Nadiawati Salleh

The Value of Green Infrastructure in Putrajaya, Malaysia

This urban century has seen the largest rise of global population living in towns and cities. Urbanisation has been crucial to economic progress and social development in many countries and is arguably an indicator of a nation’s wealth. Environmentally, urbanisation causes changes to land cover, air temperature and groundwater quality. A shift in thinking is required from current unsustainable urban development to sustainable urban designs. To alleviate the pressures of city dwelling, green infrastructure has become an essential element for development through the integration of natural resources within an urban environment. This study focused on the city of Putrajaya in Malaysia as a case study to demonstrate the importance of green infrastructure and assess the wider returns provided by this practice towards the resilience and sustainability of the city. The research objectives for this dissertation are (1) to identify the tangible benefits of green infrastructure, which would support Putrajaya’s sustainable economic, environmental and social goals; and (2) to create an understanding of a holistic green infrastructure approach to create more resilient urban communities. The results from the study showed that benefits for proposed green infrastructure in Putrajaya are estimated to have a positive Net Present Value, indicating a contribution towards the goals of Putrajaya as a low carbon city. The findings from the study were integrated to provide recommendations intended to aid cities in building resilience to climate change, supporting investments, and promoting social wellbeing through a holistic green infrastructure approach.