Give Butterworth a coastal park

Think of an ugly city, and chances are it will be lacking a park in its centre. Likewise, cities envied by the world always have green recreational areas right smack in the middle. We have a chance today to transform ugly Butterworth into a place to die for.

By Goh Ban Lee

In the June 2010 issue of this magazine, I published an article entitled “Butterworth remains the Ugly Duckling”. It was about the failure of the town to transform itself into an attractive city. Worse, the town, especially the town centre, had actually been deteriorating over the last decade or so. Things are still the same. Eighteen months may be too short for things to turn around despite the fact that in the last general elections, three elected representatives of the voters of Butterworth are holding very powerful posts in the Penang state government, including that of the Chief Minister.

Butterworth does have a draft development plan. However, little has been heard about the draft Local Plan. Has the plan been rejected? Is a new plan on the way? It will take a relatively long time for a Local Plan to be made and gazetted under the current system.

Meanwhile, the local authority must do something to improve the image of Butterworth, especially the old town centre.

A coastal park near the heart of Butterworth could be a catalyst. More specifically, the land in Jalan Datuk Haji Ahmad in Butterworth that used to house the headquarters of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) should be turned into a coastal park. The buildings there have been left unused since the council’s move to Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam in 2006. It placed the land for sale, but there was no taker.

Recently, the council placed a banner on the fence of the old headquarters to announce that the buildings on the property were for rent. The asking prices for the various buildings have also been made public. Although the MPSP may be able to earn some rental income, chances are the type of use will not enhance the image of Butterworth. The role of a local authority, after all, is not to earn income from its properties, but to use them to enhance the liveability of the town or city and the quality of life of the rate-payers.

In the midst of all this, it must be repeated – Butterworth certainly needs a park. The land in Jalan Datuk Haji Ahmad should be used for that. Besides the recreational use, visitors to such a coastal park will be able to have a good view, not only of the activities in the channel such as the Butterworth-George Town ferries, but also the skyline of George Town.

The 8,930sq m land is in a very central location in Butterworth. It is near the old town centre at the junction of Telaga Ayer Road and Bagan Luar Road. Adjacent to the property, the council also owns an open field that is hardly used. In the vicinity are properties belonging to the state government and federal government. A good urban landscape architect should be able to create a park that will be the pride of not only Seberang Perai but also Penang.

Just slightly north of the proposed coastal park is the Container Terminal which is active 24 hours a day. A short distance to the south of this area is the proposed RM2bil Penang Sentral, the transport hub for northern Peninsular Malaysia. A well-designed and maintained park will complement and enhance the transport hub and make Butterworth a popularly visited tourist spot.

Urban development in Malaysia has generally neglected parks, especially in town centres. In contrast, notable liveable cities in the world have parks in their centre or near business districts. For example, in New York there is the world-famous Central Park in the middle of the city. Adelaide, founded and planned by Col William Light, the son of Francis Light, is surrounded by a park. Vancouver, the perennial top city in the Economist Intelligent Unit’s (EIU) Liveable City rankings has many parks, including the Stanley Park and the Sun Yat Sen Park, both of which are within walking distance from the town centre. Kuala Lumpur has a park that is adjacent to the twin towers in KLCC, a business, shopping and conference centre.

Lately, urban scholars have argued that, besides enhancing the attractiveness of cities, parks also play an important role in healthy youth development, public health and community building. As such, some cities have dug up roads and buildings and converted the space into urban parks.

Perhaps the most notable is the Cheonggyecheon recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. In 2003, then Mayor Lee Myung-bak dismantled about five kilometres of highway in the middle of Seoul to build the recreation space and revitalise a stream. Completed in 2005, Cheonggyecheon has not only attracted South Koreans but also foreigners. Although the cost of US$384mil is staggering, most observers agree that it is a very successful project. Obviously, the South Koreans must have thought so. Lee is now the president of South Korea.

It is time that something concrete be done to transform the Ugly Duckling into a beautiful swan.

Goh Ban Lee is a senior research fellow at the Penang Institute.