I wanted to write about this busyness but I’ve had a lot of ‘busyness’, still do, going on in my head and life.

I feel like I’m living in dodgem city. Instead of bumper cars bumping into me and surrounding me, its people, vehicles, and … buildings.

I knew the trade-offs when my husband and I moved not just to the city but the city centre, a 15-minute walk to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, some 18 years ago. I recognised that while it would take a bit of getting used to, it was an ideal opportunity to experience a different lifestyle.

The move from suburbia was also precipitated by work as my husband’s then place of employment was in the city. Which is also where his current office is. A sort of mix-development with commercial offices and a block of condominium. Which is where we live. His commute now is a hop and a skip away.

Briefly, driving between Jalan Gasing, where we lived in Petaling Jaya, and KL was less than pleasant. You’d think KL was where the bottlenecks were. You’d be right. But it wasn’t that much better along Jalan Gasing.

The long road, which was dotted by schools, was and probably still is, lined by double-parked cars and buses that picked-up and dropped-off school children. They inconsiderately clogged-up the roads all through the work week. Not nice.

The move was also good for me, as my clients, at the time, were in KL. In fact, one was just across the street from our condominium, and another was in KLCC. The agency I worked with was also in KL. It helped when it came to physical meetings at their offices. And events, as those were also mostly held in KL.

Although location didn’t matter all that much to me as I worked from home, the move was for the better. I like living in the city despite a few incontrovertible downsides.

I kid you not. Rush hour is like a parade of brake lights. There are too many frustrated drivers sitting in static traffic caught in massive tailbacks. No one in a vehicle can rush off anywhere in rush hour. And, it’s made worse when it rains and floods. I know. I’ve had my share of sitting in KL traffic for hours on end. Hmm.

The city skyline is surely insta-worthy. There are many clever and innovatively designed big, tall, and very tall buildings populating the city. There is the Petronas Twin Towers that stands at 452 meters. There’s the taller Menara Merdeka Maybank at 679 meters. There are also other eye-catching structures like the Menara Kuala Lumpur and The Exchange 106. Plus, high-rise hotels, offices, and condominiums. Fortunately or unfortunately, more seem to be sprouting up. Will they be taller and bigger than the ones before? Maybe.

The temperature is a few notches higher in the city. Thanks to vehicle emissions and air-conditioned buildings that pump out hot air into the atmosphere. The ubiquitous concrete and brick buildings, and asphalt roads retain heat from the sun during the day and release them at night making it generally warmer.

I didn’t know this terminology. ‘The Urban Canyon Effect describes a phenomenon where city streets flanked by tall buildings transform into environments resembling natural canyons. This architectural arrangement alters the local climate and sensory experiences of a city. The core of this effect lies in how the dense clustering of buildings changes the way heat, light, wind, and sound behave at street level[1].’

Yes, the city has green lungs. But continuous development has and is replacing natural vegetation and bodies of water that offer a natural cooling effect via shade, and evapotranspiration. What? Evapotranspiration is the process of water evaporating from plant leaves, which use heat from the environment. Bar this natural cooling mechanism, more heat remains in the city atmosphere.

And … people. KL already has over two million people living within the city limits, with about 8,200 people occupying per square kilometre. And, the rate of urbanisation is now at 75.8, up from 71 per cent in 2010.  I know … so many figures.

On top of that, Malaysia recorded 21.12 million international visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026[2], driven by the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Yes, Yay! I’m all for people, near and far, visiting the country and contributing towards the tourism industry and government coffers, and all that.  

However, what will be interesting is how ‘the powers that be’ address and approach city/urban planning and development as the city becomes more populous, and land, increasingly scarce.

All said, my husband and I would still give city living a thumbs-ups for its easy access to amenities, especially public transport, parks, eateries, and social happenings. While … we navigate around the busyness of the city.