The founders of community-led walking movement Kerja Jalan reveal KL's neighbourhoods that they deem to be most accessible and walkable
From cracked pavements and inadequate ramps to disabled friendly parking spaces hogged by motorists, Kuala Lumpur’s streets have a long way to go to become more pedestrian-friendly and accessible.
To foster greater pedestrian friendly awareness in Malaysia, Yasmin Lane, Awatif Ghapar, and Charmaine Wong started Jane’s Walk KL in May 2019. It was the local chapter of a global movement known as Jane’s Walk in honour of celebrated American urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs, author of The Life and Death of Great American Cities.
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Since rebranding to Kerja Jalan KL, the movement promotes community-led walking experiences with the aim of encouraging more people to walk and starting important discussions about the barriers to walking and accessibility in our cities.
"We walk to explore different neighbourhoods. For each walk, we examine different perspectives of local stories, including history, architecture, food, and accessibility," says Lane (pictured above), who has a Master's degree in urbanism.
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"As a society, we are so conditioned to rely on our cars. City planners thus design our cities to move cars, as opposed to moving people. Walking is the equaliser, if and when we make cities accessible to walk for everyone. It's the foundation of sustainable urban mobility and any real change we want to see in the city starts with making it equitably pedestrian-friendly."
Read on to find out Kerja Jalan KL's recommended neighbourhoods for walkability and accessibility in Kuala Lumpur.
