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-8
Author(s):  
Anna Matwiejuk ◽  
Agnieszka Kałuska
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Ne Poland ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Zone Pattern ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town ◽  
Lichen Growth

Abstract Monitoring of lichens as bioindicators of air pollution has been conducted in Sokółka. On the basis of the occurrence of indicator epiphytic and epilithic lichen species, the scale of lichen sensitivity for the city has been developed and lichen zones have been designated. The zone pattern was not of insular character, and as a result there was no “total lichen desert”. The distribution of lichen zones reflects the intensity of anthropogenic pressure within the town. The least favourable conditions for lichen growth have been recorded in the town centre, while the green areas have shown the most beneficial impact on the lichen test sites

scholarly journals Town avenues as flight corridors for Long-eared Owls (Asio otus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
Thomas Oliver Mérő ◽  
Antun Žuljević
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Early Evening ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
The Town ◽  
Green Corridors ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractDuring winter, Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) usually roost in groups in urban areas, but their nocturnal movement patterns are less known. The aim of our study is to provide insight into the local-scale urban movement habits of Long-eared Owls. Our study was carried out between 2015 and 2019 in the autumn and winter period, by observations in the early evening and by ringing and recapture of owls in the town of Sombor (NE Serbia). We observed owls when leaving the roosting site located in the town centre following the greenery of the larger avenues towards the outskirts. Owls were sporadically observed in densely built areas of the town, narrow streets with less greenery. Ringing and recapture data suggest that owls were closely linked to the green corridors. They probably used these corridors for easier orientation and to prey on birds roosting in trees in the town, such as sparrows (Passer domesticus, P. montanus), Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula) or Fieldfares (T. pilaris) appearing in harsh winters, and sometimes also pigeons.

scholarly journals A Reestruturação do Espaço Urbano em Juiz de Fora a partir de Projetos Urbanos de Grande Impacto

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 3133-3144
Author(s):  
Luciane Tasca ◽  
Sabrina Ferretti Do Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Spatial Restructuring ◽  
The Government ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

O presente artigo se insere na temática da reestruturação do espaço em cidades médias brasileiras e apresenta como principal objetivo analisar a implantação de Projetos Urbanos de relevante impacto na estrutura da cidade de Juiz de Fora, MG. Segundo perspectiva histórica, desde a década de 1970, o município vem passando por alterações significativas na sua estrutura, resultantes de sua expansão e do surgimento de novas centralidades. Destaca-se, no entanto, que desde o ano 2000, Juiz de Fora se tornou palco de Projetos Urbanos (especialmente na sua Região Sul), a partir de mudanças implementadas pela administração pública focadas no planejamento estratégico e no empresariamento urbano.  Percebe-se assim, o surgimento de um novo núcleo de atratividade num processo crescente de alteração da dinâmica urbana do município. Diante da ineficiente ação por parte do poder público local, somada à falta de políticas urbanas integradas ao planejamento espacial da cidade, este trabalho se justifica por se apresentar como um meio de explorar e debater idéias que contribuam efetivamente para a qualidade urbana da cidade.   This paper is part of the issue spatial restructuring in Brazilian average cities and has as its objective to analyze the implementation of urban projects of significant impact on the structure of Juiz de Fora, MG. According to a historical perspective, since the 1970s, the city has been undergoing significant changes in its structure, resulting from its expansion and the emergence of new centers.  Stands out, however, from the year 2000, Juiz de Fora became the scene of urban projects (deployed in its Southern Region), from the implemented changes by the government focused on the strategic planning and the urban enterprising: It is noticed, the rise of a new core attractiveness distinct from the others: excluding and in order to threaten the dynamic urban areas.  In front of the ineficcient action from the local government, together with the lack of integrated urban policies to the spatial planning of the city, this work is justified by presenting itself as a way to explore and discuss ideas that contribute effectively to the quality of the town.

scholarly journals Nest-site characteristics and breeding density of Magpie Pica pica in Sombor (NW Serbia)

Acrocephalus ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (145-146) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Mérő ◽  
Antun Žuljević ◽  
Katalin Varga
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Breeding Density ◽  
Pica Pica ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
The Town

Nest-site characteristics and breeding density of Magpie Pica pica in Sombor (NW Serbia) In March 2009, active Magpie Pica pica nests were censused in the town of Sombor (Vojvodina, NW Serbia) to study nest-site characteristics, breeding density and spatial distribution. The area of the town can be divided into two parts according to different urban landscapes, i.e. the town centre (150 ha) and the residential area (2,224 ha). In total, 222 Magpie nests were found and their height, tree species and nest-site type determined. Nests were found in 25 tree and two shrub species, the most of them (31.1%) being placed in the commonest tree species in the town, the Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis. The majority of the nests were found in tree avenues (39.6%) and groups of trees (31.5%). Nests in the town centre with a mean height (± SD) of 15.2 ± 4.05 m were significantly higher than those in the residential area with a mean height (± SD) of 11.4 ± 5.13 m. The mean distance of nests from the top of the canopy (± SD) was 1.5 ± 1.33 m, demonstrating the Magpie's tendency to place its nests in the very tops of trees in the urban areas. In the residential area, nests were present in every height class, while in the town centre they were not found lower than 5 m. This difference can be explained by denser human population in the town centre and hence greater disturbance (e.g. pedestrians), as found in several other studies, but also by the negative effect of high buildings that prevail there. Thus, the height of surrounding buildings, too, might play an important role in nest-site selection in Magpies breeding in urban habitats, especially in densely built-up areas. Breeding density of Magpie in Sombor was 0.94 pairs/10 ha, with almost twice as high in the town centre as in the residential area. The findings of this study are compared to those obtained in other studies in Serbia and abroad.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Alice Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
School Teacher ◽  
Large Country ◽  
Country House ◽  
Presbyterian Church ◽  
Middle Class Family ◽  
The Family ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

Born in 1843 into a prosperous middle-class family, Thomas Workman was the seventh child of fifteen. His father and uncle ran a muslin manufacturing business. When he was ten years old, Thomas moved with his family from their three-storey mid-terrace in the town centre to a newly built villa in the suburbs. As a young man he entered the family business and soon afterwards he married his wife, Margaret Hill. After a successful few years running his branch of the business, Thomas and Margaret moved with their children to a large country house located ten miles from the city. From here Thomas took the train to work. An upstanding member of the community, Thomas was a magistrate, a governor of the Presbyterian Orphan Society and a Sunday school teacher. Just as both his father and brother had done, he founded a local Presbyterian church. He frequently travelled abroad for work, but still found time to pursue his passions of yachting and natural history. President of the local Natural History Society, Thomas Workman discovered two new species of spiders while on his travels and he published a book, ...

scholarly journals Influence of North-Easterly Monsoon on Carbonaceous Particles and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in PM2.5 in the City of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamidah Suradi ◽  
Md Firoz Khan ◽  
Nor Asrina Sairi ◽  
Haasyimah Ab Rahim ◽  
Sumiani Yusoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Carbonaceous Particles ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The City

With increasing interest in understanding contribution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to particulate air pollution in urban areas, an exploratory study was carried out to determine levels of carbonaceous aerosols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the City of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PM2.5 samples were collected using a high-volume sampler for 24 h in several areas in Kuala Lumpur during the north-easterly monsoon from January to March 2019. Samples were analysed for water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) in PM2.5 was estimated. Particle-bound PAHs were analysed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Average concentrations of WSOC, OC and EC were 2.7 ± 2.2 (range of 0.63-9.1) µg/m3, 6.9 ± 4.9 (3.1-24.1) µg/m3 and 3.7 ± 1.6 (1.3-6.8) µg/m3, respectively, with estimated average SOC of 2.3 µg/m3, contributing 34% to total OC. The average of total PAHs was 1.8 ± 2.7 ng/m3. Source identification methods revealed natural gas and biomass burning, and urban traffic combustion as dominant sources of PAHs in Kuala Lumpur. To understand human health risk posed by PAHs, a deterministic screening health risk assessment was also conducted for several age groups including infant, toddler, children, adolescent and adult. The total concentration of BaPeq is 3.8 ng/m3, with the average of 0.29 (range of 0.001-1.6) ng/m3. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk of PAH species were well below the acceptable levels recommended by the USEPA. Future work is needed using long-term monitoring data to understand the origin of PAH contributing to SOA formation and to apply source-risk apportionment to know better the potential risk factors posed by the various sources in urban areas in Kuala Lumpur.

Väster Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge: Connecting the Town Centre with a New Developed Area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaute Mo ◽  
Fernando Ibáñez Climent ◽  
Altea Cámara Aguilera ◽  
Göran Werme ◽  
Henrik Hermansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Area ◽  
Steel Plates ◽  
Maximum Slope ◽  
Navigation Channel ◽  
Town Centre ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Bridge Spans ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town ◽  
Steel Deck

<p>This pedestrian and cycle bridge spans the river in Eskilsuna connecting the historic, industrial area of Munktellstaden with the town centre, forming part of a rehabilitation of the area. The bridge was completed in 2016 on behalf of the City of Eskilstuna. The final design was chosen from three alternatives: the Landmark, the Industrial and the Transparent. All three options proposed were of steel, and all designs had to provide a 4.5m free deck width, maintain an unobstructed navigation channel of 5.0m wide by 3.35m high and a maximum slope of 5%. The Landmark proposal was an asymmetric cable stayed bridge with a 27m high, A- shaped, inclined steel pylon located on one bank with two planes of cables towards the steel deck and one plane of cables towards the back anchorage. The Industrial proposal was a variable height optimized truss , inclined outwards to provide a sensation of openness to the bridge user. The design finally chosen by the client was the Transparent. This bridge, unlike the other two, has two supports within the river that allows for a very slender deck. There is a central, low arch spanning 32m and an overall length of 65m. The arches are formed from two inclined box sections which are slightly curved on plan towards the supports. The railing is made up of a series of thin, steel plates connected via a stainless-steel handrail. The overall effect of transparency thus allows for a largely unobstructed view along the river. Due to the slender deck section a detailed dynamic analysis was carried out to check for possible pedestrian-induced vibrations.</p>

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