Whose city? colonial histories, urban governance, and the contestation of space in Kuala Lumpur

Cities are shaped by historical power structures that persist in governance, spatial organization, and socio-economic hierarchies. In postcolonial cities like Kuala Lumpur, colonial legacies continue to reinforce exclusionary policies and spatial inequalities, limiting inclusive urban growth. While existing scholarship explores urban transformations and ethnic contestations, few studies critically assess how colonial governance, ethno-spatial hierarchies, and socio-political structures collectively sustain urban exclusion. This study examines the enduring influence of British colonial governance on Kuala Lumpur’s contemporary urban development, governance failures, and socio-spatial inequalities. Using a mixed-methods approach, it investigates the disconnect between urban policies and residents’ lived experiences. Findings reveal that centralized governance, displacement-driven redevelopment, and affirmative action policies often reproduce, rather than redress, urban inequalities. Addressing these postcolonial urban challenges requires more than policy reforms – it necessitates a fundamental re-examination of entrenched governance models and a shift toward inclusive, community-driven urban planning.