THROUGH a marriage of serendipity and generosity, a one-of-a-kind pocket park and urban oasis is set to bring life to downtown Kuala Lumpur.

For the past few years, the water cascades at the intersection of Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman has largely gone unnoticed by the thousands of pedestrians and motorists who go past it every day.

With its water feature and large raintrees, this pocket park is a haven for those wanting a short respite from the fast pace of city life.

However, lack of benches and bigger shade deter people from lingering in the area.

Now, under a Signature Park Programme by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in partnership with Think City Sdn Bhd, a community-based urban rejuvenation organisation, the Signature Park initiative is set for upgrading and rejuvenation.

The water feature area at the intersection of Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman as it looks right now. It has largely gone unnoticed by pedestrians and motorists but things should change once the upgrades are completed. — Photos: SHAARI CHEM AT and ONG SOO N HIN/The Star

The park is expected to be completed before the 29th SEA Games and ninth Asean Para Games in August this year.

The estimated cost of the upgrading is between RM300,000 and RM500,000.

DBKL Project Management executive director Datuk Thomas Richards said the idea behind the project was to make the city more liveable.

Workers putting up hoardings around what is to be the Tun Perak pocket park.

"We wanted to provide a green space for the public, especially in an area where there is high foot traffic,” he said, adding that this was a pilot project with Think City.

Think City Kuala Lumpur programme director Lee Jia Ping said the idea behind the pocket park was to design a space that would attract people to it.

“A lot of times, when you are in the city and tired from walking, there is no place to sit.

“One has to pay for a cup of coffee at a nearby coffeeshop to be able to rest awhile.

“With the park, we asked ourselves how we could make it more appealing to the people.

There will be more resting areas in Dataran Merdeka. – filepic

“The public realm should be free for anyone to enjoy.

“A good example is the KLCC park and fountain area.

“The space is very popular because of the water feature and greenery, it is a successful effort in attracting visitors,” she explained.

In contrast, she added, other spaces ended up unused because it was either too hot or there were not enough seating places.

To make the place more inviting, Lee said the concept behind the pocket park in their pilot project was a biophilia design – incorporating natural materials and vegetation into the built environment.

“The idea is to attract urban wildlife back into an area.

“In the city, one of the general bird species are sparrows.

“But on the other hand, we are also seeing a lot of crows which is indicative of health and hygiene problems because they are scavengers and are attracted to rubbish.

“What we want to do is introduce more of a balance like butterflies and other non-threatening species such as sparrows and bees.

People visiting KL CC Park to exercise, relax, have a meal or do their work in an outdoor setting. – filepic

“With the green spaces from the River of Life (RoL) project near the new countdown clock at Dataran Merdeka, there will also be more resting and nesting areas available for birds and other wildlife,” Lee said.

“There will not be a complete demolition of the existing site, but we are looking at ways where we can work with what is available.

“For example, the water cascades that is currently there has a pump that is in good condition, so we will maintain it in the design.

“We are also keeping the water element because it is a calming feature in a very busy traffic island,” she explained.

She said other sustainable measures included sourcing rocks that would be used in the water feature.

“Rather than buying the materials, which is fast and easy, we are recycling the rocks from other DBKL projects.

“While this might take longer, it is more sustainable.

“We will also relocate and replant the greenery when construction work is done,” she added.

The 700sq m site will feature a nature trail with a two-tiered flowing stream and gravel path.

DBKL and Think City are looking for interested parties to sponsor the maintenance of the park once it is completed. The estimated cost of the upkeep is about RM3,000 a month for five years.