Exploring urban regeneration with REHDA Youth

This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 13, 2026 – April 19, 2026

Over the last decade, industry players have increasingly embraced the regeneration strategy, or adaptive reuse. Rather than redeveloping, they repurpose aged buildings for modern functions while maintaining their original elements.

In early April, 28 members of the youth arm of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) visited a few notable projects that have adopted such concepts.

The first site was Sentul Depot, a former railway engineering complex for locomotive assembly, maintenance and storage under the Federated Malay States Railways. It is located in YTL Land & Development Bhd’s 294-acre master-planned Sentul (Sentul East and Sentul West) in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2018, YTL Land revitalised the complex into an event space, drawing inspiration from New York’s Meatpacking District and Shanghai’s Xintiandi.

The 200,000 sq ft depot comprises eight workshops of varying sizes that can accommodate a range of events — from intimate weddings and private parties to community gatherings and product launches.

One workshop, The Yard — formerly home to the food hall Tiffin at The Yard — has since been repurposed into an outdoor sports centre. With pickleball and padel courts replacing its food court concept, the space now attracts a vibrant, active crowd, aligning the depot with the growing urban sports scene.

Besides The Yard, the Diesel Room — a former electrical workshop — was also refurbished and now houses Grumpy Bagels.

The Sentul master plan is an ongoing develop­ment by YTL Land to revitalise and regenerate the area. YTL Land acquired the site in 2002 from Taiping Consolidated Bhd.

“Sentul was founded in the late 1800s when the first Malaysian railway line was established between Port Weld and Taiping. Because of this, Sentul’s prominence grew and it employed about 5,000 people in its heyday,” said YTL Land customer relations senior manager Karen Tan.

Sentul’s vibrancy declined in the late 1960s as reliance on rail transport waned with the rise of road networks, leaving it an ageing district.

Recognising its potential, YTL set out to revitalise Sentul both economically and socially.

The group’s next visit was to The Campus, a neighbourhood lifestyle mall in Ampang that opened in early 2025. Formerly the International School Kuala Lumpur, it was acquired and redeveloped by Ukay Builders Sdn Bhd into a community-­focused space rather than a conventional retail mall. Roughly 65% of its gross floor area is allocated to net retail space. There were proposals to develop a resort-style retirement village, serviced apartments and commercial shopoffices.

“There was a slow realisation that this unique asset had something much greater to offer. As we studied multiple options, we slowly evolved into the idea that this could be a community-driven space, not pure retail but something a lot more unique and a lot more driven by its community,” said HL Architect Sdn Bhd director Martin Haeger.

The project prioritises minimal structural intervention, preserving much of the original architecture while adapting it for new uses. Key facilities from the former school — such as the swimming pool, basketball court and football field — have been retained and continue to host regular sports activities, while the theatre is being upgraded with an LED screen.

Circulation and accessibility within the original building layout have been improved, and an agora was introduced as a central gathering space, encouraging visitors to interact naturally with the surrounding retail offerings.

Retail tenants were carefully curated to reinforce the mall’s lifestyle focus. According to Ukay Builders’ business development assistant manager Chris Yee Kean Yong, the tenant mix was selected to define The Campus’ identity. He cited Adidas as a prime example: “Adidas leverages the existing football field for branding and engagement. We will have more activities with Adidas through initiatives like the Adidas Youth League.”

The final site visit was to The Five. In 2019, Selan­gor Properties Sdn Bhd refurbished Kompleks Pejabat Damansara (KPD), transforming it into a contemporary community hub.

The development offers a net lettable area of about 156,000 sq ft, with a tenant mix of 44% office, 31% food and beverage, and 24% retail. Originally built in the 1960s and 1970s, KPD previously housed the headquarters of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange and United Nations.

The transformation into The Five repurposed the five-block office complex into a corporate address with a community-centric focus. Ample common areas provide visitors with spaces to lounge and engage with the surroundings.

“When I presented the idea to the chairman about giving common spaces back to the community, our perspective was always long term. If investing in sustainability can uplift the entire development — and, in turn, the leases we hold here — then even a modest increase of 10 sen psf across tenancies over the next 15 years would allow it to pay for itself many times over,” said Selangor Properties director Brian Newman.

Newman emphasised that a good developer should prioritise placemaking in its development. ‘Buildings define spaces. Buildings don’t just occupy space; they shape it. Whether it’s a plaza, a laneway or a street, the built form ultimately defines the public realm.”

As the study tour drew to a close, Rehda Youth organising chairman Max Lee said: “Through this study tour, participants gained practical insights into how these places were transformed into modern lifestyle destinations.

“Urban regeneration is not solely about constructing taller and newer buildings. These three projects demonstrate how existing buildings can be rejuvenated into a vibrant, community-focused lifestyle hub.”

Lee added that the topic of the study tour was timely, aligning with the government’s move to introduce the Urban Renewal Bill 2025, first tabled last August.

As at January this year, the bill had been retracted for further refinement.