One effect of Asia’s rapid economic growth has been a dramatic expansion of its urban populations. Malaysia, and its capital Kuala Lumpur, are a good example of trends throughout the region. The “supercity” is home to seven million residents, a number expected to rise to 7.8 million by 2020.
So it’s no surprise that urban planning is one of the region’s hot topics, because its older cities were not designed with tomorrow in mind. The challenge for planners, architects, developers and government officials is to create innovative urban environments that maximize the benefits of city living while maintaining a sense of heritage and community that no one wants to lose.
In recognition of his 25 years of responsibly responding to the housing needs of urban Malaysians, the Malaysian government has granted property developer Robert Lim the revered title of “Datuk”, an honorary designation awarded only to the most deserving community leaders. Datuk Robert Lim had no intention of being a property developer. Like many successful entrepreneurs he found his calling mid-career, after a nine-year stint in private finance fell victim to global recession in 1987. But in 1990, when his company Bangsar Heights-MKL Group opened its first retail project, he was hooked. Now, almost 25 years later and with 36 property developments, he is as enthusiastic as ever.
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