Explore Kuala Lumpur’s first crowd sourced pocket park

HSS Pocket Park is a mini oasis in the historic heart of Kuala Lumpur

As the historic heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur continues to evolve with exciting new restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and event spaces popping up, the lack of green spaces gives pause to the direction this rejuvenation is headed.

Nestled within a cluster of renovated pre-war shophouses known as High Street Studios (HSS) along Jalan Tun HS Lee, the recently opened HSS Pocket Park is a lush, green oasis for those exploring the area to take a break from the heat, noise and traffic congestion—a deliberate gesture to balance the burgeoning development of commercial spaces with equally vital public spaces.

以上 A peek at HSS Pocket Park from the floor above

A peek at HSS Pocket Park from the floor above

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“Downtown KL needs more than just hipster cafes—it needs more public spaces,” says Ng Ping Ho, director of the Kindness of Strangers Hospitality Group, who manages HSS Pocket Park for private owners.

“We decided to create a park modelled after pocket parks in major cosmopolitan cities around the world, where urban spaces are reclaimed and transformed into green community spaces. Even though Pocket Park is a privately owned space, it’s open to people from all walks of life.”

1/2 HSS Entrance off Jalan Tun HS Lee

2/2 Ample parking space for cyclists exploring the city

HSS Entrance off Jalan Tun HS Lee

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The impetus for this space was inspired by Ping’s travels. “In 2011, on a trip to New York City, I chanced upon the tiny Paley Park tucked between all the skyscrapers. There was a gushing waterfall, tall leafy trees, and people having lunch, reading or taking a break," muses Ng.

“With the sound of flowing water and sunlight filtering through the trees, it had a stillness that felt a world away from the bustle of the city. We felt that the time was right for a space like that in KL.”

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以上 Space to breathe amidst a concrete jungle

Space to breathe amidst a concrete jungle

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HSS Pocket Park occupies a compact 935 square feet courtyard space within a pre-war shophouse complex called High Street Studios. The row of shophouses was originally a backpackers hostel that closed during the pandemic, converted to a mixture of retail and offices for small independent businesses in 2022.

Its name references the original name of Jalan Tun HS Lee. High Street now houses the Kuala Lumpur offices of Think City, independent bookstore Riwayat, LOKL Coffee Co, Gahara Batik, and Gambus, a music store featuring traditional instruments.

以上 Seating areas in HSS Pocket Park

Seating areas in HSS Pocket Park

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The petite but lush space was designed in-house by in-house architect Rungrudee Pitaksorayutt (Nok), with ample space for bicycle parking.

According to Ng, this initiative will continue to bring life to these overlooked liminal spaces: “There are plans to upgrade and landscape the laneways at the back of the shophouses so that people can connect between buildings, and laneways are activated. At the moment, there are no plans for future pocket parks. My focus is more on bringing life and energy into the part of town I love so much.”

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