Renowned architectural firm Veritas Design Group today, showcased a series of back-to-back talks from renowned speakers in its full-day Veritas Lecture Series (VLS) number 14 themed ‘MIND-THE-GAP’. This lecture series was founded in 2007 as a one-day event that delivers a lecture or series of talks with the main objective to present useful industry information and unique learning experiences about subjects of relevance to the design and property development industry. The VLS event is an annual event that touches on architecture and design-related subjects.
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Most development, particularly in metropolitan areas, takes transportation into account. In light of the globalisation period, it is clear that advancements in technological sophistication, as well as economic success, have led to a more dynamic population. As a result, there is a growing demand for residential and commercial development in the city centre and its surroundings.
One such solution is TOD (Transit Oriented Development). It is hoped that it would minimise dependency on private autos and encourage public transportation and walking as a way of life in cities.
The MIND-THE-GAP conference aims to explore Malaysia’s public transportation system’s impact on socio-economic progress. The question is, to what degree does connecting city centres to suburbs and each other boost growth?
This conference was intended to investigate the role of various types of public transportation systems, such as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), High-Speed Rail (HSR), East Coast Rail Line (ECRL), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and so on, beginning with planning and ending with execution, with an emphasis on the importance of “the last mile” in achieving a fully integrated solution for the people.
The virtual event that began at 9am with an opening remark by Ar. David Mizan Hashim, Founder and Group President and Director of Veritas Design Group. “It is imperative to understand the importance of TODs in Malaysian development and the relevance it has towards a sustainable growth towards the future of Malaysia. MIND-THE-GAP will bring expert opinions up for discussion and bring ideas forward that could aid towards the cause – to mind the gap,” said Hashim.
Following his opening remarks, Datuk Isham Ishak, Secretary-General for the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, shared the Transport Ministry’s current transportation plans, followed by a speech by Ts. Syed Mohamad Azani bin Syed Mohamad from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), who touched on the various public transportation infrastructure.
Other speakers who graced the virtual stage were Mohd Zaidi bin Sharif who is currently leading the Strategic Planning and Business Development Division of Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) on East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project; Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of MRT Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) who leads the construction MRT Putrajaya Line Project, the RTS Link Project from Johor Bahru to Singapore and the upcoming MRT3 Circle Line Project; Rudyanto Azhar who heads the Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (IMBRT) team; and many other experts from policy and regulatory, finance, engineering, property development and design backgrounds who shared their perspectives and exchanged ideas for the future. The event ended at 5pm.
The MIND-THE-GAP Conference aims to foster strong collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders as a first step toward fulfilling the goal of a National Transportation Plan 2019-2030. For further information on the Veritas Lecture Series and on Veritas Design Group, visit https://theveritasdesigngroup.com.
