Why there won’t be a high-speed railway from Singapore to China, and how Thailand and Malaysia have set back a truly unified system by years. The Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) is a planned network of railways to create a unified line from Kunming to Singapore. This is part of the Pan-Asian Railway, which envisions three […]
malaysia
Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC): New tech city in Johor, Malaysia
Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) is a 7,290-acre township in Sedenak, Johor, Malaysia. IBTEC is planned as a major circular city within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Sedenak was designated as the sixth flagship zone of Iskandar Malaysia (Zone F) in 2021. Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) map Sedenak mukim (an administrative division of a district) is in […]
How to fix KL Sentral: ideas to fix the worst station in Southeast Asia
Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station is going to be redeveloped at the end of 2024. Here are some ideas to improve the station. KL Sentral opened in 2001, replacing Kuala Lumpur Station as the central station. KL Sentral was designed to handle 100,000 commuters a day, but it’s now handling 200,000 commuters per day. After over […]
Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station redevelopment
The Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station redevelopment is a proposed rebuild of the central station of Kuala Lumpur. KL Sentral was built in 2001 (replacing Kuala Lumpur Station as the central station), and it was designed to accommodate 100,000 commuters a day. The station now sees 200,000 commuters per day. The estimated RM1 billion project will […]
Gurney Bay: Penang’s new seafront park
Gurney Bay is a seafront park on reclaimed land in Georgetown, Penang. The reclaimed land is off the seafront promenade of Gurney Drive. This coastal road used to be lined with mansions and low-rise villas, and it was referred to as Millionaire’s Row. There was a beach along this stretch of coast, but coastal erosion […]
Langkawi LRT: A proposed maglev from Kuah Ferry Terminal to Cenang Beach
Langkawi LRT is a proposed light rail transit system in Langkawi, Malaysia. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on 29 April 2024 between the state-owned Kedah Investment Authority (Permodalan Kedah Bhd (PKB)) and South Korea’s Royal Eco Train Development (RETD) to study the development of a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system in Langkawi. The […]
Johor Bahru construction update – 2024 edition
An update on construction projects in Johor Bahru, including the RTS Link to Singapore. I previously visited Johor Bahru in 2022 to report on construction and transport projects. There are now plans to build a 3-line light rail system, and Johor has dreams of becoming the Shenzhen of Southeast Asia. I made a metro concept map that JB […]
Kuala Lumpur construction update – 2024 edition
This is a summary of the major construction projects in Kuala Lumpur that I visited in April 2024. Merdeka 118 Merdeka 118 Merdeka 118 topped out in November 2021 at 678.9 metres, though it is still not quite ready to open. Merdeka 118 is close to the Chinatown area (a few minutes’ walk), so there will […]
Johor Bahru: Redesigning Permas Jaya into a pedestrian-friendly space
Johor is working to improve its market environment to attract investors and boost the region’s prowess. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is planned to be established in the Iskandar region, which is part of the Iskandar Development Region and South Johor Economic Region. As Johor Bahru wants to become the next “Shenzhen”, Johor Bahru City […]
How to make Johor Bahru an international metropolis of Southeast Asia
How a transit system, walkable cities, and more interesting buildings could make Johor Bahru the Shenzhen of Southeast Asia. Johor Bahru has been described as the next Shenzhen due to its proximity to Singapore. Shenzhen became an economic powerhouse by becoming a special economic zone (SEZ) and building a new city in the slipstream of […]
