DBKL moots new concept of high-rise schools in capital

Summary

• DBKL is considering building 10 to 17-storey schools in Kuala Lumpur to address land scarcity and rising costs, with the proposal to be reviewed by the Education Ministry.

• The concept, widely used in Australia, maintains essential educational, sports, and recreational facilities despite a vertical design.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is considering a new concept of building schools between 10 and 17 storeys high in the capital as an alternative to address the increasing scarcity and rising cost of land.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the proposal would first be presented to the Education Ministry.

Despite the vertical design, she said there would be no compromise to essential educational facilities, including sports and recreational areas.

"Land availability is extremely limited, and rising costs present a challenge. Therefore, DBKL plans to discuss with the Education Ministry the feasibility of vertical school construction," she said during a parliamentary session Tuesday.

Zaliha explained that similar high-rise school models are widely used in Australia. Traditional school layouts with open fields and recreational spaces have been redesigned into compact two-block buildings of 10 to 17 storeys, while key educational and sports elements have been maintained.

She made these remarks in response to a supplementary question from Onn Abu Bakar (Harapan-Batu Pahat), who asked about the development of basic infrastructure such as halls and schools in Kuala Lumpur, given the city's limited land availability.

Zaliha also revealed that the Federal Territories Department has identified 139 sites covering 1,228.95 hectares for future redevelopment projects.

These developments will align with the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 and the Draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040.

Additionally, the DPTKL2040 introduces a Residential Land Use Zone 4 (R4), a designated area spanning 354.47ha for affordable and public housing projects.

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