The application of geographic information systems for urban land-use planning and monitoring: a case study of low-cost housing development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The most notable problems of rapid urbanisation in Malaysia today include the need for land, housing, and provision of services. The link with day-to-day planning problems, however, remains a critical factor. The quality of planning and decisionmaking processes can be substantially improved when valid data are appropriately and efficiently handled. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how the application of geographic information systems (GIS) can aid urban land-use planning and monitoring at the local authority level in Kuala Lumpur, with particular reference to a case study of low-income housing development. Data requirements, problems of data availabilitiy, and the appropriateness of different analytical tools are examined, followed by discussion of the feedback between the information system and the planning - decisionmaking process which is necessary for the successful implementation of new GIS technology.