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The roles of the marketplace in promoting place identity have been the central focus of the UN- Habitat and stakeholders around the globe. The notion of marketplace relating to place identity, place attachment and sense of place have gained attention by Malaysian researchers but much focused on the overt of the marketplaces compared to the covert. This study aims to explore how the seen and unseen elements coexist and enhance place identity. The objective is to discover the influence of overt and covert parameters on marketplace identity through the cultural mapping among four different regions in Peninsular Malaysia. This study employs a qualitative approach through direct non-participant observation and cultural mapping at the four selected marketplaces: Pantai Suri floating market in Tumpat, Kelantan, Pasar Bisik in Penaga, Penang, Pasar Jerami in Sungai Besar, Selangor and Pasar Borneo in Masai, Johor. The overt and covert of each market were carefully observed and mapped, where three substantial outcomes were revealed. First, the social interaction and transaction, social activities and social connectivity at the market portray the covert aspect as vital for place identity. Second, marketplaces have the potentials as dynamic community public spaces to get fresh daily products and promote local heritage and tourism. Third, marketplaces face threats from climate change, pandemic Covid-19, and the diminishing local culture and traditions. In conclusion, the covert and overt of marketplaces should be equally preserved as they become primary components for developing a regional place identity.

A contemporary approach of makerspace that combines art, technology, learning and collaboration has been widely integrated into the 21st-century civic infrastructures. However, it has resembled chiefly the maker movement of indoor spaces compared to outdoor or hybrid indoor-outdoor spaces. Hence, this paper intends to explore the potential of retrofit makerspaces that merges the usage of the outdoors-indoor spaces for civic engagement. The objectives of this paper are threefold: (1) To examine a learning-design partnership in hybrid spaces through community’s engagement; (2) To explore a wide range of creative civic spaces that would foster business start-ups, job opportunities, products, services, and income generation; and (3) To develop a working, learning, and recreational space design concept that is more tactile and outdoor environment-oriented. The primary data was gathered through site observation and participation in the workshops and events at Sentul Park. Limited access to the perimeter of the private areas of Sentul Park became a setback in this study. Thus, the data collected for the inaccessible areas was derived mainly from reports published by the local authority, the site’s developer, and previously published researchers. The three types of retrofitted makerspaces created for education, community, and workplace, which unify the outdoor and indoor spaces, could become a trendsetter and potential platform for future civic engagement in Malaysia. More significant efforts and attention are needed to understand a community’s needs and preferences in the city’s ever-evolving physical and cultural aspect to make makerspaces a new form of civic infrastructure.

This conceptual paper aims to demystify how the quality of streets could facilitate the street culture and shaping greater urban qualities. Numerous scholars believed that certain streets had contributed an utmost factor in shaping man's civilisation. The development of modern cities has contributed to a great loss of streets significance as spaces for socialising and dwelling in the local peoples' needs. The outcome of this paper is hoping to guide the practitioners, policy makers and urban designers to incorporate the inclusive street design towards providing a better quality of urban life. Keywords: Urban street; Inclusive street design; City’s livability; Quality of life eISSN 2398-4279 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. https://doi.org/10.21834/ajqol.v4i15.184

This conceptual paper aims to demystify how the quality of streets could facilitate the street culture and shaping greater urban qualities. Numerous scholars believed that certain streets had contributed an utmost factor in shaping man's civilisation. The development of modern cities has contributed to a great loss of streets significance as spaces for socialising and dwelling in the local peoples' needs. The outcome of this paper is hoping to guide the practitioners, policy makers and urban designers to incorporate the inclusive street design towards providing a better quality of urban life. Keywords: Urban street; Inclusive street design; City’s livability; Quality of lifeISSN: 2398-4287© 2017. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.