Barrier Free Park Design for the Disabled Persons: A Case Study of the KLCC Park

Making green spaces accessible to as many people as possible is now mainstream thinking in planning, design and management. Green spaces call be internal or external, integrated or separated with building. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the characteristics in creating green spaces for the disabled persons' to enjoy. This research is dedicated specially for those with sensory disabilities, i.e. visually impaired' persons.The research will focus on issues and constraints that seem to impede their basic necessity, which is a barrier to them in enjoying the green spaces alongside their sighted peers. However, this research can also be applied to other users such as children, elderly people, pregnant women and parent with strollers. An example of a case study selected is the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Park, where the author will explore the objectives and design principles of the Park. The findings are intended to provide recommendation on appropriate design criteria for the visually impaired persons in helping to maintain and manage green spaces. This is also to provide general information on different type of plants, highlighting their value and use in design as advised by landscape architects.