Issues of Rural-Urban Transformation on the Fringe of Metropolitan Region: Several Findings from the Selangor Northern Corridor, Malaysia

This article discusses the issues that arise from the spatial transformation process along the Selangor Northern Corridor that have resulted from spill over of the Klang Valley-Langat Metropolitan Region. By using the data gained from the field study and questionnaires distributed to 355 heads of household, three findings were obtained, namely (i) an increase in population is occurring at a rapid pace in several small towns in the study area, (ii) the functions and roles of small towns in the study area have started to change and (iii) the wellbeing of the residents have started to be affected. These findings are important clues about how the rapid urbanisation of the metropolitan area phenomenon has affected small towns and people living in peripheral areas. This conclusion is important as a guide in the planning development of the fringes of the metropolitan region in the future. This is because the transformation process intensified by economic globalisation will continue and without good planning, it is feared that its consequences will worsen.