Aerial view of the former Royal Malaysia Air Force base on Jalan Sungai Besi and the surrounding area. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
I REFER to StarMetro’s article “No to development in Bandar Malaysia” on Dec 27, 2024, about stakeholders wanting the former Royal Malaysia Air Force (TUDM) Sungai Besi airbase to be turned into an urban park.
The former TUDM base has the potential to be Kuala Lumpur’s very own Tempelhofer Feld.
It has its own rich history and is in the city centre with lots of existing green areas including a well-forested hill.
The Tempelhofer Feld (Field) in Berlin, Germany, was an old airport that played a major role in preserving democracy during the Cold War years.
Planes flew in with vital food, medicines and heating materials when the city was encircled by the infamous Berlin Wall.
When Germany was reunited, there were many plans to continue its use as an airport or develop it as a commercial and housing area but all these fortunately fell through.
Finally in 2014, Berlin’s citizens decided to preserve the entire space as a park and ban any development by law, thus putting an end to both construction and development plans.
It is now a vast public park, green lung and conservation area.
The magnificent terminal building has been preserved and repurposed into commercial offices, restaurants and institutions of learning.
The runways are used for jogging, rollerblading, cycling and kite-flying.
StarMetro’s report on dec 27.
Parts of the park are used as an urban garden and environmental education centre.
It is a popular venue for family outings, picnics, concerts, exhibitions and events.
The shrubs and bushes there serve as a refuge for many insects and birds.
It is supposedly the largest open-air city park in the world, popular with locals and foreigners alike, and a reason Berlin is one of the top cities in the world.
Similarly, we could retain and use the airbase runway for sporting activities in Kuala Lumpur.
Plant trees along the runway and the surroundings for cooling shade and home for fauna life.
The hill should be preserved and hiking and mountain biking trails laid out.
Repurpose the existing buildings to high-tech digital offices, sports shops, art studios, small theatres and eateries.
Vacant land where buildings have already been torn down should be redeveloped for low-rise, low- and medium-cost housing.
Some space should also be set aside for a community garden and an environmental education centre.
If the Tempelhofer Feld development template is emulated, there is little need for massive construction and huge investment outlay.
The runway and its surrounding areas can be utilised within a short time once planting of trees and landscaping is completed.
There is no need for a long gestation period if there is no massive development and construction of the whole airport.
The former airport and the neighbouring areas form part of the green lung of Kuala Lumpur.
This is a golden opportunity to achieve Malaysia’s green initiatives and goals, securing a green lung for future generations.
It’s also a chance to be mentioned in the same breath as Berlin, as having retained and repurposed an old airport as a green lung for its citizens.
Koo Wee Hon
Taman SEA, Petaling Jaya
