KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Plans to rejuvenate Rawang’s old town should take a comprehensive approach rooted in its history, community needs and local identity, with artificial intelligence (AI) used to support the process.
According to PLANMalaysia Research and Development Division deputy director Muhammad Hakimi Mohd Hussain, AI can analyse information including the structure of an area and sensitive locations before physical changes are made.
Muhammad Hakimi said AI could assist decision-making in areas such as urban management and support the entire planning process, from identifying issues to testing development scenarios.
He said this could help the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) gain a comprehensive understanding of the area’s characteristics and unique features, allowing it to develop plans that are accurate and appropriate to the local context.
“Whatever documents we have can be fed into AI for it to learn from. It can understand the history, identify sensitivities and determine which areas can be upgraded.
“We should not focus solely on making an area look attractive or modern, as that could disrupt an old town with its own history. Instead, we can use that history and uniqueness to further highlight its character,” he told Media Selangor.
Muhammad Hakimi, who also heads PLANMalaysia’s artificial intelligence centre for urban planning, said AI could create simulations and visualisations of proposed developments before projects begin.
He said this would allow the potential impact on an area and its residents to be understood earlier, while giving the public an opportunity to visualise proposed developments and provide feedback.
“If we use AI for a road system, for example, we may be able to reduce traffic problems. Eliminating them entirely may be difficult, but reducing them is certainly possible.
“AI can suggest which roads should be prioritised because it can analyse what could happen if certain measures are taken. This also brings the community closer to the planning process because people can visualise the proposals,” he said.
Muhammad Hakimi also cautioned that planning for historic locations such as Rawang’s old town must be carried out carefully to ensure modernisation does not undermine its original identity.
“We can make use of its history and unique qualities to highlight them further, so that this old town can be rejuvenated and embraced, particularly by the present generation,” he said.
According to him, AI should not be implemented in isolation. Instead, the process should begin by identifying the root causes of problems before comprehensive solutions are developed.
He said most towns already have a digital foundation, including sensors, portals, databases and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, but much of the data currently operates separately.
“AI can provide an additional layer of capability that connects this data and helps us identify problems, analyse patterns, make projections, test scenarios and ultimately support decision-making,” he said.
He added that AI’s ability to analyse large volumes of data could provide local authorities with a more comprehensive picture before development decisions are made.
The technology could also be used to test various scenarios in advance to assess the potential impact of proposals on an area and its community, he said.
