Essay

Schani Daniels 0318788
Theories of architecture and urbanism 1
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture
Theories of architecture and urbanism
Comparative essay
Table of Contents Page
Intention ___________________________________________________________ 2
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman Malaysia 3
1.2 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 4
2.0 Analysis 5
2.1 Contact intensity points, with respect to social, cultural and economic values 6
3.0 Conclusion
4.0 References

Intention
This project requires students to write a comparative analysis essay based on the
findings from the part one of the project and the local site research from design studio.
Students are to examine similarities and dissimilarities based on the patterns of social
activities, types of contact points and the varying degree of contact intensity between
these two cities.
The scope of this project is to develop and elaborate ones understanding of the
similarities and differences between two cities, to identify and analyse its behaviours
and activities whereby associating the contact intensities within and between each one.
All this is to be represented in a comparative essay that easily and clearly represents
thoughts and ideas about the two the cities in terms of contact points.
A contact point, being a place of affinity and action, may have varying intensities and
purposes as well as locations, but all with the same fundamentals, the overall
distribution of paths and its surroundings make or break contact points.

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Jalan TAR) is one of the most famous streets in
Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Mostly due to its reputation of being the central focus of the
city. It has been renamed from its original name ‘Batu Road’ as it was a route that lead
to a village way back during the fresh 1980s. However, after the elections, the first
Prime minister of the time Tuanku Abdul Rahman. It was initially intended for being a
two street however, in due time proved to become congested and eventually re-routed
to a one-way street to counter that issue.
After the re-routing, the town begin to prosper in various manners, for instance during
the time of night various textile, jewellers and food bazaars are setup to cater the
tourists as well as the locals looking for a cheap bite and exquisite city vibe. The dated
pre-war buildings are of British and vernacular styles that somewhat represents the
way in which the culture that is present in the city today. For instance, the blending of
old and new and its harmonic juxtaposition Is aesthetically pleasing and original in its
own way.
They have been preserved to a certain extent and most of them can be categorized as
‘Pre-war’ buildings that have been converted into shops, foods joints as well as retails.
Whilst some have also been refurbished or demolished to make way more a more
modern multi-level structures.
One of the earliest buildings that dates back to around the 1970s to the 1990s was the
erection of the Odeon Cinema, Pertama complex which became the most popular
destinations at that point of time. However, in changing times, a lot of those buildings
exists. Very few of the shops or businesses that existed seize to exists today or have
relocated.

Another of the older buildings with European Style Architecture, the Coliseum, both pictures are a
comparison of then and now.
1.2 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Formerly Saigon, Ho Chi Minh has become the economic focal point of Vietnam and its
largest urban area scope. Having been dissected into three different zones, core,
peripheral and rural. Ironically for the inner parts have had the least growth in terms of
development however an increased density of people and dwellings and businesses.
Whereas the peripheral areas seem to have majority of the development and even
more rapid growth. A very high ratio of taxation is actually applicable to the core and
that is where the noticeable narrow buildings are located.
To date back, during 1859 there was a large occupancy that was made by the French
Colonial Empire which then lead to slavery, which was exploited for the construction of
the canals, wide boulevards, plazas and residential buildings. All of which have a
varying intensity of contact points and interactions with different purposes. Now due to
the presence of the Colonials, it was inevitable that influence of the architecture was to
rub off upon the city, hence why there is presence of European style buildings and
public spaces.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is an example of the essence of European architecture.
During the 1940’s in junction with the cold war, the invasion by the US head to a
inhibition of communism within Vietnam. Due to this, there was equal progress and
development within the city, invasion created a uniform development which meant that
there was an equal level of hierarchy within the city. So therefore there would be less
classification.
Current day, Ho Chi Minh, faces similar issues as most third world developing
countries, but some of the outstanding ones are overpopulation due to overcrowding
and migration to the city centre by locals as well as the inflow of illegal business
workers trying to earn a better living. All of these issues, put a pressure on the city’s
infrastructure, however this movement enriches cultural values and has somewhat of a
positive effect much like Jalan Tar in Malaysia.
Both Jalan Tar and Ho Chi Minch have branched out from quite similar back grounds
with similar cultural and social and economic values, this is because of the
demographic of the cities in term of the usage of space for business, minor residency
and other activities of varying intensities. The theory that intensity and contact points
are only as intense depending on people, however the fact that intensities varies due to
location, position and use of space all with respect to time, can impact the contacts
points and intensities with regard to the values will create equilibrium overall within the
cities.

2.0 Analysis
2.1 Contact intensity points, with respect to social, cultural and economic
values.
Pasteur Street (Ho Chi Minh) possess a dispersal type of contact points depending
upon intensity and time of the place, for instance the image below shows a lane in the
street during the morning with minimal intensity and dispersal. Whereas the second
image which is taken during the night time, shows a high dispersal high intensity and
as you can most economical interaction is pushed to either corner of the street towards
the retail buildings
The interaction intensity in this image is
critically low, mostly due to the timing and
lack of architecture type form to invigorate
interaction or culture type form, for instance
if there was night market it would be a
different scene and contact point overall.
Narrow and lightly dense street also allows
pedestrians to cross over easily, maximising
contacts beet both sides. As you can also
most of these double stores long houses
have residences that live in the floor above,
thus creating a amalgamation between
residential and commercial buildings and
activities.
The image on the side shows larger
intensity inflow due to economic luring thus,
evoking optional activity whilst creating a
highly dispersal flow.
The stopping points during this time of the
night are mostly generated by locals who
set up and tourists who come to buy, at time
it can affect the flow of traffic, due to such
narrow roads, the amounts of transference
of activity from one stopping point to another
can greatly affect traffic.

Bus stop acts as a disperse
point to surrounding areas.
Low density due to lack of
seating
With a bus stop in front of the hotel.
Activity is less likely to sprawl due to the
control in front of the hotel.
Commercial lots create
more attraction and other
activities to this side of the
street.
Low traffic roads allow pedestrians to safely commute between streets. Maximize activity on
both sides of the street.
The bus stop
mostly used
residents that live
in the back alleys.
Less people tend
to gather here as
they disperse
One of the popular destinations is the Rex
Hotel located as Pasteur St, the various
activities and contact point at this site is
already at an equilibrium more or less due
to its popularity.
The absence of a bus stop means
a reduction of human contact
because no one would have a
reason to gather there.
The bus stop is more of a
transition space. The crowd
disperses to all parts of the street
for other activities.
Locals utilize the spaces around
the bus stop to create other small
economic activities such as
selling food to pedestrians.
Bus stop acts as a disperse
point to surrounding areas. Low
density due to lack of seating

Being one of the tourists
destinations, this market has
multiple contact points, however
the one that remains constant
throughout the day, is the
connective road that leads to the
market which acts as liner
contact point with multiple
optional and luring stopping
points along its perimeters.
One of the popular destinations is the Bien
Than Market located at Le Loi St., some of
the best contact point at this place, is the
pathway between two tourist’s nodes that
is compulsory and the locals have the
opportunity to legal vendor at the path
much like pedalling Street in KL.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY – Street
vendors cause a narrower path,
encouraging contact between
pedestrians and motorcyclist.
NECESSARY PATH (NP) – used by local motorcyclist and
tourist travelling through the area to get to a specific point.
SEAMLESS CONNECTION
(SC) - Walkways allow
motorcyclist and pedestrians to
stop by at any point for an
optional activity.
NP of motorists have a good chance of
optional activities due to SC
Busy highway has almost no
human contact from both ends.
Parallel parking on a busy road
for intentional activities, with a
small chance of optional activity
being carried out.
Narrow paths reduce speed,
increase chance of contact and
people density.
Walking speed reduces with the
presence of street vendors,
targeting tourists and locals with
multiple stop points and
attractions.
Strategized location being positioned in between both
Bien Thanh Market and Nguyen Hue Pedestrian.

In Jalan Tar, Kl, the same theory of intensity depends of people with respect to time,
much like Pasteur St, the same idea is applicable here, However the streets are much
wider and thus stopping points are usually on the respected side of the street as the
traffic flow is much greater than Pasteur St. Making it harder to cross.
The image below, shows how the night life in the Jalan TAR, is greatly similar to
Pasteur St. however the residences in this area are of more intensity, due to a larger
development.
The optional stopping points in this are
about the same rate as Pasteur St. during
the night, however during the daytime, it
would be much greater, as alleys as such
in the image on the side which has minimal
traffic access allowing 8-10-hour operation
timings, generating economic intensity at a
high rate.
minimal access

The bus stops in Jalan Tar also cater
to mostly of the locals, to commute to
work and so forth. As there is a
combination of residences in the
vicinity apart from the shop lots with
living quarters on the top floor,
residential development has been
erected to cater to the growing
population.
Most of the people intensity that
resonate around the bus stop, exhibit
disperse intensity, but with order,
which is along the side of the roads,
the pedestrian pavements, where
most of the retail business and food
joints are located, the dispersal
intensity is probably higher than
Pasteur St. as the KL is the
commercial HUB Malaysia and Jalan
TAR is one of the roads that lead into
the city.
Unlike the bus stop located along the Pasteur St. this stop is created away from the
contact intensity of the pedestrian zone, thus isolating it, therefore during high intensity
timings, the pedestrian contact points of options are not hindered as compared to
Pasteur St, where by its located right next to the street.

Petaling Street, much like Le Loi Street acts as a pathway, however not to any main
destination, by itself being an attraction, the dispersal of intensity and contacts points
are very high intensity as compared to Jalan Tar or Pasteur street. Much of the social
activity here resonated around people eating and walking along the streets, with
stopping points at vendors, this street acts as juxtaposition of culture that is presence in
Malaysia unlike the pathway in Le Loi st. which lacks the cultural integration until upon
either destination is each on either side.

3.0 Conclusion
All in all, both countries and the variant cities it possesses, can be categorized under
the same theory that intensity and contact points are only as intense depending on
people, however the fact that intensities vary due to location, position and use of space
all with respect to time, can impact the contacts points and intensities with regard to the
values will create equilibrium overall within the cities.
With similar demographics and infrastructures in both cities, the contacts points,
intensities are more or less similar, this is due to the generalization of how cities in
south east Asia have the similar urban development rate. One of the few things that
separates the two, is the fact that Malaysia is growing at a faster rate and has slightly
more control over resources that Vietnam.

4.0 References
https://www.hochiminh.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Du-lich-sai-gon-duoi-trai-
nghiem-cua-phong-vien-bao-Theguardian-iVIVU.com-1.jpeg
http://s1.downloadmienphi.net/file/downloadfile7/150/1379758.pd
https://www.pps.org/reference/jgehl/

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